MUTEK MONTREAL NEWS

ANNOUNCING THE DATES FOR MUTEK 2011 After much consultation and deliberation, we are pleased to announce the dates for MUTEK's 12th edition. With the Formula 1 Grand Prix's dates now officially falling a week later than originally announced, we are able to maintain our current slot on the international festival circuit for our next edition. Mark your calendars - MUTEK returns to Montreal June 1 to 5, 2011! We truly appreciate the volume of responses and the time taken to share your point of view with us in this matter. All of your comments were carefully weighed and considered in our deliberations, and despite the fact that we will be holding onto our customary dates next year we feel that your input has given us an update of the issues and realities that concern our public. We are already at work crafting the 12th edition, and are truly excited about the upcoming year and the changes it brings. Housing nearly all of MUTEK's venues, the Quartier des Spectacles district will have advanced in its construction and renovations by the next edition - blocks and buildings that are currently torn and boarded-up will give way to more welcoming and dynamic spaces in which to integrate our presentations and activities during the festival. The Society for Arts and Technology (SAT), one of MUTEK's longest-standing partners, will also have opened its doors to its newly-renovated facilities, including a whole extra floor hosting a restaurant, and a rooftop dome for 360 degree immersive video installations (click here for photos of SAT's renovation projects). These new spaces open a wealth of possibilities to enrich Montreal's digital culture experience, and we are excited to take part in exploring and embellishing this renewed urban canvas through our 12th edition and beyond. We'll be releasing more information about the festival in the months to come, so be sure to stay tuned! --- MUTEK 2011 SUBMISSION GUIDELINES Want to take part in MUTEK 2011? MUTEK is constantly on the lookout for new projects and proposals from artists that explore new directions and strive to push the boundaries of digital and electronic creativity. Over the years the festival has always offered a variety of cultural experiences, combining: live acts multimedia projects audiovisual performances Canadian talent Additionally, this year we are undertaking the theme of Festival as Lab, to reflect the current positioning of the ICAS network's European members within a multi-year cooperative project codenamed 'Unknown Future' (ICAS is a global network of likeminded festivals dedicated to the advancement of digital arts and sound cultures). The Festival as Lab theme explores festivals as experimental spaces or laboratories where we can explore and play with future art, music and ideas. We encourage submissions for projects that take the form of an experiment, a prototype or a trial of a new type of art object, technology or form of participation, and that make use of the setting of the festival in an inventive way. While traditionally MUTEK does not appropriate themes for its activities, the Lab theme will serve as an undercurrent and inspiration for the 2011 year in order to explore the perception and place of the festival on local and international scales, and to further cooperation and exchange within the ICAS network. Please note however that submissions to MUTEK 2011 are not restricted to this theme. We strongly encourage applicants to accompany their submissions with live recordings of their performances. Please note that as MUTEK is dedicated to presenting live performances, DJ mixes are not considered. The submission deadline for all MUTEK 2011 proposals is November 19, 2010, though we strongly encourage you to get in touch with us as soon as possible, as by November we are already piecing together our program. Send your proposals, demos, links and other relevant information by email to submissions@mutek.org, or by regular mail to: Submissions 2011 c/o MUTEK 473 boul Saint-Joseph Est Montréal (Québec) H2J 1J8 Please note that we cannot confirm the receipt of packages. Artists will be contacted if they have been selected to perform at the festival. We would like to thank all candidates in advance for their interest. --- MUTEK @ MONTREAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA IMPORTANT UPDATES: SHOW TIME AND FREE SHUTTLE SERVICE MUTEK is proud to collaborate with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (OSM) to inaugurate a new series conceived by KENT NAGANO, "LES CONCERTS OSM ÉCLATÉS," devoted to exploring new, ear-opening concepts in nontraditional ways and nonconventional venues. The first concert will be presented by Molson M in artistic partnership with MUTEK in a location that holds a prominent place in the history of Montreal, the Molson Coors brewery. KENT NAGANO, who since his arrival in Montreal has been interested in the city's historical structures, had the idea of matching up the universes of orchestral music and the industrial world. In this spirit, not only will the OSM leave the concert-hall circuit but it will be joining its forces to the talents of practitioners of electronic music. A first-time-ever encounter, this evening of contrasts promises to be memorable. Presented one night only, the event sees the OSM and KENT NAGANO perform two works whose pairing is original and surprising: "Messagesquisse", a contemporary work for seven cellos by PIERRE BOULEZ, and GUSTAV MAHLER's Symphony No. 1 ("Titan"). THOMAS FEHLMANN will then be accompanied by several OSM musicians, to perform an original variation on Mahler's same Symphony. Closing his performance with a solo set, FEHLMANN will be followed by Berlin's SUBSTANCE & VAINQUEUR, who will present their "Scion Versions live". Locals BAILLAT CARDELL & FILS, long-time MUTEK collaborators, will accompany the electronic portion of the evening. This event is expected to sell out (really!!), so be sure to get your tickets in advance in order to avoid disappointment! Saturday October 16, 2010 The Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Molson M and MUTEK present: KENT NAGANO, conductor THE MONTREAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA THOMAS FEHLMANN live [DE] SUBSTANCE & VAINQUEUR present SCION VERSIONS live [DE] BAILLAT CARDELL & FILS, videographers Time: Doors open at 9:30pm, show starts at 10pm sharp. Latecomers will only be admitted at certain intervals (eg. between certain movements and at the end of the orchestral portion of the evening) so be sure to arrive on time. Venue: Molson Coors Brewery, 1555 Notre-Dame E. Tickets: $25 + tx & s.c., available through the OSM box office or online. Includes two Molson M beers. Transportation: Free shuttle service from Papineau metro station between 21h - 22h15 and return between 23h15 - 24h30 (return coincides with closing time for the metro, but the concert continues until 3am). This service is graciously offered by the STM. Acknowledgements: This event is made possible by the gracious support of Solotech, Sennheiser and the Goethe-Institut. More information: Event facebook page, MUTEK.org Calendar, OSM website --- MUTEKMAG In the latest MUTEKMAG video interview, prolific producer Uwe Schmidt discusses one of his most recognizable projects, SEÑOR COCONUT. Shot on site at MUTEK 2010, the video includes great footage of his performance at this past edition in Montreal. Señor Coconut & His Orchestra will be performing as part of MUTEK's programming for the Festival Internacional Cervantino on October 29, 2010. --- PODCASTS Two new podcasts have gone up since our last newsletter, both highlighting artists that will be performing at MUTEK's upcoming program for the Festival Internacional Cervantino in Mexico. Get a taste of ANDRÉS BUCCI's Chilean minimalism before his performance at the FIC's Programa Chile, and DEADBEAT's distinct dub-techno sound before his appearance at MUTEK.MX and the FIC with MODERAT.

