Looking Back at MUTEK 2016 - Part 1

Going to MUTEK is a little like moving forward blindfolded. The program is revealed one day and half the names are unknown, which is undoubtedly part of the charm of this essential gathering for digital sound, music and visual creation. Clearly oriented toward discovery and experimentation, the famous Montréal festival attracts both local and international audiences every year. Here is a look back at the

highlights of this 17th edition. In the vapours

half of the Basic Channel duo and a pioneer of German techno-dub, MoritzVon Oswald returned three years after presenting Borderland with Juan Atkins. A worthy representative of the Detroit-Berlin axis, Von Oswald quickly carried the audience into a mental journey punctuated by minimal techno. A sculptor of sound, master of hypnotic loops and dub effects, he embodies quiet strength like a visionary shaman. It was a delicious praise of slowness as an

introduction to the first Nocturne. Midnight Operator, or

the techno-funkdelirium of the Jonson brothers. Matthew Jonson, a familiar festival figure, opened with his new live project Midnight Operator, accompanied onstage by his brother Nathan, better known  asHrdvision. The Canadian producer duo turned the MAC’s BWR room upside down for this first Nocturne. True to his reputation as a funk magician, Jonson has mastered live performance between hybrid tech-house, acid rises and analogue groove. The very creative visuals by TiND were also worth  noting.A favourite. When the

earth trembles in the MAC basement. Herman Kolgen,

the internationally renowned Québec multimedia artist,needs no introduction. This year he presented Seismik 2.0, a plunge into the heart of a rumbling earth. Known for surprising installations, Kolgen captured live seismic data from different places around the planet via the Internet, randomly impacting his performance. He is a major figure in digital art, constantly pushing the limits of sound and altering visual perception. Intense and immersive. Cosmic celebration at Salle Pierre-Mercure. A change of scenery and

[vimeo id=”90652292″ width=”700″ height=”408″ autoplay=”no”]

atmosphere marked the second part of

A/Visions with a video triptych under the sign of the cosmos. The prolific Dasha Rush presented Dark Hearts of Space, a poetic ode to the universe and the mysteries of creation.The work was original in both form and content. The scenography, composed of two large mirrored screens and a smoke device, sent the viewer travelling through matter and through the visible and invisible. Demanding at times, but always spellbinding. For full details, consult the related page, event page, exhibition page

Full details are available through this link.