MTELUS Reaches Euphoria Under Snow Strippers’ Spell

Walking out of Saint Laurent metro, it wasn’t hard to spot who was headed to the Snow Strippers show. Fuzzy leg warmers, mini shorts with ripped tights, and spiked hair all moved excitedly towards MTELUS. Under the venue’s painted ceiling stood a growing crowd, with sunglasses in their hair and plastic cups in their hands. The night was very much young and alive, as conversation mixed with electronic pop resonated across the room.

The room was full as Anna Luna began the show, her silhouette emerging in clouds of smoke as she danced on stage. The hyper-pop and electronic princess blended dreamy vocals with a heavier electronic sound with tracks like Rotten and "So High". Her reverbed lyrics lingered through the venue as strobes pierced the haze, setting the stage for the euphoric evening. Hands swayed in the air, eye makeup smudged from sweat and heat of the night, and the smell of cigarettes was unavoidable yet welcomed - The scene felt like something out of a Skins episode. Behind the DJ deck was Los Angeles producer Eera, who followed with his own hypnotic set. Despite the doors having opened hours ago, spirits and energy were high, bodies pressed up against each other moving as one.

As 10pm came around, three drinks deep, a Crystal Castles track playing through the speakers faded as the room turned black. As Tatianna Schwaninger and Graham Perez stepped onto the stage, effortlessly commanding the venue under pulsing red and purple lights, seconds seemed to slow down. Snow Strippers started with the chaotically explosive "Just Your Doll" as everyone in the room jumped around. The moment felt like a dream, as the audience was mesmerized by the duo’s perfectly chaotic and messy nature. Despite oxygen feeling sparse as bodies pushed and shoved against each other, the heat of the moment seemed to only add to the euphoria. Vocalist Schwaninger seemed untouchably cool, dancing around the stage in her red top and shorts, glitchy vocals flooding the room as Perez was stationed behind the deck. Lights swirled behind them as the crowd accompanied the duo through every note, beat and breath. Phones, old digital and VHS cameras swayed in the air, all wanting to capture the moment, though none could come close to capturing the night’s essence. Tracks melted into each other, the night passing in a blur.

As Schwaninger sang the eclectic and raw "So What If I’m A Freak" into the room, the audience sang every word back. The track is unapologetically messy, loud and chaotic, well encompassing the Snow Strippers aesthetic. As the track’s sample from a viral YouTube video I’m with the suicide squad brought the song to its peak, the duo took the whole room on a trip, whether you were high or sober. The show was surreal, as tracks like "Know My Name" and "Aching Like It’s swallowed the crowd". After many tracks spanning across their discography and repeated alarm and gunshot effects, with sweat clinging to skin and an aftertaste of tequila, the energy reached its peak as the familiar "Under Your Spell" started playing. Imposing lights consumed the venue, the smoke thick as the duo’s silhouettes cut through the haze. As they performed their most popular song, it was difficult to properly see them because of the sea of bodies moving up and down – yet you could still feel the ecstasy of the moment as the ground shook through chopped vocals and synths.

The night ended unapologetically loud and messy with the explosive Castle, the duo drowned in the flashing stage lights as spilled drinks covered the floor. The aftermath of the night lingered outside the venue through the groups raving about the show over a joint outside or the two girls singing "Know My Name" in the metro - Snow Strippers proved that Indie Sleaze is in good hands.