Mutek September News

After the much-needed break following an intense and successful tenth edition, the MUTEK offices are once again rumbling with work. Already looking forward to the 11th edition in Montreal, running June 2 to 6, 2010, MUTEK is also bringing together a whole series of events over North and South America this fall, starting with Argentina at the end of this month! Don't forget to check back regularly at www.mutek.org for info and events posted on the news and calendar sections.




MUTEK MONTREAL NEWS

PODCAST SERIES RESUMES

Those of you eager to relive moments of the tenth anniversary will be happy to hear that we dove back in to a new fall podcast series, starting with one of the team's personal highlights - THOMAS FEHLMANN's deep, flowing daytime set at Saturday's MUTEK@Piknic event. With a new set featured every second wednesday, the podcasts will continue to jump back and forth through time to bring you sets from as far back as the first MUTEK in 2000.

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MUTEK_10 PHOTO EXPO CONTINUES

The MUTEK_10 Photo Expo that occupied festival HQ in May 2009 has now moved to grace the walls of our favourite record store in Montreal, Atom Heart (364 Sherbrooke St East). Drop by to have a look! Note that all of the photos are for sale.

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR MUTEK 2010

Interested in taking part in MUTEK 2010? We're interested in hearing from you!

MUTEK is constantly on the lookout for new proposals from artists and projects that explore new directions and strive to push the boundaries of digital and electronic creativity. Over the years the festival has always offered a variety of cultural experiences, combining:
• live acts
• multimedia projects
• audiovisual performances
• local, Canadian talent

Please note that as MUTEK is dedicated to presenting live performances, DJ mixes are not considered. We strongly encourage applicants to accompany their submissions with live recordings of their performances.

The submission deadline for all MUTEK 2010 proposals is December 15, 2009, though we strongly encourage you to get in touch with us as soon as possible as by December we are already piecing together our programming. Send your proposals, demos, links and other relevant information by email to submission@mutek.org, or by regular mail to:

Submission 2010
c/o MUTEK
473 boul Saint-Joseph Est
Montréal (Québec) H2J 1J8

Please note that we cannot confirm the receipt of packages. Artists will be contacted if they have been selected to perform at the festival. We would like to thank all candidates in advance for their interest.

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MUTEK@DECIBEL FESTIVAL

MUTEK's Artistic Director, Alain Mongeau, will be present at Seattle's Decibel Festival, which runs September 24 to 27, 2009. As one of the invited guests for the panel concerning Emerging Networks in North America (presented Friday, September 25, 2009), Alain will take part in discussing the issues faced by digital arts organizations in North America today.




MUTEK [AR] CELEBRATES IT'S 5 -YEAR ANNIVERSARY!
September to November 2009

Buenos Aires, Argentina, will be a hotspot of MUTEK activity during the next few weeks! To celebrate 5 years of MUTEK in Argentina and 10 years of MUTEK in Montreal, MUTEK [AR] presents a series of events running through September, October and November 2009. Three editions of MICRO MUTEK will take place at the Niceto Club, bringing in diverse and talented artists such as AKUFEN (CA), MATHIAS KADEN (DE), T. RAUMSCHMIERE (DE), and France's ZOMBIE ZOMBIE. These events will be complemented by experimental showcases, presenting in collaboration with local arts and technology laboratory LIMb0, highlighting MUTEK [AR]'s continuing commitment in fostering cutting-edge artists and innovations in technology. Also not to miss are workshops and performances of Montrealer HERMAN KOLGEN's latest project, “IN/JECT”, a forceful and stunning audiovisual work that invites you to contemplate the human body submerged in a giant water tank.

MUTEK [AR] EVENT OUTLINE:

SATURDAY 26 SEPTEMBER
MICRO MUTEK_1
Two rooms, multiple sounds, featuring ZOMBIE ZOMBIE [FR], BIG UP! [AR], FREE RADICALS [AR], GET NUTS [AR], THE WAITERS [AR]…
Niceto Club, midnight

SATURDAY 3 OCTOBER
TMDG and MUTEK [AR] present:
AKUFEN [CA] live
Buenas Noches @ TRImarchi [TRImarchi Graphic Design Festival] - Mar del Plata

TUESDAY 6 + WEDNESDAY 7 OCTOBER PANORAMICA and MUTEK [AR] present: HERMAN KOLGEN [CA] audiovisual workshop
Espacio Fundacion Telefonica

TUESDAY 6 - WEDNESDAY 7 – SATURDAY 10 OCTOBER
PANORAMICA and MUTEK [AR] present:
HERMAN KOLGEN [CA] – “IN/JECT” live performance
Espacio Fundacion Telefonica

SUNDAY 11 OCTOBER
MICRO MUTEK_2
AKUFEN [CA] – live, CHANCHA VIA CIRCUITO [ZZK Records] – live + more artists
Niceto Club, midnight

FRIDAY 16 OCTOBER
LIMb0 concerts presents:
ELSA JUSTEL [AR] and CECILIA CASTRO [AR]
Alliance Française auditorium, 8 pm.

SATURDAY 14 NOVEMBER
MICRO MUTEK_3
MATHIAS KADEN [DE] – live, T. RAUMSCHMIERE [DE] – live, QZEN [US] – live + more artists
Niceto Club, midnight

FRIDAY 20 NOVEMBER
LIMb0 concerts presents:
NAD SPIRO [ES] and ANKI TONER [ES]
Alliance Française auditorium, 8 pm.

Advanced tickets for MICRO MUTEK event costs AR $40. A passport for all 3 MICRO MUTEKs is on sale now for only AR $90! The passport is available until September 25, 2009, and can be purchased at the Niceto Club box office or through www.ticketek.com.ar.

For more detailed information please see the calendar section of mutek.org or visit www.myspace.com/mutekba.




ACKGNOWLEDGEMENTS

MUTEK would like to thank the following partners for their general and ongoing support: le Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, le Ministère du Tourisme du Québec, le Ministère des Affaires Municipales, des Régions et de l'Occupation du territoire du Québec, the Canada Council for the Arts, Musicaction, le Ministère de la Culture, des communications et de la condition féminine du Québec, the Department of Canadian Heritage, le Conseil des arts de Montréal, the City of Montréal, FACTOR, and Tourisme Montréal.

