All posts by Liz O.

I'm a longtime, cross-genre DJ and writer living in Los Angeles.
Beatique Mix

Beatique Mix April 2025 feat. Mark Lane, Model/Actriz, Joy Division and More

Photo of cars whizzing down 110 freeway in Los Angeles. (Photo: Liz Ohanesian)
The 110 freeway in L.A. as seen from a Metro J Line stop (Pic: Liz O.)

It’s time for another Beatique Mix. The April 2025 edition of this mix series includes new music from Mark Lane, Night Ritualz, Marie Davidson, Model/Actriz, The Horrors, French Police and more. It also includes a few classic cuts from the likes of Kittin and the Hacker, Joy Division and others. 

One thing that I want to stress is that these aren’t club mixes, even if they partially sound very clubby. The Beatique Mix series is a reflection of the music that’s been in my head for the past month, regardless of genre or vibe or whatever. For the April mix, specifically, I had transportation in mind, which explains the first three songs, as well as the last one. The photo for this mix is of the 110 freeway as seen from an L.A. Metro J Line stop. 

If you want to hear my club sets, then you have to go to the gigs. Click this link to see where I’m playing next. 

A Number of Names – Shari Vari

Night Ritualz – Take Me 2 the Crib

Mark Lane – Yelling at Cars

Marie Davidson – Y.A.A.M. 

Model/Actriz – Cinderella

The Rapture – House of Jealous Lovers

Fcukers – Bon Bon

Big Black Delta – Pik Pok

Kittin and the Hacker – 1982

The Horrors – L.A. Runaway

Fontaines D.C. – It’s Amazing to Be Young

Joy Division – Digital

French Police – Venado

Kneecap – H.O.O.D. (2025 Mix)

Berlin – The Metro

Liz O. is an L.A.-based writer and DJ. Read her recently published work and check out her upcoming gigs or listen to the latest Beatique Mix. Follow on Instagram  or Bluesky for more updates.

Keep Reading:

“You could pop on the internet right this second and find people road-raging”: Mark Lane on New EP, Yelling at Cars

The Horrors Bring Melancholy to Night Life

French Police Has a New EP, Espera, Out Now

It’s Marie Davidson vs. Big Tech on City of Clowns

New Music

Night Ritualz Debut, Hiroshi Yoshimura Reissue and More March 2025 Music

cover of Flora by Hiroshi Yoshimura

Amongst the new releases for March of 2025 were Night Life, the first new full-length album from The Horrors since 2017, as well as clipping.’s new latest album, Dead Channel Sky, both of which were previously covered here. Plus, earlier this month, Agender dropped Berserk, an album I liked so much that I interviewed singer Romy Hoffman for Beatique.

Click to read “Agender: ‘Some Songs Need to Be Fast and Furious’”

But, wait, there’s more. This month also brought new albums from CocoRosie, girlpuppy and Takuro Okada, plus a smashing debut album from Texas’ Night Ritualz, as well as reissues of worthwhile albums from electronic music pioneer Bruce Haack and ambient composer Hiroshi Yoshimura. Check out the reviews below and get yourself some new music. 

Continue reading Night Ritualz Debut, Hiroshi Yoshimura Reissue and More March 2025 Music →
Interview

Flashback to 1980s L.A. with Grey Factor on Live Album, A Peak in the Signal

Jeff Jacquin and Joey Cevetello of Grey Factor (Photo courtesy of the band)
Jeff Jacquin and Joey Cevetello of Grey Factor (Photo courtesy of the band)

When first wave L.A. synth band Grey Factor originally played around town, it was the junction of the 1970s and 1980s, an era when synths were more cumbersome and complicated than they are today and local audiences weren’t totally sold on electronic music. 

Back then, Jeff Jacquin and Joey Cevetello, the core of the group, and their bandmates lugged analog gear into punk clubs. Sometimes, they brought their own soundboard as well. Cevetello carried pieces of paper with charts showing how all the knobs on the synthesizers should be arranged. Their stands were repurposed shelving units. 

