Edition 2019

Two decades of pursuing and lauding the presentation of live electronic music and real-time audiovisual arts felt like a roll of the dice in 2000, but now, these forms have matured into vibrant, dynamic and truly contemporary sounds and sights. MUTEK’s unwavering commitment to this milieu has gone on to spawn a constellation of other editions, while establishing Montréal as a nexus for local talent and international rendezvous.

We are already anticipating our next chapter, and invite you to join us, August 25 to 30, 2020 — as we chart a new course for the future of the future!

Edition 20 By The Numbers

• More than 65,000 festival entries during 6 days
• 153 artists from 26 countries involved in 90 live and audiovisual performances, across 17 different programs, including 13 Canadian, 18 North American and 17 world premieres
• Over 300 industry professionals, promoters and festival directors in attendance
• More than 3,000 entries and 116 speakers for the 37 professional activities of the Forum IMG program
• Over 1,800 entries for the 37 daytime activities part of the free Digi Lab program and Sonic Circuits Showroom
• 30 digital and analog artworks spread over four venues, for our first exhibition, including the ISM Hexadome installation at MAC

Download the program

404.zero ^RU / Akiko Nakayama ^JP / Akufen ^CA/QC / Alex Guevara ^PE-DE / Alice Jarry ^CA/QC / Allison Moore ^CA/BC / Analucia Roeder ^PE / Anna Ridler ^UK / Aquaventure ^CA/QC / Arnaud Belley-Ferris ^CA/QC / Ash Koosha ^IR/UK / Auflassen ^CA/QC / Baya ^CA/QC / Bendik Giske ^NO / Ben Shemie ^CA/QC / Beta Librae ^US / Blawan ^UK / BUN BUN ^CA/QC / BYZ ^US/QC / Cafrine + Yanneek ^CA/QC / Call Super ^UK / Chloe Alexandra Thompson ^CA/US / Chris Lavis & Maciek Szczerbowski ^CA/QC / Cinzia Campolese ^IT/QC / Circle of Live featuring Sebastian Mullaert, Mathew Jonson, Johanna Knutsson, Matt Karmil & Dorisburg ^SE+CA / CLON x NWRMTC ^ES / CMD ^CA/QC / Dana Gingras ^CA/QC / Dandy Jack ^CL / Deena Abdelwahed ^TN/FR / Desert Bloom ^CA/QC / Diagraf ^CA/QC / DJ FATi (Ramzi) ^CA/QC / Domenique Dumont ^LV / Dora Bartilotti ^MX / Drew McDowall & Florence To ^UK / D.Tiffany ^CA / Dust-e-1 ^US/QC / Ensemble d'oscillateurs ^CA/QC / Errhead ^CA/QC / Expansys ^CA/QC / Flora Yin-Wong ^UK / France Jobin & Richard Chartier ^CA/QC+US / fuse* presents Dökk ^IT / Gabriel Rei ^CA/QC / GAIKA ^UK / Gene Tellem ^CA/QC / Giselle Angeles ^PE / Gudrun Gut ^DE / Huerco S. ^US / Hugues Clément ^CA/QC / Jan Jelinek ^DE / Jan Kounen ^FR / Jlin ^US / Joanie Lemercier ^FR/BE / Joaquina Salgado ^AR / Jonathan Scherk & Daniel Majer ^CA / Joni Void & Sonya Stefan ^CA/QC / Kaleema ^AR / Kalina Bertin ^CA/QC / Kathy Hinde ^UK / Kazuya Nagaya ^JP / Khotin ^CA / Lawrence Lek ^UK / Line Katcho ^CA-QC / Libby Heaney ^UK / loscil ^CA / Lotus Eater (Lucy & Rrose) ^IT+US / Lucas Paris ^FR/QC / Matmos ^US / Matt Karmil ^SE / Merovee & Blindsp0t ^FR / Myriam Boucher ^CA/QC / Nelly-Eve Rajotte ^CA/QC / Nicola Cruz ^EC / Nicolas Thépot ^FR / Nkisi ^BE/UK / Nueve Vidas & Rimiyoho ^MX / OBUXUM ^CA-QC / Ohm Hourani ^CA/QC / Olivia McGilchrist ^FR/JA/QC / Organ Mood ^CA/QC / Ouri ^CA/QC / Overmono ^UK / Paloma Dawkins ^CA/QC / Persuasion ^US/QC / Peter Flemming & Stephen Kelly ^CA/QC+NS / Peter Kutin & Patrik Lechner ^AT / Pick a Piper ^CA / Pōe ^CA/QC / Prifma ^AR / Priori ^CA/QC / Project Pablo ^CA / Push 1 stop ^CA/QC / Quan ^VN/QC / Rashad Becker & Ena ^DE+JP / rkss ^DE/UK / Robert Henke ^DE / Robot Koch & Michael Legoff ^DE+FR / Ryoichi Kurokawa ^JP / Samuel David ^CA/QC / Sinjin Hawke & Zora Jones ^CA+AT / Slim Media Player ^CA / Stephanie Castonguay ^CA/QC / Steve Bates & Michaela Grill ^CA/QC+AT / Sutekh ^US / Tamayugé ^CA/QC / The Mole ^CA / The Quark Model ^IR/QC / Tim Hecker & Konoyo Ensemble ^CA+JP / TM404 ^SE / Tortues Vapeur ^CA/QC / Uji ^AR / V.ictor ^CA/QC / Vincent Morisset ^CA/QC / Wajatta (Reggie Watts & John Tejada) ^US / Xavier Lebuis ^CA/QC / and more…