The organization is particularly grateful for the support of its MUTEK_10 presenting partner, Solotech, and its collaborating partner, Ubisoft. Thanks also to the media and private partners that support our ongoing activities: Resident Advisor, Exclaim!, XLR8R, The Wire, Tsugi, Via Rail Canada, and Club Voyages Equinox.

MUTEK 10 - Photo Gallery

At long last, here they are! My photo gallery from Friday through Sunday of Mutek's 10th Edition in Montreal. Events covered in the photos are ATOM1, Nocturne 3, Piknic 1, Nocturne 4, Piknic 2, and Nocturne 5, as well as some other random shots from around town. Click below to open the gallery.

Mutek 10 - Photos by Reuben Sweeney

MUTEK 10 - PIKNIC 2 / NOCTURNE 5

I've often wondered, what is it exactly that makes people gravitate so fanatically towards Ricardo Villalobos? You know, besides the good music. Is it just a massive hype machine surrounding his name?
No.
After seeing him perform this past Sunday at Mutek's Piknic 2, I finally get it.

It's him -- his "aura," if you will. The positive vibe and energy he gives off is something that you immediately pick up on in his presence. This is something that you, in the crowd, feed off of. When you see Ricardo, you just see a guy who is having a really good time, and loving life. It lifts your spirit, even in the most shitty of weather (read on). This is a key component in DJ/crowd interaction, and something that can completely change a music experience. It's one of the same reasons that Derek Plaslaiko is also one of my favorite DJs: he is just goddamn fun to be around. It's also the same reason why I don't get much out of some other DJ's, like the aforementioned Carl Craig. Craig's stoic and emotionless mask just sucks all the life out of you when you look at him, even if he is dropping sick tunes.

Ricardo and Zip, co-founder of the hallowed minimal label Perlon (and who is not to be understated here), opened the day with blissful deep and thumping beats. Let it be said here that I probably only recognized about 2-3 tracks out of the entire 7 hour set, so my description probably wont be that detailed. After about an hour or so, they transitioned seamlessly into some great funky grooving tracks. In contrast to the previous day's Piknic, there were already a slew of people lined at the gates to get into the party at opening time, so by now the area in front of the stage was pretty densely populated. The metro too was much more crowded than Saturday, and I wondered if the senior citizens aboard were also turning out for Ricardo. Somewhere around the mid-point of their set, they dropped a MONSTER acid-techno track with big marching-drums that seemed to go on for at least 15 minutes. At this point, the sun was rapidly fading and ominous clouds were being ushered our way by brutal gusts of wind.

Then it happened. Maybe it was all the hedonistic ravers angering the gods, or maybe Montreal just has sucky weather in May, but either way, the skies opened up with a massive downpour of cold rain circa 5pm. I wondered if, even despite the great music, I could last another 3-4 hours in that weather. A lot of people clearly felt the same way because after about 20 minutes of it, the crowd became noticeably thinner. The rest of us stuck it out though, and laughed when without a moment's hesitation, Ricardo and Zip put on a track with vocals that sang of "thunder and rain." This is where Ricardo's persona really helped out. Watching him dance around whimsically, blow kisses to everyone, and just be a general fun-loving goofball, made all the cold and wet just a little more tolerable (although it also made me jealous that he was safe and dry in the booth!). I can't be sure he would have behaved the same were he out there in the rain with us, but somethind told me he would be dancing and smiling regardless.

A bit bewildering was Mutek's lack of anything to shelter party-goers from the weather. Sunday's rain had been in the forecast for a while, and as such, Mutek had the contingency plan of moving the party to Metropolis if it got rained out. However, as the skies were clear at the 2pm start time, they went on with the party outdoors at the park. It was obvious that once they made the decision where to hold it, they were not going to move the party halfway through, even if the weather turned bad. The rain was impending though, and unavoidable, so why not then set up some tents or any sort of shelter around the music area? The lack of something like this really made me feel like they dropped the ball... it just seems like common sense to me for an outdoor party. Hell, even Mintek was able to get that done. I was also a bit dissapointed at the lack of signage or any direction or promotion whatsoever for the supposed "second stage." I was pretty interested in checking out Nicolas Jaar, who has had a couple of awesome podcasts latley. Moving away from the body heat at the main stage proved too tough however, and I never was able to find Stage 2.

Eventually, the rain stopped. My girlfriend and I decided at this point to go back to the hotel for a short break and change into some dry clothes. We returned about an hour later to find a much more subdued music and crowd. With little over an hour left in their set, I expected Ricardo and Zip to be whipping out the real jams. I don't mean in the sense of just hammering out the mega tracks, as I wouldn't expect that from either of them, but playing something really memorable and energizing. Dissapointingly the case was quite the opposite.

The last 45 mins of their set plodded along and finally trickled to a slow meandering finish. The tracks were spacey and mellow, and a bit of a downer for me. I really wanted a nice pick-me-up after the terrible weather we had just endured, but perhaps I had missed that during my trip to the hotel. Ricardo's final encore track was the same, a bit melodic and pretty, but very lethargic. Then it was over. Though the end left me a bit disheartened, the experience as a whole was amazing, and one I will never forget.

// Nocturne 5 //

After having some leftovers, we headed to Mutek's closing party at Société des arts technologiques (SAT). Sadly for me, the sleepy mood predicated at the end of Piknic was more or less continued for much of Nocturne 5. We arrived at the tail end of Mateo (Murphy) & Pheek's set, unfortunatley not enough time to really get an idea of how they played. After them was a live set from Stephen Beaupré. It wasn't a bad set, I actually would of enjoyed listening to it while driving in my car, or maybe even if it had been at Saturday's Piknic, but it was definitely not what I was in the mood for at that point in time. Here and there he would drop a funky groove, ultimately though, it felt dreary and sluggish, which did not help my already drowsy state.

Following Beaupre was Akufen, whos set brought up the energy level a little bit. His sound was pleasant deep house full of funk and disco influence, but remained very mellow none the less, and fairly unremarkable.

Closing out the night was, The Modern Deep Left Quartet, a Wagon Repair "supergroup" comprised of Mathew Jonson, Tyger Dhula, Danuel Tate, and Colin de la Plante (The Mole). The Quartet rocked it for two very solid hours, finally bringing the energy to the room that I was looking for, and more befitting of a closing party. From what I could tell, it was Jonson on laptop and controllers, Tate on piano and vocals, The Mole on turntable and FX, and Dhula on some other hardware, with Jonson more or less directing the flow of the set. I couldn't really discern any difference between their performance and that of a Cobblestone Jazz one (same lineup, sans The Mole), which had me kind of confused, but this isn't to say it detracted from the quality of the music. Their set chugged along like a locomotive, with improvisational jazzy bits keeping the crowd on its toes. One such member of the crowd we were suprised to run into was Tahmoh Penikett, who plays Helo on one of our favorite shows: Battlestar Galactica. My girlfriend was overjoyed :p. A friend of Mathew Jonson's, Penikett has apparently been into the Canadian techno scene for quite some time now. Small world!

