Invisible hand
Optical illusion driven by the man
Like a rose don’t be so close
The “invisible hand” is one of the most enduring metaphors in modern philosophy and economics. Coined by the Scottish thinker Adam Smith, the phrase describes the unseen forces that guide markets and human behavior—an abstract power that shapes outcomes without revealing itself directly. For Los Angeles experimental outfit LOCH, that idea becomes something more symbolic: a meditation on perception, manipulation, and the strange systems that quietly govern our lives.
That philosophical idea takes on a tangible form in their live session for “The Invisible Hand”, filmed at Machinehouse Audio by Alex Blocher and styled by John Rojas’ Sound & Space. Here, the band occupies a haze-lit room that feels at once like a rehearsal space and a surreal museum tableau.
Bathed in opposing washes of amber red and cold blue light, the band performs in a semicircle on a patterned rug surrounded by classical busts, pedestals, and sculptural fragments. The setting evokes the uncanny quiet of a gallery after hours, where objects watch silently, and meaning hangs suspended in the air.
At the center stands vocalist Kristine Nevrose, initially concealed beneath a shimmering white veil that drapes over her head and shoulders like a ghostly shroud. As the music begins, she approaches the microphone slowly, lifting the fabric in deliberate gestures that blur the line between ritual and performance. Her voice emerges with hypnotic intensity—part invocation, part confrontation.
Around her, the band locks into a dense and ritualistic groove. Nathan Valle’s guitar cuts through the haze with angular urgency, Andrew Valle’s bass pulses steadily beneath dim sculptural lighting, and Oscar Ruvalcaba’s drums echo through the studio walls. Meanwhile, Martin Chapman recreates the track’s electronic textures through guitar effects rather than backing tracks, lending the performance a tactile and volatile energy.
The visual concept draws inspiration from The Belly of an Architect by filmmaker Peter Greenaway, whose fascination with classical imagery and spatial composition echoes throughout the set design. Marble figures and disembodied limbs appear beside amplifiers and drum kits, soft orange lamps glowing like watchful eyes.
Throughout the performance, Nevrose moves between concealment and revelation—veiled, unveiled, then draped again in flowing white fabric that spreads outward like wings as she gestures into the air. The camera drifts between statues, instruments, and performers, reinforcing the tension between human presence and sculptural stillness.
The result is a live video that feels both raw and ceremonial: a performance that captures the immediacy of a band playing together in a room while framing it with imagery that echoes the song’s themes of illusion, perception, and unseen influence.
Watch the live session for LOCH’s “The Invisible Hand” below:
LOCH is a band from Los Angeles, California, consisting of members Kristine Nevrose, Nathan Valle, Andrew Valle, Oscar Ruvalcaba, and Martin Chapman. The project began as an idea between brothers Nathan Valle and Andrew Valle, who first recorded music together in Whittier, California, using drum samples and electronics before expanding the lineup into a full band.
The group’s members come from a wide cross-section of Los Angeles underground scenes. Nevrose previously played in The Tissues, Flaamingos, and the hardcore outfit S.O.H., while drummer Oscar Ruvalcaba has worked with Flaamingos, Persona, La Ghost, and SoSoso, and currently also performs with the psych legends The Warlocks and In Covert. Bassist Andrew Valle has been involved with The Jancos, Shoebox Blue, and Radio Temple, and now plays with Mi Mellow Dia. Guitarist Nathan Valle previously performed in the live techno duo 138 and runs the techno label Counterpoint Ltd, while Martin Chapman fronts the band Folded Kite.
Their sound merges post-punk, industrial, avant-garde noise, krautrock, and psychedelic rock into something fluid and exploratory. Influences range from Public Image Ltd., The Pop Group, Gang of Four, Neu!, Throbbing Gristle, and Laurie Anderson to thinkers such as Carl Jung, Alan Watts, Bill Hicks, and bell hooks. Cinematic inspiration includes David Lynch, Andrei Tarkovsky, Wong Kar-Wai, Stanley Kubrick, and more.
For LOCH, the goal is simple: open canvas music with no rules.
The Invisible Hand is the title track from LOCH’s six-track release of the same name. Listen below and order the album here.
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