Opening concert

Taking control of the audiovisual machine that is the PY1 Pyramid at the Old Port, Robert Henke aka Monolake and Montréal’s visual wiz Diagraf plunged festival-goers into a bath of surround sound vibration and dazzling hi-tech laser and video for two performances that launched the 20th edition.

A/Visions

Tim Hecker and Konoyo Ensemble haunted the Place des Arts' Theatre Maisonneuve with a harrowing mix of ancient Japanese court music wrapped in 21st century electronic tapestries; Ryoichi Kurokawa mesmerized with his meticulous and moving 3D renderings of ruins, Loscil drew us into his atmospheric terrain with deep ambient and monochromatic visuals inspired by early 20th century photographer Alfred Stieglitz; while Italian collective fuse* conjured spells that produced a moving and poetic narrative with their mix of music, projections and the otherworldly motions of their dancer.

Nocturne

Alternating venues between Agora, MTELUS and 7 Doigts Studios, the Nocturne series—the backbone of the festival’s exaltation of live contemporary electronic music in its multitude of forms—Tuesday’s program was a pop-electronic cabaret that welcomed the once-shrouded-in-mystery Lithuanian duo Domenique Dumont whose live versions of their beloved balearic songcraft charmed everyone. On Wednesday the focus shifted to audivisuality, and local artist Lucas Paris debuted a brand new work that fused perfectly the self-programmed genetic codes of his music with a unique new visual signature. American duo Matmos owned the stage to close the night, with their animated, joyful and profound performance based on sampled plastics, with all the political and climate-focussed implications very much intact.

Filling the MTELUS on Thursday night with 6 continuous, all-improvised hours of live electronic jamming, Circle Of Live with Dorisburg, Johanna Knutsson, Mathew Jonson, Matt Karmil and Sebastien Mullaert provided an ecstatic, undulating techno-dream-soundtrack. Thursday night, Gudrun Gut stole the show with her charismatic presence and performance— and this following a deep lesson in texture and composition from Jan Jelinek. Techno reverberated through the auditorium on Friday night, with Lotus Eater (Lucy & Rrose) delivering a ferocious live set, and Veronica Vasicka, pinch-hitting for a last minute cancellation brought a set that rose well beyond the call and sent festival-goers into another realm altogether.