All good things must end, and Mutek officially came to a close at 3am. It was another good half-hour before the crowd cleared out, many of us unwilling to leave until Ricardo officially left the building and stopped wandering about, friendily chatting it up with anyone who said hi. There were rumors that him and Zip were to play an exclusive afterparty, but the allure of this did not prove strong enough to conquer our desire to get in bed.

FYI Ricardo says he will be coming to the US next year! He said it was not because of Obama solely, as he doesn't think Obama (or anybody) can change things that drastically in such a short time, but that he was very impressed by the amount of Americans who went out and voted, and at the positive spirit of the people. Can't wait!

Pictures and interviews soon to come! Check back soon.

Oh, by the way, Ricardo's flight was at 1pm ;)

- Reuben out

VILLALOBOS!

(and Zip ;)

MUTEK 10 - NOCTURNE 4

Had an awesome dinner at Méchant Boeuf, a bar/brasserie nestled in the shadow of the Notre Dame Cathedral. The service was as excellent as the food -- fast, attentive, and friendly. There was a 30 minute wait for a table, so we sat at the bar, and then unexpectedly, they came over and set up a small table for us! Very nice :)

After the hot beef injection, we headed over to Metropolis for the fourth installment of Nocturne. Playing in the main room when we arrived was dOP, a French trio who I was really looking forward to seeing. I've been a pretty big fan of their releases over the past year, so their first-ever North American performance was pretty enticing. Unfortunately, like most acts that employ live vocals, I found their performance fairly underwhelming. Guess I just prefer a polished studio sound when it comes to singing. They closed their set with I'm Just A Man, a fantastic release, but live it just meandered into mediocrity, with the singer sounding out of breath and hoarse, probably due to the entire bottle of vodka he was swigging throughout the performance.

Next up was the interesting combination of Dandy Jack and Mathew Jonson. I have seen both of them perform solo previously, and really enjoyed both, so together it seemed they should be even better or a dumbed-down amalgam of the two. It ended up being somewhere inbetween. It was an excellent set, no doubt, but not mind-blowing. Lots of spacey spastik synths dancing over sharp fast-paced beats. It got a bit deeper towards the end, which I enjoyed. I'm always puzzled over who does what in these team-ups, but from what I know of their work, the emphasis sounded to be coming from Dandy Jack. Certainly one of the most solid sets I've heard at Mutek so far, and it got the whole crowd moving.

Just before the Jack/Jonson set concluded, I headed to the Savoy room to catch Pezzner, a Seattle native just picked up by Free Range records, one of my favorite labels of late. As I mentioned before, Pezzner had thouroughly impressed me with his live set in Detroit, possibly moreso because I had never heard of him before. His set in Savoy was just as good, although with a somewhat of a lull towards the middle. He picked it back up though, and from the cheers and whistles, the rest of the crowd was enjoying him as much as I was.

Around 3am, I headed back to the main room to catch the end of the tobias. set. Solid chugging techno, but ultimatley I found it uninteresting. After going overtime for about 10 minutes, tobias. left the stage and made way for Carl Craig. I was curious to see if Craig would perform much differently here as compared to Detroit. His set at Movement was fairly dull, and felt like he was just there for the paycheck. His always-expressionless face gave no insight as to how he felt about it either. Craig began his set with what I can only describe as an asinine over-the-top masturbatory intro track that seemed to say "Hey look at me, I'm famous." A full 15 minutes later, the first beat finally dropped. I had decided to give him two tracks to garner my interest, and he utterly failed. When he actually started playing something danceable, it was the same old epic stadium techno that every Detroit godfather seems to have a hard drive full of. I guess after so long in the game, it might get kind of hard to not just phone it in.

I departed from the main room to give Jeremy Ellis a try before heading back to the hotel. Glad I did! Finally something different and entertaining. Although it came off a bit like a novelty act, Ellis' banging away on two drum units with his chin, elbows, and insanely quick fingers, was refreshing, funky, and very fun. His "freestyle" on the spot creations, using hip-hop and retro percussion samples were probably the most unique thing I've seen the whole time here. Despite his applaudible efforts, my sleepiness soon got the better of me, and I headed back.

Once again, check back for photos to accompany this post in a day or so! I gotta run now... Villalobos awaits!

MUTEK 10 : Piknic 1 Saturday

Eager to catch as many performances as possible, I got up early today (well... noon... early enough), ate the cutest breakfast ever (it was hung in a picknick basket just outside the door), and got on the metro promptly at 1:20pm.

Thankfully the rain had just then cleared up, making Jean-Drapeau Park an absolutley lovely and picturesque setting for the day. We arrive a bit early and wandered around trying to find the Piknic site since there was not yet any music to serve as a guide. After a brief wait, the Piknic site opened. It was quite a beautiful spot, set up against the river with Montreal's skyline in the distance.

Opening the festivities was The Mole, the one artist on today's Piknic lineup that I was probably most interested in seeing. His set was slow and soulful house, laid back, with an emphasis on instruments over vocals. It was the perfect soundtrack for a loungey outdoor party, with a cool breeze on your face. Sadly, almost nobody was there yet to hear it. He finished up his short slot with a B-52's white label mix that I've become very fond of lately.

Next up was Brendon Moeller, who played a fantasticly deep and dubby tech-house set as more people trickled into the park. By the time he was halfway through, the central area had filled up with cheering party-goers, and the surrounding areas were covered by those lounging on blankets, lawn chairs, and giant red pillows.

I ran into Dave Pezzner during this time, who I had just met in Detroit last week after his fantastic live set at Old Miami. We got to talking and I managed to snag an impromptu interview with him -- keep an eye out for that here next week. Really looking forward to seeing him play again tonight, as he mentioned he's changed up his set even since last week.

Halfway into Thomas Fehlmann's set, the entire area was packed. Sadly, it was also time for me to leave, as I had a scheduled interview with Dandy Jack at 6pm.
Even more depressing though -- as I sit here now (7pm) I'm still waiting for Dandy Jack to arrive and have just been informed that he just now finished his sound check! Arghh... these artists are driving me nuts! Kind of bummed out that I will be missing The Mole's closing set at Piknic, as I so thouroughly enjoyed his opening one. I'd be interested to see if or how different he played to a now throbbing and dense crowd.

