Bass, Melancholy & Pop-Star Dreams

How did Lipstick Music come together?

Lili Molli Shina: We met four years ago at a party and bonded over our mutual pop music obsession. After a year of friendship, Alex asked me to the studio for his solo project DJ Kit. I loved it so much that he asked me to make crazy music together because I was always screaming. I’d never sung before. It took me three hours to bring out anything. Our first track together was creepy and horrible, so we never released it, but we had so much fun we kept going.

Alex (DJ Kit): After Planet 1999 split, I made solo club music, but it felt less fun. Lili brought impulsive energy; we were already hanging out constantly, so making music just happened naturally. It felt like family from day one.

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What references shaped your sound?

Lili: SOPHIE opened every door for us. Hearing her made me realise you could be wild and free, and still love pop music this much. I grew up with pop music plus my dad’s (Lawrence Le Doux) underground Brussels electronics from the 90s. Blend that with Alex’s weird precision and our shared love for J-pop and K-pop.

Alex: Also, Autechre and Daft Punk are everywhere.

We describe our music as glamorous pop

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How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard of you?

Alex: We describe our music as glamorous pop: built for clubs with soft repetitive loops. And there’s always this rock-band constraint: I always use the same gear palette, same bass, creating our sonic reality every time.

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Your tracks feel intimate and online at once. What emotions are you chasing?

Alex: It’s melancholic, but you’re happy to feel that way – you’re just happy to be sad in the club, it’s a unique feeling. If one person gets that from our music, we’ve done enough.

Lili: Lyrics come naive and straightforward, no hiding behind metaphors. Alex’s production is raw too – what you hear is what it is. We want that same rawness in our videos and visuals. All feelings right there on the surface.

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Walk us through making a track.

Lili: We work in one room. Alex scrolls through loops; we pick one, and he refines it for hours while I write lyrics and record phone memos next to him. Loop it for an hour: still fun? That’s the base. Then we shape it together, back and forth.

We bring electronic live purity together with pop spectacle

Alex: Yeah, loops are everything. Sometimes we pick one from three years ago, sometimes one I just made. We limit ourselves to one gear palette, mostly Digitone sounds, like a rock band defining their world.

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Live shows seem central already. What’s the Lipstick Music stage like?

Lili: Liveshows are pure energy. Everything we perform is live: Alex on his gear, heavy club bass, and for my voice, we use a computer. Alex has the precision, geeky vibe, while I bring the real pop-star vibe next to him. 

Alex: We bring electronic live purity together with pop spectacle: no USB playback, full transitions, in-ears, smoke, fans and Madonna-level commitment - even in a tiny Polish club. It’s two people on stage making one theatrical world, no distractions.

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Brussels shapes you. How? Musically, practically?

Lili: It’s a humble city that has no expectations and gives us total freedom to experiment. We’ve got an amazing community through Alex’s label Citylinks, friends in music and arts, and everybody is pushing each other. The depressing weather just means we spend more time indoors creating together.

Electronic niches thrive here, but the experimental pop we make feels lonelier

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How are you getting your bills paid right now? Any side jobs?

Alex: Practically, we’re all in. I quit my job, and Lili quit school. Now we're focusing for one year 100% on our music, investing everything ourselves. Big risks, big dreams, we are aiming for the stars! If it doesn’t pay, we’ll have to find jobs again next year.

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Where do you sit in Brussels’ electronic/pop scene?

Lili: We feel like outsiders, but not really, thanks to the community. Electronic niches thrive here, but the experimental pop we make feels lonelier – either it’s too mainstream or too niche. But globally, it’s a good era for pop music; the scene is booming!

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What do the Botanique residency and Les Nuits mean?

Alex: They trusted us really early on for our first show with Bassvictim last November.  The residency they’re giving us means a lot. They give us stages, lights, and engineers, and a space to perfect our show before the Slagwerk night and Les Nuits.

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<div class="editorial-banner">@lipstickmusic_<br>Lipstick Music plays Les Nuits on 31.05.2026 - Tickets: lesnuits.be<br>@lesnuitsbotanique