Continue reading Flashback to 1980s L.A. with Grey Factor on Live Album, A Peak in the Signal →
Happening in L.A.

Franz Ferdinand Live, Mulholland Drive Screenings and More Happening in L.A. 3/27-4/02/25

Photo of Agender by Lindsey Byrnes
Agender (Photo: Lindsey Byrnes) plays a free show to celebrate new album, Berserk, at Zebulon on 3/28/25

I made an executive decision to scale back on the event listings here, just to save myself some time. Going forward, I’ll post these on Thursdays and the list will include my top five recommendations for events happening in L.A. through Wednesday of the following week. 

The top 5 will be in addition to my DJ gigs. (I’m not playing anywhere this week.) If an event is going on multiple days, like a week-long movie run, it will be listed at the top. After that, everything is listed chronologically. 

This week’s recommendations include David Lynch movies screening in L.A. and Orange County. Lost Highway, Mulholland Drive, Inland Empire or David Lynch: The Art Life? Take your pick. There’s also animation studio Titmouse’s annual 5 Second Day shorts fest over Vidiots on Friday night. For shows, Agender’s free, album release gig at Zebulon will be a blast on Friday. On Saturday, consider Franz Ferdinand at The Wiltern or Vague Lanes and Darkswoon at The Goldfish. All the details are listed below. 

Continue reading Franz Ferdinand Live, Mulholland Drive Screenings and More Happening in L.A. 3/27-4/02/25 →
Adventures in L.A., Live Music

Caravan Palace Live at The Novo in Los Angeles

French group Caravan Palace live at The Novo in Los Angeles on Monday, March 24, 2025. (Photo: Liz Ohanesian)
Caravan Palace live at The Novo (Pic: Liz O.)

A little more than an hour had passed since Caravan Palace launched into their set at The Novo on Monday night. The French group, a trio in the studio now six people strong on stage, had already pumped up the crowd with a near-seamless mix of older tunes, like their version of “Black Betty,” and material from last year’s album, Gangbusters Melody Club. The stage was now saturated in blue light that moved like a wave as singer Zoé Colotis talked the audience. 

“Let’s get crazy for a while. Forget all your troubles, just spread good energy and craziness,” she told the crowd. 

White lights burst from the strobes, pulsating with the beat that had just kicked the crowd in the pants. They pumped their hands in the air and jumped in unison. The floor vibrated. My phone started to shake as I tried to record video. 

Continue reading Caravan Palace Live at The Novo in Los Angeles →
Adventures in L.A.

Intuition Festival at The Broad with Michael Rother and Money Mark

Michael Rother live at The Broad in Los Angeles for Intuition Festival on Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Photo: Liz Ohanesian)
Michael Rother live at The Broad in Los Angeles for Intuition Festival on Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Pic: Liz O.)

When Michael Rother, who co-founded Nue! and Harmonia, played Intuition Festival at The Broad on Saturday night, I had a mini-revelation. This might have happened during a Harmonia song, but I can’t be sure since it was well past the point where everything Rother played on the stage outside of the museum converged into one giant piece of music in my head. I was dancing and, suddenly, something in the tone of the guitar made me think of New Order. It’s not as random a thought as you think. 

Continue reading Intuition Festival at The Broad with Michael Rother and Money Mark →
New Music

The Horrors Bring Melancholy to Night Life

The Horrors Night Life Album cover

With a title like Night Life, one might assume that The Horrors would drop listeners into the sweatiest, dingiest, bassiest warehouse after-hours on their latest album. That’s a semi-reasonable assumption if you heard the band’s 2021 EPs, Lout and Against the Blade, but it’s also an incorrect one. On the U.K. band’s six album— their first full-length in seven years— night life is hushed and melancholy. It’s gothic, not goth, i.e. more Brontë sisters than Sisters of Mercy. 

