Slugg Credit: Matthew Moyer

Musician and composer Kristal Mills is one of the greatest cultural ambassadors for Cleveland since Pere Ubu, full stop. And like that august avant-garde ensemble, Mills’ solo noise project Slugg is inextricably linked to and informed by the post-post-industrial grit and grime of that city. The results, of course, are wildly different, and yet similar.

A Slugg performance is a can’t-miss proposition — even on a weeknight — a harrowing, almost theatrical, journey through several distinct musical movements: ambient dread, minimal synth majesty, Atari Teenage Riot-style breakcore freakouts, shrieking noise and playful manipulation of trinkets and baubles as musique concrète-style sound sourcing.

Mills returns to Orlando (8 p.m. Thursday, Feb, 26, Stardust Video & Coffee, $10) to play a one-off show with Crimesididntcommit, Shania Pain and Kaiju Bride and ISYA and air tracks from her latest album, just ahead of a longer tour. Orlando Weekly duly peppered her with questions. 

This Orlando show is a prelude to a larger tour in March — tell us about that.

I’m doing a small Southwest tour with my good friend Liv Mershon. She’s a harsh ambient noise artist. It’ll start in Los Angeles and then end in Las Vegas. 

Your live shows, based on personal experience, seem to have somewhat of a narrative or dramatic arc, ebbing and flowing as the instrumentation shifts. Are we far off?

Not at all — it’s an emotional journey. Anything from a breakup, to not feeling valued for the work I do, to finding a bird with a broken neck lying on the sidewalk gasping for air. Each song is a purge of my intense feelings about my experiences. 

What inspired you to start Slugg? What were some of your early epiphanies with noise and experimental music?

I wanted to make music that I wanted to hear. I wasn’t getting the nastiness that I desire in electronic music. I’m sure it’s out there, but I didn’t feel like looking for it — I wanted to make it myself. It’s funny because I don’t listen to noise or experimental music. I had never been to a noise show prior to someone inviting me to play one. I was a big fan of post-punk and R&B growing up. 

What do you remember about your last Florida show? And what are your connections to the state?

The last Florida show was my first out-of-town show for Slugg. Andrea Knight [Bacon Grease] booked it for me and I didn’t even know her. She found me online and was an early supporter. It was one of my most special shows and I’m really excited to be coming back a year later after traveling across the country and playing a lot of shows. I have adopted family in Sebastian so I come down every year to visit.

You released a new album, ggggg, last summer that promptly sold out on cassette — tell us about writing and recording it.

The album wrote itself. It was bizarre. The recording process was me doing a live performance in the studio. I couldn’t think of any other way to record it since it’s kind of one long movement with an emotional intensity and anxiety that I feel like you only get when I’m doing it all at once. It hits hard though, which is what I wanted.

Slugg with Crimesididntcommit, ISYA, Shania Pain, Kaiju Bride: 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 26; Stardust Video and Coffee; 1842 E. Winter Park Road; $10

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This article appears in Feb. 25-March 3, 2026.

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