Friday 5 December 2025, 7.30pm
From the Lips to the Moon returns to Cafe OTO for an electrifying long-form improvisation of music and words led by live-electronic music wizard Pouya Ehsaei and voice-shifting performer-writer Tara Fatehi.
Each From the Lips to the Moon show features a fresh lineup of guest musicians and poets, creating an intimate yet expansive space of playfulness and transformation. For this Cafe OTO edition Pouya and Tara are joined by the percussionist Maurizio Ravalico, harpist Miriam Adefris, two-time national slam champion Maureen Onwunali, multidisciplinary artist and poet Riwa Saab, and Palestinian-Algerian writer Shams Hanieh.
This event marks the launch of NOISE COMPLAINT, a new poetry publication featuring writings developed for or performed at From the Lips to the Moon including works by Tim Etchells, Nisha Ramayya, Belinda Zhawi, and more.
Weaving together live electronics, unearthly melodies, noise, twisted beats, performative poetry, heavy subs, and non-stories told in goosebumps and half-familiar languages, the night invites audiences into a space where dark fantasy, experimentation, and unexpected encounters unfold. Since 2022, From the Lips to the Moon has become a driving force in London’s experimental performance scene, with past shows at Southbank Centre, V&A Museum, Cafe OTO, 180 Studios, Sophiensaele, Teatro Lucido, NTS and Soho Radio. www.lipstomoon.com
Find out more about NOISE COMPLAINT here.
‘Futuristic, colourfully surreal and fantastical—like looking through a kaleidoscope.’ Worms
POUYA EHSAEI is a live electronic musician, composer and sound designer working on the intersections of experimental electronic music, live improv and dub techno, characterised by influences from industrial music, breakbeat, jazz, noise, and Iranian folk and classical music. He is the band-leader of Cuban-Iranian ensemble Ariwo and co-founder of Parasang where he led long-form improvisations in a clubbing context. His latest album People of the Wind is out on Akazib Records (2025). www.pouyaehsaei.com
TARA FATEHI is a performer, actor, writer and multidisciplinary creative. Working across voice, movement and writing she performs apocalyptic facts, soul-crunching laughs, adult lullabies and confusing moves. Tara has performed at Nottdance, Southbank Centre, Cafe OTO, Nuffield Theatre, Montpelier Dance, Alkantara, and many more. Her 365 day artwork Mishandled Archive is published by LADA (2020). She was the first ever resident artist at the United Nations’ Archives in Geneva. www.tarafatehi.com
MAUREEN ONWUNALI is a Dublin-born Nigerian poet and a two-time national slam champion. Her work has been featured by various musicians, radio shows, and organisations, including BFI, Pearson, Penguin, BBC Radio London, Roundhouse, TEDx, Apples and Snakes, and the Poetry Society.
Percussionist, composer, educator and sound explorer Maurizio Ravalico is a multifaceted character with a broad range of specialisations and a compulsive drive for styles’ cross-pollination. He runs several solo projects and has collaborated with acts as diverse as Jamiroquai, Dele Sosimi, Paul McCartney, Oren Marshall, JTQ, Steve Beresford, Pat Thomas, Kaidi Tatham, Fred Thomas, Eska, Phaedra Ensemble, Rotary Connection. www.maurizioravalico.com
MIRIAM ADEFRIS is a harpist based in London. Rooted in both improvisation and composed structures, her solo sets amalgamate diverse musical influences from classical and experimental to jazz. She has recently released a debut album with her new band Flur to critical acclaim. Notable collaborations include performances with Floating Points, Shabaka Hutchings and singer Ganavya.
RIWA SAAB is a cross-disciplinary artist who works with space, sound, and words. In braiding together theatre, poetry, and music, her work aims to put people and our relationships at the centre of the political narratives we inhabit. She is a former Barbican Young Poet.
Shams Hanieh is a Palestinian-Algerian writer and researcher. Her creative writing encompasses poetry and experimental prose exploring the surreality of Palestinianness and womanhood, while her research interests include sexual health in Palestine, alternative geographies, and Arabic hip-hop and visual art.
