Daniel Avery x Helios at Victoria Baths

Daniel Avery’s played in Manchester countless times over the last decade, but never quite like this – in an empty Edwardian swimming pool, beneath monumental installation art.

You can read all about Luke Jerram’s Helios here, but in short, it’s a glowing seven-metre sculpture constructed from around 400,000 high-resolution photographs of the Sun – and it’s taking over Victoria Baths’ Gala Pool for just shy of three weeks this March. Among a series of live events taking place underneath it, this night with Daniel Avery and Aletha might shine brightest.

Back in 2013, Avery’s debut album Drone Logic was met with massive acclaim. Created for the darkest corner of the dancefloor, it was a masterclass in acid house/techno/electro. It was followed by 2020’s more contemplative Song For Alpha and 2022’s intense, breakbeat-infused Ultratruth. His latest album, Tremor, is something else entirely, embracing the collaborative spirit of a rock band.

It does make sense. Avery cut his teeth warming up the decks at his local indie club, under the wings of fellow rock-dance crossover artists, Erol Alkan and Andrew Weatherall. With guest including the Kills’ Alison Mosshart and Walter Schreifels of post-hardcore bands Rival Schools and Quicksand, Avery swirls together reverb-drenched voices and psychedelic guitars, grounded by his characteristic acid-tinged bass and fierce percussion.

We’ll likely hear bits of the new record alongside his earlier material, but being a DJ set, expect a mash-up of his influences too, including the steely techno that is his bread and butter.

Before his set (which starts at 10.30pm), Manchester’s own Aletha opens with a mix of acid, techno, juke, and groovy broken beat that’ll set the tone for the main event.

See you under the sun.