Mutek 2010

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    Jun 18, 2010
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  • For those worried about Mutek getting away from its roots in recent years, 2010 must've been welcome. The festival's Ectoplasmes program grouped together a collection of artists that were so underground that even experimental music aficionados had a hard time telling me who they were. Crowd-pleasing acts weren't light on the ground, though: Paul Kalkbrenner, Pepe Bradock and Theo Parrish all had populist agendas that were warmly received by Mutek regulars as well. Indeed, if there was one takeaway from Mutek 2010, it would be that the festival has expanded to the point that it's no longer feasible for one person to see everything. The pace is still a leisurely one, but I found myself asking how things were elsewhere moreso than ever before. (And kicking myself for missing them.) Even with five RA contributors on the ground in Montreal, we couldn't quite hear (and see) it all. Here's what we did catch. Todd L. Burns
    Wednesday
    A/Visions 1: Pandora's Music Box Photo credit: Caroline Hayeur Mutek's first A/Visions showcase focused on experimental sounds and unconventional instruments. Bernier and Messier's hypnotic and dynamic performance utilized custom-built mechanical boxes called intornarumoris, which produced percussion and melodies through the exposed levers, switches, tubes and some analog alarm clocks. The duo performed with extreme physicality and composed haunting, powerful music. Matmos paid homage to "spacey '70s minimalism" and "pure electronic music" with warm synths and creative sound design (a large piece of sheet metal, a squeaky toy, etc.). It was by far the most whimsical performance of the entire festival. The User's "Symphony for Dot Matrix Printers," meanwhile, was composed entirely of noises generated by 20 old computer printers. Tiny cameras filming the inner mechanisms in real time created the visual backdrop for the performance. The whirring, clicking, buzzing, hissing and beeping produced polyrhythmic and (at times) quite musical pieces. Though the performance felt about fifteen minutes too long, the concept and execution were ingenious. Elly Rifkin Nocturne 1: Fiesta Espanola! Photo credit: Caroline Hayeur Kicking off this year's Nocturne festivities, Matias Aguayo and his Comeme collective were chosen to showcase their unique blend of electronic and Latin rhythms. Diegors got the ball rolling with a set full of gritty yet glitzy disco, electro, cross-examined with sweaty upbeat cumbia and dancehall influences. It was a seamless introduction to Aguayo's festive live performance that had the crowd infected by chants such as "Menta Latte" and even a brief rendition of "Minimal." Taking over the final hours, Mexico's Rebolledo brought more hypnotic, darker minimal techno, ending with a satisfying left turn into grassroots romantic batchata tunes that had the dance floor filled with smiles and dancing in pairs. Comeme is breathing fresh air into the often-Eurocentric world of dance music; this night was a smart move by Mutek to continue pushing forward the emerging South American movement. Gerald Ortiz
    Thursday
    A/Visions 2: The Cult of Longer Memories Photo credit: Caroline Hayeur In a series of events built around artists who make music that would most often be termed uncomfortable by the general populace, The Caretaker's A/Visions set was a rarity: A performance that made experimental music lovers squirm. James Leyland Kirby wore sunglasses, drank from a bottle of whiskey and seemed to be more interested in watching his own video than clicking his mouse the (very few) times required to make the music play. After a good 20 minutes of stunningly delicate compositions, he then shed his jacket to reveal a shimmering shirt, grabbed a mic and then belted out a heavily effected rendition of Barbara Streisand's "The Way We Were." You either loved it or hated it. Nurse With Wound followed with a more straightforward, but no less powerful performance, building from abstract beginnings to a climax that wouldn't have sounded out of place at a Sonic Youth concert. Todd L. Burns Nocturne 2: Radical Connectors Photo credit: Caroline Hayeur Billed as a night of "Radical Connectors," Nocturne 2 was a look at the tougher side of IDM. Mouse on Mars' impressively spontaneous live performance filled the sound spectrum to the brim. Supplementing their solid percussion with aggressive breaks, the duo lived up to the Metropolis' chest-pounding sound system. Aided by a spectacularly blinding light show, the effect was one of sensory overload, perhaps explaining why the crowd seemed reticent to let loose. Headliner Nathan Fake continued with high impact sounds and slightly less explosive visuals, but the room never truly boiled over. In the smaller Savoy room, Montreal's Bowly opened with the sleeper performance of the night, delivering a blistering set of ghetto-house influenced funky that pushed the genre's party-friendly groove into blistering hardcore territory. Playing to a sparse but animated crowd that was unafraid to get down, his stripped performance was proof that all the lights and subwoofers in the world are nothing without the right vibe and an appreciative audience. Later, surprise guest The Mole joined Chris Hreno on stage hyping the already feverish crowd before giving the stage to Mossa who took it home. Score 1 for the little guys. Sach O
    Friday
