All boundaries dissolve when NYC’s Tongue in the Mind (Juliana Huxtable, Joe Rinaldo Heffernan, and Dylan Shir) explores the intersection of high-concept prog-metal, spoken word, and dancefloor mysticism at ALICE this April. Opening the evening is the Chinese Berlin-based artist Otay:onii, delivering intense compositions that blend metal, piano, and experimental vocals in equal measure.

Tongue in the Mind
Tongue in the Mind is the love child of boundary-pushing DJ and writer Juliana Huxtable and metal musician and composer Joe Rinaldo Heffernan, aka Jealous Orgasm. The project began in New York City in the early 2010s as free-flowing improvisational performance art but has gradually evolved into bold, high-concept prog-metal infused with spoken word and elements of classical arrangements. Last year, producer Dylan Shir, aka Via App, joined Tongue in the Mind to bring extra depth and dancefloor mysticism to the band’s noisy, ornate sound, introducing dizzying samples, electronic drums, synths, and sequences.

Tongue in the Mind is impossible to categorize, embracing a fearless and uncompromising approach to music. Nevertheless, their captivating energy has landed them on some of the world’s most prestigious stages, including Performa 15 at MoMA, Primavera Sound, and the Rewire Festival. Now, they’re finally coming to ALICE!

Otay:onii
With an artistic practice that spans music, film composition, performance, and installations, otay:onii, aka Lane Shi, explores the borders between sound and emotion. Her performative and musical works have generated significant attention on the international avant-garde stage. Here, she navigates everything from humor to the harsh realities of third-world immigrants, offering rooted Eastern perspectives to the Western world in an attempt to bridge divides. Otay:onii’s performances are raw, provocative, and beautiful, as she unfolds her voice in unlikely experiments.

Otay:onii has captivated audiences worldwide with performances at festivals like CTM and Roadburn, as well as at distinguished venues like Harvard University and the Ming Contemporary Art Museum. At ALICE, she will present material from “True Faith Ain’t Blind” – an album where classical music and metal intertwine through intense compositions for piano and voice, inviting listeners to experience music without preconceptions. Look forward to an extraordinary evening with one of the most intriguing voices on the avant-garde scene today.

Said about Otay:onii
“With vocals that sound like a banshee version of Amy Winehouse” – Rolling Stone

“W.C. is crushingly eerie, leaving you at the mercy of Otay’s tone as she draws melody from the muck” – NPR

“She teases out a tension between light and dark that lurks throughout the record, just one of many axes along which Shi situates her sound and themes” – Pitchfork