Mixmag Asia Radio: LVRA & Soda Plains tap into alt-club extremes & cinematic chaos

Fresh off the release of their collaborative EP 'Fortress', London-based LVRA and Berlin-based Soda Plains join us on Mixmag Asia Radio for a mix that blurs the lines between club intensity and emotional intimacy, in a mind-bending sound bombardment.

Having connected online and later in person through performances and writing sessions, the duo forged a sound that feels both cinematic and raw—built as much for cavernous spaces as it is dissociations.

Fortress aims to sound large, yet intimate, emulating the “final boss soundtrack before drifting into nothingness”, and shows the duo at their most ambitious and cohesive, with this mix reflecting that intensity and grandeur.

Listen to their mix, as you read about their latest collaborative project, their evolving relationship with live performance, their connection to the East Asian alternative music community through Eastern Margins, and more on Mixmag Asia Radio #163.

Where are you both based, and if you’re not from there, how did you get there?

LVRA: I’m based in London, born and raised in Edinburgh. I moved to London after university to work and then stayed here.

SP: I’m based in Berlin and am originally from Hong Kong.


What’s your favourite thing about the music scene in the city you live in?

LVRA: I think the best thing about London is that whatever weird niche thing you are into, there’s always a community for you.

SP: There is quite a big underground community in Berlin, with lots of artists experimenting with new forms whilst not being obsessed with commercial outcomes.


Your favourite dancefloor in Asia?

LVRA & SP: Any KTV bar.


Name one DJ you’d love to play back-to-back with.

LVRA: Gyrofield!!!

SP: Bambii


Are there any producers and DJs in Asia that have recently caught your attention?

LVRA & SP: DJ Love all the way. He literally invented a whole genre.


What can you tell our readers and listeners about your mix? Why is it special to you?

LVRA & SP: It’s a blend of club and alt music, which I think reflects our mindset during the writing of ‘Fortress’.

Tell us about your latest EP ‘Fortress’. How would you describe the project?

LVRA & SP: Fortress captures a sound that is enormously large and yet is still very intimate. There’s moments that could be a final boss soundtrack and then you find yourself cramped on a tiny raft with us both drifting off into nothingness.


How did the collaboration happen?

LVRA: We connected online, wrote some stuff remotely for fun and then I ended up singing at Sonar for Alexis’ set in 2023. After that, I visited Berlin a few times to keep writing, and ‘Fortress’ kind of just spawned from that.


The project is very different from your DJ sets. Why do you think this is?

LVRA & SP: ‘Fortress’ was a way for us to step away from the club sounds we’re known for, but its a sound that can morph to whatever space it finds itself in.


Tell us what people can expect from your live shows showcasing the project?

LVRA & SP: This project was built with the live show in mind—we’ve been building an A/V set with a lighting designer, which we’re super excited about.

How has working with Eastern Margins been?

LVRA: Eastern Margins has always felt like a big family—it's great working with them and really helping to build the community around East Asian alternative music from the ground up.

SP: I played one of their early parties in a pub basement, and they’ve since come so far, so it's great to tag in for a release now.


What are some of your favourites from them over the years?

LVRA: Dirty K, one of the first Chinese producers that inspired my production on my last EP ‘soft like steel’. Other sick producers like T5UMUT5UMU and Kopi O.

SP: I’m a big fan of BillionHappy, loved Shabby Star.


How do you think the Western world and the Eastern world differ in terms of electronic Music?

LVRA: Personally, I think electronic music is still a pretty novel concept in a lot of East-Asian countries—means there’s a lot of space for new sounds and combining genres in a way that’s not bounded by tradition or history like it is in the West.

Henry Cooper is a Writer at Mixmag Asia. Follow him on Instagram.

Cut through the noise—sign up for our weekly Scene Report or follow us on Instagram to get the latest from Asia and the Asian diaspora!