Check back here later for this post to be updated with pictures from Piknic (don't have a card reader at the moment because I'm writing from a terminal in the Trylon).

MUTEK 10 - Friday Night / NOCTURNE 3

Starting the night very late, we wandered around for about half an hour in a desperate search of decent food before hitting up any events. The options were looking glum ($1 hot dogs?) right up until we were about to give up. At the northern edge of Montreal's Chinatown, just past the arch, we finally found a place open 'till midnight: Fung Shing (Chinese). If you find yourself in the same situation, be sure to check it out. I wouldn't call it a "late night" spot, since midnight isn't late to me, but it certainly was a great find. Food was yummy, priced right, and portioned large (we half considered taking a doggie bag back to Metropolis with us). I had wonton soup and "beef with ginger & pineapple," my girlfriend had the "chinese filet mingon with black pepper sauce," which turned out to be kind of a chinese beef stroganov, sans noodles. By the time we finished stuffing ourselves, it was almost midnight, so we decided to pass over Play and head straight to Metropolis for Nocturne 3.

When we arrived, Jahcoozie was doing something awful in the main room, so we made a b-line for the "Savoy" side room, which sported a more techno-friendly lineup. This room was amazing! Ok, well, not totally amazing. There were some really obnoxious things about it. But the music was on par with some of the best things I heard in Detroit. Speaking of which, the first track I heard Adam Marshall play as I stepped in the room was one I had just heard for the first time at Old Miami in Detroit, being played by Damian Lazarus & Jamie Jones. Awesome track, and I'm still not sure what it is, but considering Marshall was playing live, I'll assume it's one of his.

Ok, now for the bad bits. Perhaps Mutek had not expected the volume of people that turned out to the Savoy room over the main room, but they way they had it set up was a bit retarded. The entrance was at the top of a flight of stairs, but the room was so crowded, you had to wait in a line inside the venue to get to the room. Guess what, the bathrooms were outside of that room. So if you had to go, then you would be waiting another 20 minutes in line again (at peak time), just to get back into the music room. The room itself was very large, but still packed to the gills, and suffered from almost no ventilation. A few fans would have been nice. Also, the room was tiered, with a sunken area towards the stage reached by a few steps. However since the room was so very dark, these steps could easily be overlooked, resulting in some clumsiness (and potential injury). Personally I was a bit flustered at the absense of any guidance for stage photographers. I had no clue where I was allowed and where I was not. I only found out by taking a chance and then either getting yanked out by a mysterious man in black (who had no bage of any kind), or having nothing happen.

Adam Marshall's excellent set was over much too quickly, but the two sets that followed from Ernesto Ferreyra and Mike Shannon were equally as stunning, so I didn't feel too bad. This was my first time hearing any of these three artists in person, and I was thouroughly impressed by all. Usually when in a new setting, it takes me a bit of time to get comfortable enough to let loose and dance, but these guys had me going from the get go.
Shannon closed out Metropolis just a bit after 3am. Will post some videos in the future, but right now I have to hit the hey so I can wake up in time for The Mole at Piknic tomorrow!

MUTEK 10 : Arrival & ATOM 1

A light rain and clouds hung over Montreal as I arrived today. This being my first time in Montreal that I will be able to remember, I was pleasantly surprised at how similar it was to a European city.

We are staying at the Auberge de Pomerol, official hotel for Mutek press. It was a toss up between this and a Marriott branch I had a deal with, but I'm really glad we went with the Pomerol. The location, across the street from Berri-UQAM Metro (a central hub), is extremely convenient. The hotel and its rooms are quaint and cozy -- perfect if you're planning a romantic vacation, or if you just want a nice peaceful place to stay in the middle of it all. Our A/C unit rattles like a bitch though. But they bring breakfast to your door, so I think I can live with that.

After settling in and begrudgingly getting over the fact that the USD to CAD exchange rate JUST shot down, we headed down to the Monument-National Theatre to check in with Mutek and get our passes and everything sorted for the weekend.

The extremely friendly and courteous Mutek staff gave me a warm greeting and I was soon on my way. Their absolute professionalism, which I had already gotten a whiff of during the credentialing application, really let me feel relaxed.

With a scheduled interview with tobias. just a short time a way at the same location, we decided to find something to eat in the immediate area. Lunch at Saigon Style(?), a small Vietnamese and Thai place on Rue St. Catherine, was good but unremarkable.

After, we returned to Monument-National, only to find that Tobias was MIA, and so went the interview. On the plus side, this gave me time to run over and check out ATOM 1 at Place des Arts.

After being led by an usher in almost complete darkness, I arrived in a small curtained-off room, with 64 red-lit balloons in the center of a ring of people.

ATOM (not sure what that stands for), is an audiovisual experience, performed by Robert Henke (aka Monolake) & Christopher Bauder. If you've seen any sort of LED display synced up to music, you can get a general idea of what it was like. Trust me when I say it was much more awe-inspiring than that sounds. I was not sure what to expect from something like this, as I've never really gone in for the A/V displays previous, but I was pretty impressed.

The red light in the room soon faded to pitch black, and the music began, slow and steady, with the balloons now being illuminated by bright white lights, and moved along a verticle axis. There's not really any good way to describe it... you are just going to have to wait for the video to get a taste. The music itself was dark, atmospheric, and... well... minimal (this time it's being used correctly!). If I had to make a comparison, I would say it was similar to something GAS might make, only less dubby and filtered, more dark and abrasive, and using some organic soundscapes... ok so not really like GAS. lol . All in all, an excellent way to start off the weekend. It was new, different, fun, and entertaining.

Heading out to dinner now, and then to Nocturne 3 and maybe some of Play 3. I'm getting excited!

- Reuben

Listen Mutek in real time online

Pilooski, Zombie Zombie, Deadbeat, Appleblim, Ghilslain Poirier, Mathew Jonson, Dandy Jack and more have their sets streamed live from Montreal's Mutek festival, courtesy of http://www.Awdio.com.

