Director Estel Vilar’s experimental arts collective The Illumin8tors put on a rock show with a storyline. We caught up with her to find out what to expect from their upcoming show at Mao Livehouse Shanghai.

How did The Illumin8tors get started?
When I came to Shanghai five years ago, I started a band called Hotter than Teppanyaki. From there, I formed the Illumin8tors a year ago. It’s a group of people who speak different languages and come from different backgrounds―artists, dancers, designers, musicians … anyone who’s creative and willing to explore creativity.

How do you get all these characters in one room?
The group is an experiment in the performing arts. So it’s been highly intuitive. What we’ve done is to make the music the core of the project. We start working with musicians to create the songs. Dancers come in after that. The graphic designers and painters come when the music and the characters become definite. That’s when you can start adding graphics and video projects inspired by the music.

How do The Illumin8tors fit in Shanghai’s music scene?
Our musicians come from a similar group of underground expat bands. We all consider ourselves individuals involved with a project in the same spirit. We’re not a commercial production; we haven’t done anything to exploit it.

What can we expect at the MAO Livehouse concert?
Good music and a lot of fantasy. It’s not a performance that we can repeat time after time. On stage, we’re not the band anymore. We’re the characters. Be ready to dance and get into the Chinese legend, “Houyi and Chang-e the Archer.”

DETAILS:

What: The Illumin8tors present Solar/ Lunar: The Legend

When: Thurs. Nov. 10, 9pm

Where: Mao Livehouse

Cost: RMB50

Web: www.illumin8tors.com

Image by Lena Kilina