Maribou State Are Bringing Their Hallucinating Love Across Alberta
Maribou State. Photo credit: Rory Dewar.
For nearly 15 years, Hertfordshire-born duo Maribou State — Chris Davids and Liam Ivory — have carved out a sound that blurs the lines, crafting music that feels equally at home on festival stages as it does in quiet, intimate spaces. Their first two albums, Portraits (2015) and Kingdoms in Colour (2019), established them as boundary-pushers in downtempo electronica, celebrated for weaving lush instrumentation with textured production.
Now, after a period marked by turbulence, health challenges, and renewal, the pair return with their most personal work yet. Hallucinating Love distills resilience of those years into widescreen anthems and deeply felt moments of intimacy. Recent singles “Bloom,” “Otherside,” and the soaring “Dance on the World” have already set the stage for their biggest live chapter to date — from sold-out Alexandra Palace shows to a full North American tour this spring.
We caught up with Chris and Liam ahead of their Calgary date to talk about the roots of Maribou State, the making of Hallucinating Love, and how they’re approaching this next chapter with new perspective.
REVERIE: For anyone discovering you for the first time: how did Maribou State come together, and what first drew you to making music as a duo?
Maribou State: We started making music together back in our teens, initially as part of a band that gradually drifted apart. When that came to a natural end, Chris and I kept writing and producing together and that became the foundation for Maribou State. We were drawn to the freedom of electronic music, feeling a revitalised sense of relief around making music with what felt like very little limitations. That sense of experimentation and self-sufficiency was a big part of the early appeal plus our love for dance and rave culture. It’s been nearly 15 years now, and although our sound has evolved a lot over time, the heart of the project has always been rooted in those early dance days, as well pushing ourselves creatively in the studio.
REVERIE: How would you describe your sound to someone who’s never heard it before?
Maribou State: We’ve often struggled to answer this, and usually opt for an overly simplified statement of it sitting somewhere between electronic and organic. The thing is, it’s kind of true, as we’re always trying to find the sweet spot where synthetic textures and live instrumentation can coexist in a way that feels both emotive and tactile. There’s a cinematic quality to it at times, but also a kind of intimacy - we like contrast within the balance.
REVERIE: Your new album Hallucinating Love comes out this January. What inspired the title, and what themes run through the record?
Maribou State: The title started out as a lyric in one of the early demos, but it quickly took on a life of its own. There was this serendipitous moment on a flight to New York when both Chris and I, without knowing, had made separate lists trying to convince the other that Hallucinating Love should be the album title, which felt like a sign. After that moment we had a new context to what we were trying to achieve. Thematically, the record was born out of a really turbulent period for us, mentally, physically, emotionally. Writing it became a way of navigating all that. At its core, the album is about resilience, about holding onto hope when things are at their most uncertain. It’s full of longing, optimism, and the kind of blurry beauty that can come from imagining a better future, even if you’re not quite there yet.
REVERIE: The new single “Dance on the World” has already connected with so many listeners. Can you tell us about how that track was created?
Maribou State: That track came together quite late in the album process and almost didn’t make it on. It started its life as a piano driven bluesy number with Lady Wray on vocals. In a last chance effort Chris took some key parts from it and mashed them up with another demo he had been sitting on. It then took quite a bit of time to get to sit right. There’s a kind of controlled chaos to the production: a lot of layered percussion, loosely timed synths, and heavily manipulated vocals all battling for space in the mix. The lyrics for the Chorus were first penned very early on in the album writing timeline but the sentiment really captured the core feeling of the album, which is why we could never bring ourselves to trash it.
REVERIE: Collaboration seems to be a big part of your process, with vocalists like Holly Walker and Andreya Triana. What do those partnerships bring to your music?
Maribou State: As neither of us can really sing that well, the vocal collaborations are paramount to our process. Going back to balance, we don’t want to make music that 100% relies on sampled vocals. There’s so much more that can be expressed through working with a featured vocalist. Holly’s been a long-time collaborator of ours, and she has this rare ability to write lyrics that are both poetic and deeply personal. Andreya brought a completely different energy, soulful and effortless. Collaborating with vocalists like them pushes us outside of our comfort zone. It opens the music up and gives it a kind of narrative that we wouldn’t be able to create on our own. It’s a big part of what makes each record feel like a true collaboration, rather than just us two.
REVERIE: You’ve had some incredible live moments over the years — from Glastonbury to Sydney Opera House. How do you approach translating your music to the stage?
Maribou State: We’ve always approached the live show like a separate creative project in itself. It’s not just about recreating the tracks, it’s about reimagining them for that space and moment. We bring a full band on stage, sometimes with multiple orchestral players too, which allows us to reinterpret the music with much more energy and impact. It’s also about building a visual world around the sound, which is something we’ve spent a lot of time refining for this tour. At the end of the day, the aim is to make people feel something, whether that’s dancing or just getting lost in the atmosphere. The connection with the crowd is very important to us.
REVERIE: You’ve both been open about your health journey over the past few years. How has that experience shaped your relationship with music and performing?
Maribou State: It really changed everything. There was a point where we weren’t sure we’d ever be able to do this again, at least not in the way we used to. Stepping back and focusing on our health forced us to reassess everything. That pause gave us much needed perspective. Now we’re much more intentional, with how we tour and how we look after ourselves. There’s more focus on making it sustainable and meaningful.
REVERIE: Calgary has a growing electronic and live music scene — what do you hope fans here take away from your show?
Maribou State: We hope they feel immersed, like they’ve stepped into our world for 90 mins. The show is designed to take people on a bit of a journey, emotionally and sonically. There are moments to dance, moments to reflect, and hopefully moments that stick with people long after. We also just want people to have fun. It’s been a long few years for everyone, and if we can offer even a brief escape, something uplifting, communal, and full of life, then we’ll be overjoyed.
Maribou State will be playing live in Edmonton at Midway Music Hall on September 13, 2025 and Calgary, AB at The Palace Theatre on September 14, 2025. For tickets, visit mariboustate.com/pages/live.