Iowa City locals Alyx Rush and Jim Swim—AKA Sun Centauri—took to the Riverside Theatre stage at 7pm on Saturday, infusing Mission Creek with their hypnotic blend of pop and R&B. The intimate Riverside Theatre was an ideal setting for their luscious sound, with Alyx Rush’s ethereal vocals and Jim Swim’s sophisticated production shimmering throughout the venue. The music was complemented by what Jim Swim called “world building” for their newest EP, Flux4D, which recently released on May 15th. This world building took the form of a majestic background of giant pink and blue squares dotted with clouds and an inspired wardrobe choice of NASA boiler suits. Perhaps “universe building” is a more accurate term—Flux4D’s opening track is titled Next to the Moon and there’s an otherworldly quality that permeates the EP’s five songs.
The Mission Creek audience was treated to a preview of a selection of Flux4D’s songs, with “How Long,” the EP’s second track, sounding remarkably rich on the Riverside Theatre stage. These fresh songs were cut with older tracks such as Gimme Life from the duo’s 2022 EP Fruit to the Knife, and Superposition which is technically a Jim Swim solo track with an Alyx Rush feature. “That’s one of our favorites,” they reflect after finishing “Superposition.” Which is a sentiment I certainly share.
All That, taken from Sun Centauri’s 2023 EP After the Last Time, often requires crowd participation, and Mission Creek was no different. “Give me all that,” sings Alyx Rush, “Do something crazy. Who cares if they see? Who cares?” On cue the crowd responds with “Fuck it up!” Towards the end of the show the duo drop Two Shots, their first single as Sun Centauri and an absolute bop at that. It crowned a triumphant night for the local artists, who are sure to make a wave beyond the state—perhaps beyond this world—in the coming months. A quick shout out to the Mission Creek team for booking Dawn Richard + Spencer Zahn straight after Sun Centauri at Riverside Theatre, as their soul-baring experiential project was a truly incredible follow up.
I was absolutely delighted that Alyx Rush and Jim Swim joined my radio show, Lonely Cloud FM, live in the KRUI studio shortly after Mission Creek to discuss their music, influences, and world building aesthetic. It was such a joy to chat about their collaborative process and hear those fun stories that only emerge in person. For instance, I now know that their sun-kissed cover art for Two Shots was taken not in Hawaii but, in fact, at the Coralville Community Aquatic Center. Go figure! The playlist they curated was also full of bangers; if you missed the show, check it out here.
Their KRUI appearance came to fruitition after I wore my brand new Sun Centauri tee—purchased at the Mission Creek show—to a Ragers for Charity event which Jim Swim was playing at. He was delighted to see the shirt, I was delighted to chat, and we spent the night dancing away to Rihanna. The rest, as they say, is history.
