LVT | Soundcloud | Instagram | Resident Advisor | Music For Interstellar Spacecrafts
There’s a beautiful meeting point where environment and sound intersect, and LVT, a Canadian DJ based on the West Coast embodies that with a sound that is both inward-looking and expansive. With work and curation that channels the lush, cinematic atmospheres of the deep nature she grew up around, she’s built a reputation for weaving aural landscapes that move between immersive ambience and deeply textured techno. As the mind behind the long running Music For Interstellar Spacecrafts mix series, LVT has created a dedicated and well curated space for artists to highlight beautiful ambient electronics, hosting contributions from artists such as Joachim Spieth, ASC, Lychee, Irina Kotik, Sybil and our very own Villella. Her own sets are guided by this same ethos of exploration, emotionally resonant, hypnotic, and always attentive to the interplay between atmosphere and rhythm. For her Truancy Sessions contribution, kicking off Season 3 in style, LVT leans into her techno side, threading together shimmering ambient textures and dreamy techno passages with a real sense of place.
So just to start how have you been recently? What’s the year been like for you so far? Any particular highlights you care to tell us about? “I’ve been doing great this year – it has felt transformative and refreshing. 2025 has been filled with lots of new ideas, evolving projects, and adventures, even while mostly staying local. A highlight was attending Bass Coast Festival after a few years not going – I was reminded how impressive it is in its calibre of artistic curation and super friendly community vibe! In particular, Bradley Zero blew my mind on Sunday night of the festival.”
I know it says British Columbia, Canada on your Soundcloud profile, is that where you grew up or just currently based? Can you tell us a bit about growing up there if so and some of your favourite early memories that maybe involved music as well? Did it shape the way you relate to music at all? “Yes, I grew up in the Vancouver area! The best way to describe it is to say that when I was 10, and we moved out to Alberta for my mom’s new job, my jaw literally dropped to the floor at the sight of the landscape – barren, yellow, flat. We are blessed in BC with incredible beauty, lush forest and endless oceanic views, and I have always been so grateful to live here. I also grew up in a musical family that was highly influential for me, for sure! Many of my closest family members are musicians or sound system enthusiasts, friends with bands, etc – I grew up around people playing instruments every day, playing loud music, people cranking psychedelic progressive rock, metal, rap, even ambient – lots of gatherings, too. It definitely helped to shape my emotional connection to music and amplified sound and parties in general. Some fond childhood memories include seeing Orcas, digging for crabs in the sand, lots of swimming in the ocean with Jellyfish, and archery.”
Being surrounded with so much nature do you think that influenced your decision to start the Music For Interstellar Spacecrafts series or were there other external factors? It really is one of the best series when it comes to ambient and lush electronics so it’s always interesting to hear what influences a love and mindset for that. “Thank you, and I’m so happy to know it is so enjoyed! I do believe that the scenic atmosphere of the PNW draws creatives and artists from other places, and there is a lot of inspiration around for feeling things on a profoundly beautiful level. For me, the podcast is there as a contribution to this vibe, a musical drawing of that synergy I guess. That inward, musically-drawn, reflective appreciation of beauty is so important to me, and something I enjoy so much, and I just wanted to make my own space for that to exist – and it has been really enjoyable to engage with artists I admire, in that way.
To be honest, I was (still am) a huge fan of Silent Season’s Campfire Stories, a podcast that Jamie McCue (label head) ran for several years. When its end was announced, I was so sad yet inspired to continue that vibe somehow, because it was important to me to experience that vibe, and I know it was for many others too. In fact, Deep Breakfast started around this time also, and Jamie shared both of our series to let people know that Campfire Stories vibes could loosely be found in our new podcasts. 5+ years later, here we are, and Deep Breakfast is definitely my favourite ambient podcast series!”
You actually posted on your stories last night maybe a small glimpse into your early tastes with that Lycia – Ionia album. What can you tell us about that one? “Oh yes, a small glimpse into my teenaged emo-goth era (that never completed ended). That’s some 1991-era Lycia – it could be corny/cringe for some, but I loved the atmosphere! In my mid-teens, I was deep digging into obscure underground music already, and many of my early favourite finds were on a goth/darkwave/industrial tip. I was quite shocked when someone I knew posted Lycia in their Instagram notes, because I’ve never witnessed anyone I know share them before, and it inspired a whole day of nostalgia. I am not sure their sound, these days, would appeal to those who don’t have roots in that kind of music. It’s very EMO!”