XLR8R MUTEK_10 Podcast

MUTEK_10 with Michel Pontbriand

01 UNKLE - Trouble in Paradise Variation on a Theme (Car Craig C2 Remix)
02 Moderat - Rusty Nails
03 Jahcoozi - BLN
04 Modern Deep Left Quartet - Straight Whiskey
05 Beat Pharmacy - Club Dread Feat. Mikey Dread
06 Sideshow - If Alone Feat. Paul St.-Hilaire
07 Digital Mystikz - Neverland
08 Deadbeat - Roots and Wires
09 Thomas Fehlmann - Bienenkonigin
10 Mathew Jonson - Folding Spaces
11 John Shananigan - Bounce the Blue Feat. Skat Man Doo
12 G and The CD - They Only Come Out at Night (Horror Inc Remix)
13 Trus' Me - Tony Does What Tony Wants
14 The Mole - Again the B
15 Gas - Gas 1
16 NSI. - 4
17 The Fun Years - Auto Show Day of the Dead

http://www.xlr8r.com/podcast/2009/05/mutek-10-michel-pontbriand

Mutek 2009: Pre-Party

Warper Party (NYC), Createdigitalmusic.com, TrackTeam Audio, Dj Shakey,
Dubspot, and Ableton Live present:

WARPER
A Special Unofficial Pre-Mutek Party in
Montreal Canada!

Free workshops, Live electronic music,
Visuals, and Interactive art
Warper is New York City's largest electronic music showcase

TUESDAY May 26th
all afternoon and evening
for updated schedule, check www.warperparty.com

THEATRE STE. CATHERINE
cash bar, door charge by donation
www.theatrestecatherine.com
264 Ste. Catherine E. (Montreal)
(514) 284 3939
METRO: Berri/UQA

Details on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=78556543018&ref=ts#/event.php?eid=78556543018&ref=ts



http://www.warperparty.com/

MUTEK 10 2009

Now that the artistic program is complete and the festival's five days have taken on a fuller shape, we are eager to share the brand-new festival website with everyone. This showcase of all matters MUTEK_10, appears as a new and expanded section of MUTEK.ORG. There, viewers will be able to find all sorts of information about this year’s artists and performers, including schedules, travel and accommodations deals, as well as an array of ticket packages suited to all budgets and tastes.

>> GO TO FESTIVAL SITE NOW <<

So give us a visit and check back often, as we'll be updating regularly as we get closer to the festival!

Today, MUTEK reveals the full extent of this year’s core showcases and performers. The five days of the festival are a careful balance of diversity and thematic unity, and for this reason MUTEK can be enjoyed in its entirety or à la carte – a characteristic reflected in our passes and packages. 54 performances and 100 artists make up the core MUTEK_10 line-up, including two world premieres, nine North American premieres, nine Canadian premieres, and many exclusives. The trajectory of MUTEK’s programming has always been completed with an eye toward cultural exploration, and the artistic program continues to showcase the many currents of digital creation from a rich international scene in constant mutation. In the coming weeks, we will reveal all the panels, workshops, and special projects that will accompany this central trajectory.

To commemorate the singular nature of this tenth edition, MUTEK is raising its profile in the heart of Montreal's Quartier des Spectacles to better present more world-class showcases in style and grace. Most notably, the festival this year gains the ability to double up showcases and reprise the Sunday night closing event. The festival is proud to announce that the historic Monument-National Theatre (1182 St. Laurent Blvd), as well as the Maisonneuve Theatre at Place des Arts (175 Ste. Catherine St. W.), will both join the festival’s cadre of venues. These two prestigious Montreal stages, both part of the city’s Quartier des Spectacles, underline MUTEK’s growth as a burgeoning summer tradition for cultural tourism. They join the Metropolis (59 Ste. Catherine East), the Society for Arts and Technology (SAT), and Parc Jean Drapeau as the festival’s main venues.

If some of the acts are returning to help us celebrate this tenth birthday, the MUTEK team is especially proud to be able to present them in entirely new collaborations – projects that often germinated when the individuals first met at MUTEK events over the past nine years. The festival has long encouraged the cross-pollination of art forms and creativity, and this year’s program pays special attention to these unique artists who find their vitality through constant evolution and re-contextualization. They return because they’ve evolved with the festival, since 2000.

As a result, MUTEK_10’s five days rank among the most thorough overviews of all strains of digital creativity available. More than ever, this anniversary edition confirms MUTEK’s status as a trailblazing organization in the innovative arts, a position that is fast becoming recognized across North America. It’s no wonder that just last week, at the New York stop of MUTEK’s first-ever North American tour, Time Out New York called MUTEK “North America’s leading electronic-music event.”

THE MUTEK_10 PERFORMERS:

ADAM MARSHALL (CA)
AKUFEN (CA/World Exclusive)
ALVA NOTO (DE)
APPLEBLIM (UK/Canadian Premiere)
ARTIFICIEL (CA/World Premiere)
ATOM TM (DE/North American Exclusive)
AUN (CA)
BRENDON MOELLER (US)
BYETONE (DE)
CARL CRAIG (US)
CLINKER (CA)
DEADBEAT & PAUL ST HILAIRE (CA/DE/North American Exclusive)
dOP (FR/North American Premiere)
ERNESTO FERREYRA (AR)
EZEKIEL HONIG (US)
GAS (DE/Canadian Premiere)
GHISLAIN POIRIER (CA)
HERMAN KOLGEN (CA/World Premiere)
I8U (CA)
JAHCOOZI (DE/Canadian Premiere)
JAKI LIEBEZEIT & BURNT FRIEDMAN (DE/North American Exclusive)
JEREMY ELLIS (US)
LUSINE (US)
MALA of DIGITAL MYSTIKZ (UK)
MARTIN TÉTREAULT & MICHEL LANGEVIN of VOIVOD (CA)
MATEO & PHEEK (CA)
MATHEW JONSON VS DANDY JACK (CA/CL/North American Exclusive)
MATT THIBIDEAU (CA)
MIKE SHANNON (CA)
MODERAT = MODESELEKTOR + APPARAT (DE/Canadian Premiere)
MOONSTARR (CA)
NORTEC COLLECTIVE PRESENTS BOSTICH + FUSSIBLE (MX)
NOVI_SAD (GR/North American Premiere)
NSI. (DE/North American Premiere)
ORIGINAL HAMSTER vs NEGO MOÇAMBIQUE (CL/BR/North American Exclusive)
ORGAN MOOD (CA)
PAX KINGZ (CA)
PEZZNER (US)
PILOOSKI (FR/North American Premiere)
RICARDO VILLALOBOS & ZIP (CL/DE) – Marathon DJ set/North American Exclusive
ROBERT HENKE & CHRISTOPHER BAUDER present ATOM (DE/North American Premiere)
RYOJI IKEDA + CARSTEN NICOLAI – CYCLO. (JP/DE/North American Premiere)
SND (UK/North American Exclusive)
STEPHEN BEAUPRÉ (CA)
THE FUN YEARS (US/Canadian Premiere)
THE MODERN DEEP LEFT QUARTET (CA)
THE MOLE (CA)
THE SIGHT BELOW (US/Canadian Premiere)
THOMAS FEHLMANN (DE/Canadian Premiere)
tobias. (DE/North American Premiere)
TRUS'ME (UK/Canadian Premiere)
TURZI ELECTRONIC EXPERIENCE (FR/Canadian Premiere)
ZOMBIE ZOMBIE (FR)