Continue reading The Horrors Bring Melancholy to Night Life →
New Music

Clipping. Tackles Today’s Dystopia on Dead Channel Sky

clipping. Dead Channel Sky album cover

It’s the second track off Dead Channel Sky, the latest album from hip-hop trio clipping., that hooked me into the album. “Dominator” begins with a snippet of Human Resource’s early ‘90s banger of the same name, the line “I’m the one and only” pitched up and stuttering towards a collision with rapper Daveed Diggs, who drops a quote from “Bring the Noise,” the Public Enemy classic, “Once again back it’s the incredible.” The sound is bombastic, in the way that the old rave anthems were, and clipping. keeps up the big, boisterous vibe as “Dominator” slides into “Change the Channel,” which twists towards late ‘90s electronic tastes, think “Firestarter”-era Prodigy-meets-Chemical Brothers. 

Continue reading Clipping. Tackles Today’s Dystopia on Dead Channel Sky →
Happening in L.A.

Intuition Festival and More Happening in L.A. March 20 – March 26

Michael Rother of Neu! and Harmonia plays Intuition Festival at The Broad on Sunday, March 23
Michael Rother of Neu! and Harmonia plays Intuition Festival at The Broad on Saturday March 22 (Photo courtesy of the artist)

No gigs for me this week, but there’s a lot happening in L.A. from The Smiths tribute nights to David Lynch screenings. Deaf Club kicks off the weekend on Thursday at Alex’s Bar, Intuition Festival is happening at The Broad, Night Tempo is back in L.A. on Saturday night, French group Caravan Palace kicks off next week with a Monday night show at The Novo and Snow Patrol is in town on Tuesday and Wednesday. 

In addition, as you might have heard, Dark Delicacies is closing its brick-and-mortar early next month. The Burbank book shop has been a mainstay for horror literature and film fans and I spoke with co-owner Del Howison for the Daily News about the decision to semi-retire. (Click here for a gift link to the story.) Del’s signing his new book at the shop on Saturday, so stop by then, or during business hours before the last day. 

Meanwhile, Deadly Wax, a killer record store, just relocated to Granada Hills and the soft opening of the new space is this week. The shop is now located at 17820A Chatsworth Street 91344 and hours are posted on Deadly Wax’s Instagram page, so if you’re in the north San Fernando Valley, stop by and check it out. 

In other news, Ash, the new sci-fi horror film directed by Flying Lotus, is out on March 21 and it will be showing at various theaters around L.A. I have not seen the film yet, but the soundtrack is cool, so I’m curious to check it out soon. 

Continue reading Intuition Festival and More Happening in L.A. March 20 – March 26 →
Movies

Goodbye Horses: The Many Lives of Q Lazzarus Is More Than a Music Documentary

Cover of Goodbye Horses The Many Lives of Q Lazzarus documentary soundtrack album
Cover of the soundtrack for Goodbye Horses: The Many Lives of Q Lazzarus out on Sacred Bones

If you’ve ever requested “Goodbye Horses” at your local ‘80s or goth club, you need to seek out the new Q Lazzarus documentary. TBH, you need to see this movie even if you’re tired of hearing the song from Silence of the Lambs at every spooky night in town. You need to see it even if you think you don’t know what I’m talking about because- trust me- you will once year hear the first few seconds of the melody. Goodbye Horses: The Many Lives of Q Lazzarus, directed by Eva Aridjis Fuentes, is a must-see music documentary, in part because it’s much more than one song that became an unexpected club hit. This film is no nostalgia ride. In it, Diane Luckey, aka Q, shares her struggles and what ultimately led her to vanish from music in the mid-1990s.

Last month, I reviewed the Goodbye Horses soundtrack for Bandcamp. The 21-song collection is the first ever full-length Q Lazzarus release and, while listening to it, I was stunned by how she built up a large and eclectic body of work over a 10 year period, yet struggled to find anyone to release it. So, I went to a screening of Goodbye Horses at Philosophical Research Society in Los Feliz on Friday night to find out what happened. While I had read about bits-and-pieces of Luckey’s life and knew that she died while the documentary was in the works, I wasn’t expecting the revelations that come in the film.

Continue reading Goodbye Horses: The Many Lives of Q Lazzarus Is More Than a Music Documentary →