Another La Vida Liverpool exclusive interview for you as we chat with Henge’s lead vocalist Zpor ahead of their Liverpool gig at Arts Club on Thursday 17th April! The intergalactic psychedelic legends return to planet earth for a UK tour, where they’ll be performing their latest album, Journey To Voltus B, and here we’re treated to a fascinating Q&A….
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS TO THE LIVERPOOL GIG
LVL: It’s great to have you guys playing here in Liverpool! What do you make of this part of our planet?
ZPOR: Greetings, human. Thank you for making contact. We have had several encounters with your kind in the region you call Merseyside. We have observed that the human specimens known as ‘Scousers’ possess an especially playful nature. This has made our gatherings in Liverpool particularly fun and joyful occasions.
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS TO THE LIVERPOOL GIG
LVL: What can we expect from this gig and the new album?
ZPOR: Our new album is called Journey to Voltus B. With this record, you – the listener – are aboard the HENGE spaceship on a mission to a distant planet. As a member of the crew, you are with us as we blast off from Planet Earth (Ascending), pick up speed as we leave the solar system (Slingshot), and enter a blissful, psychedelic trance (Hypersleep). After what seems like only a few minutes, you awaken from your deep slumber many trillions of miles from Earth as we initiate the landing sequence (Descending).
We touch down on the Earth-like Voltus B, analyze its atmosphere, survey the terrain, and meet its inhabitants (Welcome to Voltus). We discover that the planet is home to an intelligent species on the brink of entering a new atomic era (The Power of the Atom). You are witnessing a fascinating and potentially dangerous moment in the history of this planet. The future remains uncertain.
Our live shows are also a ‘Journey to Voltus B’. The site for our launch is the Arts Club and this is shaping up to be our biggest gathering in Liverpool so far. Due to huge demand we have moved from the 320 capacity ‘loft’ area to the 500 capacity ‘Arts Club Theatre’. We are expecting a proliferation of joy amongst human specimens in attendance at this auspicious space launch!
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS TO THE LIVERPOOL GIG
LVL: How does this album compare to your previous ones?
ZPOR: Well, unlike any other album we have made, this one has two different endings. When we land on the planet, the Voltarians have not yet decided how to harness the power of the atom. In one scenario, the creatures choose to use atomic power to create devastating weapons. In the other, they harness nuclear fusion to produce limitless, clean energy.
Both versions start out the same way until we get to The Power of the Atom. At this point the album diverges in the lyrics of the final chorus, where the Voltarians speculate on the potential of atomic power—either for destruction (Nuclear Winter version) or for meeting their energy needs (Nuclear Fusion version).
From there, the music takes two entirely different paths, depending on which direction the album has taken. Nuclear Winter is a bleak piece, where a robot analyses the effects of nuclear war on the planet’s atmosphere and habitats. In contrast, Nuclear Fusion is a euphoric track that leaves the listener feeling optimistic.
If you listen to “Journey to Voltus B” on vinyl (highly recommended), you will find both endings pressed onto side B. The stakes could not be higher as your record player needle randomly settles into one of these two grooves; the fate of an entire planet hangs in the balance!
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS TO THE LIVERPOOL GIG
LVL: Going back to the start, how did you guys form and why did you decide to bring this music to Planet Earth?
ZPOR: I come from Agricular in Cosmos Redshift 7. This planet no longer exists. It was engulfed by its parent star which expanded in its latter years then eventually died. Fortunately, my species left the planet long before this cataclysmic celestial event occurred. We set up new homes on the uninhabited planets of neighbouring star systems. As nice as these colonies were, I am a lifeform who feels the tickle of wanderlust very keenly. And it was this thirst for adventure that led me to explore some of the more remote and unfashionable edges of the Milky Way galaxy.
When wandering the Milky Way’s Orion Arm I first encountered Nom. We met on his home planet of Xylanthia in the Sirius Star system. He is a wise and slippery creature of the genus Nommo; an excellent drummer on account of his many tentacles. We immediately hit it off. He was looking for a ride off the planet and after a long time as a solo explorer I was happy to have a travelling companion.
Fast forward to around 750 million Earth years BC, when we encountered Venus — back then it was a lush world complete with a breathable atmosphere and teeming with exotic vegetation and intelligent life. But we arrived in the midst of ecological collapse. The Venusians, while advanced, had become reckless and competitive, exploiting their planet until it spiralled into irreversible climate disaster.
We managed to rescue one survivor — the creature now known as Brother Goo — who has since become a cherished crewmate. As we fled Venus, we noticed another promising planet nearby. Though dry, Earth had potential. We diverted a few large ice asteroids to seed it with water, dropped a tracker, and made plans to return.
When we returned to Earth (circa 100,000 years ago) we were delighted to find that the planet was bursting with life! Among the native lifeforms we found small pockets of bipedal creatures that particularly interested us. These beings (now referred to by your scientists as ‘Homo erectus’) were social animals who used tools and had some rustic form of proto-linguistic communication.
We saw the potential for further intelligence in this species and set about scattering spores of the fungus Psilocybe cubensis around the fertile ground of their habitations. As you may know, fungi are a very important asset when seeding planets, and, as these mushrooms are known to expand thought capabilities when consumed orally, we like to leave them around for advanced creatures to sample if they so please. Again, we left the planet with the intention to return.
Though we hadn’t planned on returning to Earth so soon after our previous visit, we began to receive distress signals from the planet. In our absence, the creatures we previously encountered had experienced a cognitive revolution and evolved from ‘Homo erectus’ to ‘Homo sapiens’. They were a creative and cooperative species and had managed to build an industrial civilisation similar to the one we found on ancient Venus.
We managed to make contact with one of these Homo sapiens via the astral realm. This was when we first encountered the human known to us as Grok. His natural aptitude for lucid dreaming had allowed him to gain access to the astral realm. When he told us about the current situation on Planet Earth we changed our plans, rerouting our spacecraft to Planet Earth.
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS TO THE LIVERPOOL GIG
LVL: And why the name HENGE?
ZPOR: Grok guided us to a safe landing on your militarised planet. The site he chose was a sacred neolithic structure — an ancient Earth monument. From this place, we took our name: HENGE.
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS TO THE LIVERPOOL GIG
LVL: What are your plans for the future after this tour of the album?
ZPOR: Once we’ve completed our 50+ date tour across the UK and Europe, we’ll be marking the end of this intergalactic voyage with a very special celebration. On 24th May, we are hosting Space Cassette — a one-day festival in Manchester. We have assembled a stellar lineup of some of our favourite artists from across the galaxy, including Luke Vibert, Age of Glass, MADMADMAD, Tirikilatops, Chewy She, Haaji Ka Halva, Josie Bee, and Liverpool’s own Dogshow.
For a whole decade now, we’ve been hosting Space Cassette parties in Manchester, UK — ten glorious years of joyful weirdness and unfiltered fun. These gatherings have always been a sanctuary for the playful, the curious, and the silly. Each one of you, dear readers, are invited to join us for this epic 12 hour cosmic event!
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS TO THE LIVERPOOL GIG
LVL: And finally, your message to our planet’s inhabitants for 2025?
ZPOR: Humans are a brilliantly creative and inventive species. When you come together, you’re capable of astonishing things. Though you may be struggling with unity at present, this is not the time to surrender to division or hate.
Seek to understand those with whom you disagree. Practice kindness. Extend compassion. These are your greatest tools for transformation. And above all — stay playful. Nurture an atmosphere of silliness, wonder, and joy. When you do, the world around you begins to shift. Lightness is powerful. Never underestimate it.
HENGE / Liverpool Arts Club / Thurs 17th April 2025, 7pm