So when did dance music and more clubbier sounds get introduced to you? Can you tell us a little bit about the parties you first started attending when you first got into dancing music? Who were some of the DJs you were going to see? “Well, as I mentioned, my early taste leaned into darker and Industrial sounds. Also a lot of ambient, even noise, etc. Atmospheric sounds, completely. As a collector, not a partier, I already had some music like British Murder Boys in my collection, which is within the Techno realm for sure, but I didn’t exactly have a concept of raving yet. I liked to headbang to aggressive music, and that did actually include a lot of music that was and still is played at raves. It was my 18th birthday that I went to my first warehouse rave, in Calgary, at a club called The Warehouse! It was a late night/afterhours, huge warehouse, hosting certainly cornier acts that were entirely forgettable. I remember more about the interactions I had, the thrill of the experience. It had a metal club in the basement. I didn’t know much about what was going on there, but I had started to meet people with musical taste in common, and went out just to have an experience.
The first show that really made an impact on me was in Vancouver, in 2010, at a place that is now closed called Open Studios. Legendary spot, had countless amazing nights there. The event was called Dubforms, and I can’t remember who the headliner was – what I remember is the set that local legend Michael Red played, and I have listened to it countless times since then! It’s on Soundcloud here.”
What can you tell us about your involvement with the nights DOLLY and HEAD? “So, I started throwing parties in 2013, and have organized events pretty regularly since then. DOLLY used to be a venue, which opened on Halloween, 2019. I organized a couple events there before the pandemic hit – it had only been running for half of a year. I had keys to the space and was able to go there and crank music during the pandemic (which was a godsend), and somewhere along those lines I joined the venue as a team member, to help the venue survive a total lack of activity with the space. From there, I became the venues curator and manager, etc. That went on until it closed in April 2023 (the city shut it down).
By then, we had really built up a reputation for DOLLY and we wanted to keep the vibe alive while seeking out a new space, so we continued to do events in other spaces as DOLLY. We’ve done an insane number of events since our venue closed, and it’s been a lot of fun! However, we have ultimately decided against opening a new one due to several factors. Therefore, we’re in the midst of reshaping the direction and purpose of DOLLY – with some exciting, yet different ideas for the future. HEAD is something I have just started which aims to do things on a more intentional tip, immersive ambient events, and really headdy, dark room type stuff with dim visual elements.”
What does local mean to you in the dance music world today? What do you think is the role of local scenes? “Local, to me, means the Vancouver scene, I guess. It could extend to the West Coast at large, but Vancouver is honestly kind of a corner of Earth, with a fairly small scene, that isn’t necessarily connected to the US or the East Coast. With that said, our local scene is more vibrant than ever, with several events happening every week. A lot of amazing talents roll through. We play a role in helping artists tour North America, and we play a role in keeping rave culture alive for those who live or visit here. Every promoter, for the most part, does their thing in their own way, and there isn’t an insane amount of vibe cross-over. It’s a very active scene which fosters a lot of local talent growth!”
How would you describe your DJ style, what experiences and artists/producers have influenced you in terms of how you play over the years? I imagine you must find it important to have a distinct or subtle way of connecting the techno with your more ambient taste? “Hmmm – my style seems adjacent with my roots in emotionality and atmosphere. I like to incorporate atmospherics for sure, music that flips my introspection on. I’m really drawn to music that as a sort of language, pulls you into yourself. On the dance floor, that can become cathartic as your body responds and aligns with your mental and emotional state. That is basically my favourite form of dance floor experience, and therefore what is most often what I want to create!
I have largely been influenced by atmospheric movements such as hypnotic techno, ambient, hybrid bass music, grey area, etc. I have countless favourite artists in that realm, some being Efdemin, Wata Igarashi, Sybil, Caldera, Polygonia, Identified Patient, DYL, to name a few… but, truthfully, I approach creativity with a lot of experimentation and simply aligning with what feels right to me in the moment. I think a lot of the ways we collect inspiration are even subconscious, like tuning out a road that we keep walking on to get to where we’re going.”