    A/Visions 3: Sublime Distortions Photo credit: Caroline Hayeur Too often in the A/Visions program the "a" or the "v" is far superior to the other. That was the case on Friday for much of the night: Thierry Gauthier's ultra hi-res images of fruit and nature were stunning accompaniments to relatively tame ambient explorations. Marsen Jules Trio's music, on the other hand, was striking: Two brothers playing violin and piano added a dynamic accompaniment to his slow-moving compositions. The VJ? It most often looked like Pop Ambient covers come to life in the dullest way possible. Pimmon and Dappler Effect got it right. The music edged around melodies, hinting and feinting throughout, while the images on the screen were enthralling mixes of animation and video that struck the right balance between movement and stasis. Todd L. Burns Nocturne 3: Shedding the Past, Dubbing the Future Photo credit: Caroline Hayeur Part of a questionable "twin showcase" concept that saw one Nocturne stretch over two venues located on the same block, Nocturne 3 at Club Soda was a hit and miss affair. The evening got underway with Canadian techno duo Orphx delivering a mix of textured soundscapes interlaced with pumping, klangy rhythms that leaned a bit on the nostalgic side. A poorly structured live set by Actress followed, whose genius in the studio didn't make up for his inability to engage the audience throughout his performance. Cheap and Deep was remarkably tight, efficient and managed his highs and breakdowns like a well-oiled machine, while Jacek Seinkiewicz's darker, minimal style had a similar atmosphere. Shed closed out the night with a fluid and relentless onslaught of contrasting beauty and brutality. His performance ended abruptly, but left the crowd cheering for several minutes while he bashfully paced across the stage unsure of what to do next. Gerald Ortiz Nocturne 3: Shedding the Past, Dubbing the Future Photo credit: basic_sounds Nocturne 3 was subtitled "Shedding the Past and Dubbing the Future" but that was the only reference to the decidedly unfashionable "D word" at Mutek this year, save perhaps one attendee's "dubstep is a crime" T-shirt. Still, if bass music's populism and bombast are now persona non grata in the wake of its exploding popularity, the genre's original focus on bass weight and space remains very much in demand. Overcast Sound opened up the night at SAT with a typically restrained performance, setting the mood and treating early arrivers to soothing sub-frequencies, encouraging them to transform the dance floor into a makeshift chill out area. For many, King Midas Sound's awe-inspiring performance was the highlight of the night. Transforming the group's Lover's Rock into walls of distorted midrange and some of the thickest low-end imaginable, the group delighted the hardcore and repulsed the genteel with their abrasive and uncompromised noise. Though divisive, King Midas' sonic assault felt like a welcome reprieve from the festival's usual politeness. Ikonika then closed the night with a crowd-pleasing set of funky, keeping it danceable and rhythm focused. The yin to King Midas' yang, it was proof positive that UK bass music can have it both ways. Sach O
    Saturday
    Piknic 1: Respect Is Burning Photo credit: Caroline Hayeur As has been the case over the past few years, Mutek's Piknic schedule brought with it a rainy forecast that had many questioning whether it would be held outdoors up until a few hours before its scheduled start. Despite the rainy weather, however, the program at Piknic 1 went on. Minilogue's loopy and hypnotic techno compositions were an early highlight, but DJ Koze stole the show. His bass-heavy set included an almost rehearsed moment: The sun peeked out just as he was dropping his own "Rue Burnout." Paul Kalkbrenner closed out the day appropriately. Feeding the well-oiled crowd, his patented live set was full of the minimalist-inspired but highly melodic techno compositions that have made him famous. Kon Glikos A/Visions 4: Live Wires Photo credit: Caroline Hayeur A/Visions largely got rid of the visions in its final incarnation. The lasting impression? Ben Frost talking to the lighting guy from the stage after an eardrum-rattling track, presumably requesting even less. Frost, Vladislav Delay and Tim Hecker all performed crowd-pleasing sets that indicated little movement in their sound from years past. The one surprise on the evening from the solo sets was CM Von Hausswolff, whose achingly slow waves of sound provided a stomach-quivering physicality at its climax. Von Hausswolff has been doing that for years, but with a system that seemed primed to have its limits tested, he was the only one to deliver fully on its promise. Todd L. Burns
    Sunday
    Piknic 2: Be Like The Sun Photo credit: basic_sounds Rain unfortunately moved the second Piknic indoors this year. Gracing a handful of listeners with some of the most stunning slow house around, Nicolas Jaar's sublime piano lines and deep melodies were sadly missed by many as a result. Undaunted, Dave Aju not only played a varied, yet cohesive set of his quirky and warm brand of house, he used his MCing as a tool to keep a positive light over those who were listening. Though the manic and psychedelic flavor to San Proper's set seemed better suited for a late night affair, he managed to have some on their feet, others in a daze. The highlight of the day, however, was French DJ/producer Pepe Bradock. From breakbeats to disco and with nods to acid and French house, his undeniable sense of taste and adventure left a lasting impression. Gerald Ortiz Nocturne 5: Soul Control Photo credit: Caroline Hayeur The most eclectic line-up of the festival, Nocturne 5's performers seemed to be connected only by the fact that they couldn't be connected at all. This was hardly an issue: The rich and organic musical textures of the Moritz Von Ozwald Trio filled up the sizeable industrial space of SAT. Their jazz-like improvisational approach ended in a neo-futuristic result, one which felt truly transcendental. Detroit legend Theo Parrish closed the night (and the festival) with a typical set which covered virtually all genres and eras along the way. From pop to 909-based techno, his set made perfect sense as a conclusion to Mutek. It was educational and entertaining in equal measure. Kon Glikos
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