Petit Théâtre de Vieux Noranda, September 3
What a difference a venue can make. At a pre-FME party hosted at L'Esco in Montreal on Wednesday night (September 2), Swiss-Canadian electronic artist Camilla Sparksss whipped the packed crowd into a frenzy with her high octane mix of techno, lo-fi electronica and visual projections.
Her performance style is visceral, messy and life affirming, which was just the shot of adrenaline the weary delegates needed before making the long trip to Rouyn-Noranda the following morning. It was disgustingly humid thanks to the pouring rain outside and the body heat emanating from the dancing crowd, but nobody seemed to care.
Fast forward 24 hours, and Sparksss is back on stage at the Petit Théâtre du Vieux Noranda to a slighter crowd — or perhaps simply more dispersed — who approached her show a bit more cautiously. The height of the stage meant we were better able to see the mechanics of her performance and the method behind the madness of the sounds. Alternating between two turntables, she flits barefoot on her tiptoes around the machinery while speak-singing her lyrics with her trademark deadpan delivery.
For anybody who grew up listening to electroclash in the late '90s early 2000s, which is thankfully going through a bit of a resurgence and reassessment at the moment, Sparksss' sonic palette will be familiar and entrancing. Any fans of Peaches, Miss Kittin or Marie Davidson will find a lot to love in Sparksss' brand of cheeky lyricism and distorted beats.
Her beat selections are expansive, ranging from the Bollywood-tinted melodies of "Are You Ok?" to the punishing industrial bass lines of "Stranger" that are at their most potent live. Her love for '80s synth-pop is also front and centre in many of her compositions, like the chintzy throwback "Stormseeker" off her impeccable 2025 album ICU RUN.
The visuals are a big part of the performance and where Sparksss' visual art practice shines, with the Petit Théâtre du Vieux Noranda providing a more apt setting than L'Esco to see them in their full glory. Combining live videography with warped imagery and flashing lights, they handily turn any venue into a rave.
If the audience was unsure during the first few songs, they quickly warmed up once the full breadth of Sparksss' proposition was understood, packing up the front and turning it into a dance floor.
While the performance never reached the heights of the previous night's showing, it allowed us to appreciate the mastery behind the project while staying noticeably drier. Once thing remained clear: regardless of the venue, Camilla Sparksss is a production unto itself — one that manages to keep both her and the audience on its toes.