Can you tell us a little bit about some of your favourite ambient shows and what goes into putting on events like this. I was running through your LVT instagram and looking at all the nice flyers. Events like Open Ear, AMBIENT/ETC 012, Osmosis which you’ve all played at in past seemed to all cater for stuff like that right? “Lately, Michael Red has been doing some awesome ambient events under his Low Indigo moniker, and I was happy to play at one recently (Ambient, Etc). However, I gotta say, Vancouver isn’t really the city for ambient events. We need more of them, and more interest in them. I am happy to be organizing some in the near future. I have barely organized any in my time as a promoter. I am grateful to have been able to play a handful of ambient sets in my time as a DJ, even though the local opportunities are fairly rare.
Yes, all of those events focused entirely or partly on ambient sets. I think that the ideas, effort and intention in organizing events varies widely! Osmosis (the festival) is a great example of an event that puts in a ton of effort to create a really memorable ambient experience, as it has a dedicated forest stage for ambient/downtempo and is part of a multi-stage setup, in an incredible Southern Oregon location at a Tree House village! Ambient, Etc is a series that has largely taken place in a sweet venue called The Deli, and takes a more simple yet impactful approach to having a chillout experience. They also recently just had an event in a park with Seekers International. Open Ear was in a park during the pandemic, and a wonderful way to connect with people during social distancing. All were pretty different in their own ways.”
If you had one day to take a fellow artist on an adventure around where you live, where would you go and why? Are there any specific cities you’ve always admired or wanted to experience? “A common spot to take visitors who only have a day or less to hang out, is Stanley Park, a huge forested area off the core of Downtown Vancouver. It’s a great way to get a taste of nature while not having to go on an actual trip, so that leaves more room for in-city experiences. There’s also a ton of parks/hikes not too far out, ski hills, all kinds of nature-loving activities and choices that can eat up a day. What I really wish to show people, but often can’t due to the limit of time, are the Gulf Islands, or the big island, Tofino, the interior of BC, etc. I still haven’t visited Haida Gwaii and would love to make that trek soon.”
What sort of other hobbies or interests do you have outside of electronic music? Are there any books, films, shows or other things you’ve seen or been reading/watching that you might want to share? “I definitely make time for films, good shows, games. I really enjoy cooking too, and spend a decent chunk of time doing that. It has become progressively tougher for me to stay locked in with books, but that is something I’d like to do more of. I’ve loosely taken up the creating of products like deodorant, lip balm, face and hand creams – I enjoy the process of eliminating chemical crap from my atmosphere. I recently saw Weapons in the theatre and was surprised at how funny it was for being a totally f-ed up horror movie! I’m a Zelda nerd, ngl – nothing but good things to say about Nintendo. Here are some cool films I like: The Color of Pomegranates (1969), Black Moon (1975), The Big Blue (1988), Santa Sangre (1989), Lost Highway (1997), Spirited Away (2001), Embrace of the Serpent (2015), Suspiria (2018), The Substance (2024)”
Could you describe the process of creating this mix? Was there a specific message or feeling you wanted to convey? “Every new mix is an opportunity for a fresh experience, and that’s precisely what I want out of it! On this one, I collected a playlist of dreamy atmospherics, put in some tracks I really love, and a bunch of great new music. I was going for cerebral with a hypnotic and dreamy quality, not getting too intense. The opening track by Lyder is from their new album which is so stunning, a new favourite for sure, and I was excited to open something with one of their tracks – sometimes a new mix flows from that desire alone.”
Last, usual question from us, what was the last thing to put a big smile on your face and when was the last time you had a proper dance? “Last big smile on my face: I just confirmed a DOLLY booking for January that is super meaningful and definitely a bucket list booking – but I can’t say who it is yet! The last time I had a truly proper dance and really lost myself in it was probably Bass Coast for Bradley Zero’s set – which is too long ago. I know that my next proper dance will be this Friday when Polygonia plays – truly a fave. Thanks for having me on your series!”
Artwork by Lolo
You can download Truancy Sessions S03 E01: LVT in 320 kbps on Patreon here. Your support helps cover all our costs and allows Truants to continue running as a non-profit and ad-free platform. Members will receive exclusive access to mixes, tracklists, and discounts off future merchandise. If money is tight however and you’re desperately after any ID, please leave us a comment over on the Soundcloud link and either us or LVT will get back to you :)