MAY 27TH TO MAY 31ST: THE DESIGN OF MUTEK’S FIVE DAYS

DAY 1 – WEDNESDAY, MAY 27

A\VISIONS 1: Monument-National Theatre – $25 CDN // 8pm
MUTEK officially gets underway with a showcase that presents two venerated artists whose work seeks to technologically alter the shape and sound of our relationship with nature. Cologne’s Wolfgang Voigt, roundly regarded as one of the greatest sonic experimenters of the 90s, delivers the Canadian premiere of his GAS project, a 90-minute audio-visual dreamscape that invites listeners into the Black Forest of Southern Germany, accompanied only by the haunting manipulations of Mahler and Wagner compositions. Afterward, HERMAN KOLGEN (one half of the multimedia duo Skoltz_Kolgen) will present the world premiere of his new piece “IN/JECT”, which takes as its inspiration the prolonged submersion of the human body into a cistern of water and waits for nature’s pressing hands to alter the balance of the brain and, in turn, produce an internal music.

NOCTURNE 1: Society for Arts and Technology – $25 CDN // 10pm
MUTEK’s first-ever CLUB TRANSMEDIALE showcase focuses on the hazy lights of the retro-futuristic French psychotronic scene. The night begins with Montreal’s ORGAN MOOD, before giving way to the ultra-mysterious ZOMBIE ZOMBIE. The French duo rev up their otherworldly fusion of psychedelic rock and electronics that raises the ghosts of bands like Suicide and The Residents. Equally mysterious but no less formidable is TURZI ELECTRONIC EXPERIENCE, the solo project of the eccentric Romain Turzi, who fuses krautrock and commune psychedelics while surrounded by a cavalry of vintage synthesizers that brings to mind the heyday of Jean-Michel Jarre. The night wraps up with the D.I.R.T.Y. space disco of Paris’ PILOOSKI, who will take Turzi’s synthetic propulsions and embed them with the irresistibly carnal handclaps that drive the artist’s sought-after disco re-edits.

DAY 2 – THURSDAY, MAY 28TH
A\VISIONS 2: Monument-National Theatre – $25 CDN // 8pm
A showcase dedicated to the control and composition of human collaboration, in which generations of musical masters meet on stage to experiment through an eclectic mix of jazz, metal, krautrock, turntablisms, and of course electronics. Starting off the evening, an American group still unknown to these parts, THE FUN YEARS, one of the discoveries MUTEK has the pleasure of introducing to Montreal. Former CAN drummer JAKI LIEBEZEIT returns to MUTEK with frequent collaborator BURNT FRIEDMAN to perform an exclusive North American show that warps together over five decade’s of experience into one singular presentation. Afterward, the corrosive pairing of two of Quebec’s most uncompromised figures takes the stage. With his mutant turntable in tow, MARTIN TÉTREAULT plays the mad composer who fiercely controls the spastic and irrepressible drumming of his monstrous subject, Voivod’s MICHEL LANGEVIN.

NOCTURNE 2: Metropolis – $30 CDN // 10pm // presented by 33mag
The many factions of dub converge onto one large stage to showcase just how far Jamaica’s roots reggae templates have evolved toward new genres in the hands of some of today’s hottest names. None other than Skull Disco co-founder APPLEBLIM comes to Montreal for his Canadian debut and a DJ set that showcases the many points of fusion between UK dubstep and Berlin techno. A seamless blend of echoes, bass, and delays leads us to the heavily anticipated collaboration between Canadian dub-don DEADBEAT and Berlin’s master vocalist of all things dub, PAUL ST. HILAIRE. Next up, MODESELEKTOR and APPARAT join forces for the Canadian premiere of MODERAT, a stunning live audio-visual production accompanied by the striking video work of PFADFINDEREI. And finally, the night winds to a tailspin with the breakneck dubstep assault of the Digital Mystiks’ MALA, in town for a Canadian debut DJ set.

Meanwhile, the SAVOY ROOM fills with the ambient soundscapes of EZEKIEL HONIG, CLINKER, I8U, NOVI_SAD, and AUN.

DAY 3 – FRIDAY, MAY 29

ATOM 1: Théâtre Maisonneuve – $15 CDN // 7pm
MUTEK is especially proud to be bringing ROBERT HENKE & CHRISTOPHER BAUDER’s monumental ATOM installation to Montreal for three showings, a North American exclusive. This project is among the most ambitious undertakings of Henke’s long and distinguished career, in which he has already seen many high points as MONOLAKE and as one of the inventors of Ableton Live. ATOM features a series of compositions played on a matrix of 64 illuminated helium balloons that will be presented at the prestigious Théâtre Maisonneuve at Place des Arts. ATOM will be staged three times throughout the festival, once Friday evening, and then two more times on Saturday.

A\VISIONS 3: Monument-National Theatre – $25 CDN // 8pm
Building on the first two A\VISIONS showcases, this Friday evening set delivers a line-up of artists whose main impulse is to capture currents of electricity and compose them into rhythm. The detached, austere electric neuro-funk of Sheffield’s highly regarded SND gets the ball rolling, following up on their last MUTEK performance in 2002. Following suit is the first of two appearances by Berlin’s Tobias Freund, who here appears alongside Max Loderbauer as the magnificent, enigmatic NSI, a duo whose adventurous spirit and vast musical knowledge allows them to experiment with electricity from perspectives that incorporate a broad swathe of influences, from industrial to European jazz and everything in between. Visuals for this showcase will be provided by JIMMY LAKATOS (GEODEZIK). Finally, Montreal electricity-tamers ARTIFICIEL take the stage for the world premiere of their new piece entitled POWER, which creates its own lightning and pulls from those bright, fiery lights the brittle, halcyon sounds of power at its purest.

