Cortical AV live

Cortical is the new project by Sevi Iko Dømochevsky and Daniel Benza, two multidisciplinary artists based in Barcelona who specialize in music production, CGI, and VFX. Their musical style is club-oriented, rooted in the noise/experimental and industrial scene. What sets them apart is the strength of their percussive elements and a unique balance between minimalism and intense maximalism.

Their artwork reflects their essence as world-builders. Whether through their audiovisual creations or their performances behind the booth, their passion for the most unusual mutations in the last 30 years of club music is undeniable. This radical approach culminated in December 2024 with the release of Wretched Patterns and Terrible Mistakes, their long-awaited debut EP, which they will present at their show at L.E.V. Festival. Released by Brussels-based Plasma Sources and mixed by James Ginsburg (known for his work with Emptyset), the EP has already received early support from artists such as Zuli, Mumdance, Endgame, and Object Blue.

The show’s central theme envisions a future devoid of humanity, where autonomous computer intelligences roam freely, engaging in erratic experiments and creating corrupted yet nonsensical life forms. Amidst this chaos, they generate a paradoxical sense of order. Accompanied by an intense diet of metallic and explosive dance-inducing percussion, the performance presents a hyper-detailed, mind-bending speculative universe reminiscent of Cronenberg’s work, complete with live, audio-reactive CGI.

They have showcased their production in the electronic scene, and in previous performances at festivals such as Sonar, Primavera Sound, Atonal Berlin, Unsound Krakow, and Lunchmeat Prague. Along the way, they have amassed an impressive list of top-tier collaborators, including Skrillex, Arca, Grimes, Holly Herndon, Shapednoise, and Aho Ssan.