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Festival Fever: MUTEK Music Festival

April 3, 2012

MUTEK Music Festival

In our eighth edition of Festival Fever we land in Montreal to present you MUTEK Music Festival. This yearly event is put together by MUTEK which is an international organization dedicated to the promotion of electronic music and the digital arts. This distinct organization’s mandate is to provide a platform for the most original and visionary artists currently working in their fields. Their main body of work is the music festival itself, which has taken place in this booming metropolis since 2000. The festival was originally conceived to explore the intersection between sound, music and new media. Over the past 12 years this festival has become one of the world’s leading showcases for innovative electronic music. With several venues spanning the area of downtown Montreal, this is a perfect opportunity to see the beautiful city while enjoying a plethora of new sounds and fresh beats by artists from around the world. Through hard work and dedication, this event has proven to be in a league of its own, one where artistic talent and conceptual design take precedence over the mainstream.

With line ups less dance-floor oriented and more focused on experimentation and innovation, this festival regularily attracts thousands of fans. Every year brings together over 150 artists and acts that put together an exciting and very memorable five days. MUTEK also hosts annual versions of its festival in Mexico City, Argentina, Chile and other countries. Within the last decade, 200,000 people have attended MUTEK events worldwide.

“Whether you are an international headliner, a local talent from just up the street, a digital artist lighting up one of Montreal’s downtown buildings, or a fan from thousands of miles away, once you arrive at MUTEK you join a communal experience.” (www.MUTEK.org)

Through music workshops, expert panels, special presentations, demonstrations and guest appearances this festival provides avenues of exposure for Canadian Artists alongside their international counterparts. They have also developed a smart phone App fittingly named “MUTEK”. This App provides the user instant feedback on festival activities. It includes a festival map, a MUTEK newsfeed, a complete guide of all events, artist descriptions with pictures and audio, it even goes as far as allowing you to discover where friends are or pinpoint your own location for others to see.

The 2011 edition of the festival featured performances by James Holden, Knowing Looks, Luke Abbot, Falty DL, Modeselektor, Mika Vainio and many other renowned artists ranging from break beat DJs all the way to live electronic jam bands. For the first time ever, the festival sold-out the elegant 2500-capacity Metropolis for four nights in a row. Fans witnessed the audiovisual knockout premiere of Amon Tobin’s Isam.

This critically acclaimed production consists of a large cubic structure where Tobin performs from, which incorporates the use of new video mapping techniques. This Brazilian superstar is described as a virtuoso sound designer and is considered to be one of the most influential electronic music artists in the world. Also, Plastikman returned to the MUTEK stage after a six-year absence to present a new version of his live show, once again establishing his place as one of the leading innovators in creative technology. Check out this video of last year’s happenings.

Back again this year with an eclectic line up including performances by famous international artists as well as a long list of Canadian talent, MUTEK will surely be a success. The partnership with Solotech, a reputable audio/visual firm, will ensure the quality and intensity of the presentation stays top notch. This year, the festival will be taking place from May 30 to  June 3, the 13^th edition will be jam packed with events, day and night. Get the latest news and updates on the website here and get ready to experience the musical phenomenon they have produced for you.

Next week we cover Astral Harvest Music and Arts Festival, a wonderland of sights and sounds tucked away in the wilderness of northern Alberta. This celebration of music, art, knowledge and experience will happen July 5 to July 8, come back next week to here everything about it.

If you know of any Canadian or International electronic music festivals we should be covering, please email Stef at festivals@djmag.ca.

 

See you next week!

 

Stef Abrek