August 29, 2010, they came, unleashed a firestorm, and left in a flash.

It was a perfectly bombastic and electrified night at the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday. The Chemical Brothers were in rare form as they took to the stage for an insanely “up for it” crowd. Not known as dynamic performers, the seminal British electronic duo actually seemed rather excited about their Bowl performance – surprising those who experienced their rather lackluster 2009 DJ set at Coachella.

KCRW’s dashing Music Director, Jason Bentley, appeared bursting at the seams when he introduced the act, thus setting the tone for a brilliant show. Ed Simons and Tom Rowlands, who are responsible for an entire generation of frat boys and girls accepting electronic music as a credible music genre, let a super charged light show and gigantic beats do the talking.

The convergence of sensations was better than a good acid trip with its alien meets super-club emotions streaming from every musical pore matched with green, white and indigo lighting assaults. Flames burst across the screens as robotic Trojans and cute couples merged in graphic rapture to the sounds of old Chems and tracks from the 2010 album, Further.

New tracks including extended versions of “Dissolve,” “Horse Power,” “Swoon” and the big club tune (with vocals) “Another World” were insane crowd pleasers (confession, every time I hear “Another World” I think it’s an Underworld track) as was 2007’s peppy “Hey Boy Hey Girl.”

Without playing “Block Rockin’ Beats,” a song that defined an entire generation – think what Underworld’s “Born Slippy” did – the Chemical Brothers left without an encore. You don’t go to one of their shows because of the brother’s charm and graciousness, you show up to hear music and experience visuals that continue to be unmatched by any act out there today.

With that said, long live, Chemicals, beats and graphic technology. Let’s just hope these Brits continue to work it all out.

Words by Kim Taylor

Taking a cursory look at LIGHTS music and videos may give you the impression that her world is one of happy, bright poppy innocence. It’s rather ironic then, that LIGHTS finds her inspiration in the darkness. “It totally spawns from darkness though, and that’s’ how I keep myself happy.”

LIGHTS is cute, earnest and full of smiles, so it’s pretty surprising when she says her hobbies include World of Warcraft, comic books and video games. After she gushes about vintage Magnus Robot Fighter 4000 AD comics it’s easy to see why she’s big on the internet.

LIGHTS says being from Canada helps too, “we have to spend more time indoors because of the winter, so we’re forced to have more creative time.” LIGHTS has been busy across a number of media. She paints and illustrates (her press kit features a biographic comic book she wrote and drew), and takes a hands-on approach to her music videos. LIGHT’S eyes glow when she starts talking about the videos. The “vintage sci-fi” productions combine the giddy glamour of pop with a child-like wonderment – imagine the Little Prince with a keyboard. LIGHTS auditioned directors, devised the costumes and elaborate sets and says they have both turned out exactly as she pictured them.

LIGHTS is endearingly nerdy throughout the interview. I ask if her music had to be a mode of transportation, what does she thinkin it would be. “It would tele-transportation!” Apparently, she has actually considered this before, “I think of ways you could configure it. You’d probably have to have a transmitter and receiver, with movement in between.”

She waxes philosophical about culture and the internet and says “I spend a lot of time online.” LIGHTS says if she weren’t making music she would be in a dark cave designing video games. Her debut full-length is coming out this August, and it’s a good bet that it will cut down on her gaming. She’s playing four shows this week for swooning geeks looking for their dream girl.

by Jacob Cottingham

She has risen to #1 on MuchMusic Canada and garnered over 10 million plays on MySpace and a JUNO nomination for Best New Artist.

Needless to say it was (wait for it….)

Illuminating!