NOCTURNE 3: Metropolis – $30 CDN // 10pm // presented by MusiquePlus
Friday night begins with a showcase that emphasizes the sheer internationalism of rhythmic attraction and all its regional manifestations. After a set by Montreal's PAX KINGZ, Chile’s ORIGINAL HAMSTER meets Brazil’s NEGO MOÇAMBIQUE on stage to inaugurate this soirée of global funkiness, with the former’s Latinized techno brushing up against the latter’s infectious baile funk. Montreal’s favourite son, GHISLAIN POIRIER, who is ever-interested in evolving the hip-hop template, introduces his new soca soundsystem, while Berlin-based JAHCOOZI, a group that pulls M.I.A. into Modeselektor, pump up the bass even further. Finally, Mexico’s BOSTICH + FUSSIBLE, members of NORTEC COLLECTIVE, lead a five-piece norteño band that threatens to be one of the most festive live spectacles at this year’s festival.

Meanwhile in the Savoy Room, Canadian techno veteran MIKE SHANNON heads up a 10th anniversary bash for his Cynosure label, a label that has taken part in many MUTEK events over the years. To celebrate the two anniversaries together, Shannon brings along ERNESTO FERREYRA, MATT THIBIDEAU, and ADAM MARSHALL.

DAY 4 – SATURDAY, MAY 30TH

MUTEK//PIKNIC 1: Parc Jean- Drapeau – $10 CDN // 2pm
Saturday afternoon promises to be a showcase for those softer, subtler textures of electronic music: dub-techno, deep house, funk, and disco. The day starts off at a relaxed pace, ideal for lying back in the sun, with the Canadian premiere of Berlin’s THOMAS FEHLMANN, who presents his hypnotic brand of dub-techno to early-afternoon revelers. New York’s BRENDON MOELLER is up next, delivering a premiere of his upcoming Third Ear album called “Jazz Junk Safari”. Manchester’s TRUS’ME follows suit with a set of rarefied Northern soul feeding the foundation of deep house that has made him an international favourite. The day in the park wraps up with THE MOLE on the decks, spinning a set of disco-fuelled techno.

ATOM 2 & 3: Théâtre Maisonneuve – $15 CDN // 5pm & 7pm
ROBERT HENKE & CHRISTOPHER BAUDER’s monumental ATOM installation continues its residency at the prestigious Théâtre Maisonneuve at Place des Arts with two showings on Saturday, once in the early afternoon and again in the early evening.

A\VISIONS 4: SAT – $25 CDN // 8pm
A very special Raster-Noton showcase, featuring the label’s most durable attractions in their most bristling and conceptual post-industrial guises. The evening begins with the North American premiere of RYOJI IKEDA and CARSTEN NICOLAI’s reunion as CYCLO., the pairing that wowed audiences last in the early 2000’s and has been silent ever since. Uwe Schmidt, the German expatriate currently living in Chile, reprises his role as ATOM TM. Next, Carsten Nicolai returns to the stage solo to present his much-heralded ALVA NOTO compositions. Finally, Olaf Bender brings the mighty BYETONE to life with the rock-driven Teutonic beats that have made his recent records so collectible.

NOCTURNE 4: Metropolis – $35 CDN // 10pm // Resident Advisor Night
The festival’s marquee all-night event, and for this 10th anniversary we’re pulling out all the stops! MUTEK and RESIDENT ADVISOR join forces to present a line-up featuring some of the most revered names in electronic music today. Local jazz and funk sample-maven MOONSTARR gets things underway in the main room, followed by the inimitable antics of French cabaret-house trio dOP. Next up sees the tantalizing pairing of two of techno’s most sought-after names – MATHEW JONSON and DANDY JACK – coming together for a heart-pounding live performance. Berlin’s Tobias Freund return for his second MUTEK_10 appearance, this time in his tobias. moniker and ready to keep the late-night crowds moving. Finally, Detroit techno pioneer CARL CRAIG takes the stage for a 3-hour DJ set that will take audiences well into the morning.

Meanwhile in the Savoy Room, MUTEK pays tribute to Seattle’s Decibel Festival with a showcase of that city’s finest electronic offerings. The breezy ambience of THE SIGHT BELOW gets the evening underway, followed by the dark tones of LUSINE’s contemplative techno. PEZZNER and JEREMY ELLIS pick up the pace and follow through till dawn.

DAY 5 – SUNDAY, MAY 31ST

MUTEK//PIKNIC 2: Parc Jean-Drapeau – $10 CDN // 2pm
The final day starts off in the park with a very special reunion between MUTEK and two of its most beloved contributors over the years. This afternoon picnic features a rare North American appearance by RICARDO VILLALOBOS, who will be tagteaming on the decks for a marathon DJ set with none other than Perlon founder and manager ZIP.

NOCTURNE 5: SAT – $20 CDN // 10pm // presented by Bande à part
The return of the festival finale! For this tenth edition, MUTEK could think of no better way to cap off its decade of growth and innovation than to salute the Canadian artists who have provided the backbone of this festival all this time. Two longtime Montreal collaborators, MATEO & PHEEK, get the finale underway, followed by fellow Montrealer STEPHEN BEAUPRÉ. Next up, the highly anticipated return of AKUFEN, in his first live showcase of completely new material since 2004. The festival draws to a close with the impossibly talented live improvisation of MODERN DEEP LEFT QUARTET.

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS & PASSPORTS NOW ON SALE

MUTEK PASSPORTS, WEEKEND PASSES, DAY PASSES, INDIVIDUAL TICKETS and other packages are now on sale through www.mutek.org. This year’s passes grant attendees the flexibility to catch more showcases and live acts than ever before, in a number of different packages:

MUTEK PASSPORT - $215 CDN + taxes & service charges
WEEKEND PASS - $135 CDN + taxes & service charges
WEEKEND “LIGHT” PASS – $100 CDN + taxes & service charges
A\VISIONS PASS – $75 CDN + taxes & service charges
METROPOLIS TRIO – $70 CDN + taxes & service charges

>> GO TO FESTIVAL BOX OFFICE NOW <<

MUTEK_10 TRAVEL & ACCOMMODATIONS

Given the size and scope of this year's festivities, we've arranged more travel and lodging packages than ever before, to make it all that much easier to come to MUTEK and to enjoy your stay in Montreal - on a budget, in style, or however you like it.

Over at the tourism section of the festival site, you'll be able to find train deals courtesy of VIA Rail and Amtrak for those arriving from anywhere as far as Detroit, Quebec City, or New York; car rental and ride-share offers; and even discounts on the Montreal subway for MUTEK_10 passholders.

We've also arranged for accommodations in a variety of hotels, bed & breakfasts, hostels, and residences, allowing festivalgoers to shape their trips to Montreal as conveniently as possible.

>> CLICK HERE TO GO TO TOURISM DEALS <<