Gene Tellem’s debut live set opened the floor for beats from all angles Saturday, including Jlin, Nicola Cruz, and the show-stealing, energetic funk of Wajatta (Reggie Watts & John Tejada). Canadians and local heroes dominated Sunday’s denouement—with the debut performance of Guillaume Coutu-Dumont’s polyrhythmic almost-jazz ensemble Auflassen, the vivacious betwixt-techno-house closing set from ex-Montréaler, current Berlin-resident The Mole downstairs—and precocious local artist Priori wrapping up the night upstairs with his playful and snappy grooves. Abtracted breakbeat and reggaeton from Beta Librae and the extended, techno-esque techniques of Norwegian sax player Bendik Giske also distinguished themselves.

Motion

Red Bull put their heft behind two programs that brought a panorama of sounds from around the world: Sinjin Hawke & Zora Jones mixed their glossy new audiovisual concept with their hi-tech club-derived dynamism and Ouri laid down a live set of her soulful, musicianly new songs. On Saturday, Rashad Becker and Ena delved into mesmerizing and minute sonic details and Overmono’s modular tinkerings burst into a frenzy of ingenious rhythms.

Play

The place for imagination to run wild, the Play series hosted unique and adventurous sets from Stephanie Castonguay and her hacked digital scanners, CLON X NWRMTCC performed their cyberpunk, simulated world A/V, Meta, Kathy Hinde enchanted with her Twittering Machines and eco-themes, and Ben Shemie took off in directions that harnessed voice and feedback to arresting effect.

Expérience

The outdoor stage exploded on Wednesday with a full menu of Latin flavours, culminating with a big congregation for the free DJ set of Ecuador’s Nicola Cruz. A 20-year circle was closed with the brand new set from Montréal’s microhouse genius Akufen, Dust-e-1 and Pick a Piper picked up accolades for their spirited beat-work, and Johanna Knutsson brought a full arsenal of ambient weapons to Sunday’s opening spot.

MUTEK 20 years: Imagining our digital futures

For its 20th anniversary, MUTEK offers its festival-goers and the general public an unique exhibition of audiovisual installations and VR works. Presented in three locations in the heart of the festival’s perimeter, these artworks reflect the way in which the technologies, over time, have embodied our visions of the future.
Whether through the electronic reproduction of biological neurons, the creation of AI algorithms, blockchain, CGI or with the use of analogue techniques, the artists invite us to take a critical look at our present world, which already carries within itself the keys to a future in which machines and humans work together towards more equity.

This exhibition was made possible with the generous support of Tourisme Québec, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and the Ministry of Culture and Communications, in partnership with Synthèse - Pôle Image Québec and the Conseil des arts de Montréal. MUTEK also thanks the British Council, the Canada Council for the Arts, the SAT, Place des Arts, OBORO; Studio XX, HTC and MontVR.

A/V Installations

Dust Agitator - Alice Jarry
Room 00 – Joanie Lemercier
Influencing Loops – Peter Flemming & Stephen Kelly
Mosaic Virus – Anna Ridler
Cloud Bodies - Allison Moore
Island - Olivia McGilchrist
Geomancer - Lawrence Lek
Cités-Mondes – Samuel David
Phosphor - Robert Henke
Plantal - Giselle Angeles
Broken Panorama - Cinzia Campolese
Vast Body – Vincent Morisset

VR Works

Free Fall by Dana Gingras
Ayahuasca - Kosmik Journey by Jan Kounen
Gymnasia by Chris Lavis & Maciek Szczerbowski
Claude Monet - The Water Lily Obsession by Nicolas Thépot
Manic by Kalina Bertin
Fluido.obj by Joaquina Salgado
Museum of Symmetry by Paloma Dawkins
Fantasma de Cristal by Analucia Roeder