by RAF KATIGBAK

Is it me or does festival season never end? You thought the Pop Montreal festival looked good? I just came back from the MEG Montreal (previously Montreal Electronic Groove) festival line-up launch and damned if I ain’t as happy as a pig in poop. Most of the rumours swirling around the scene proved true: Adult., Superpitcher, Optimo, Der Plan and Bertrand Burgalat are only a few of the high profile names confirmed for the four-day affair (sadly, the Glimmers cancelled all their North American dates—d’oh!). Rounding out the bill are some not quite so electronic or groovy names like Broken Social Scene, but hey, these guys are great, so who cares?! In any case, the music nerd in me is freaking out, but so is my liver as it gets ready for copious amount of festival alcohol. Check megmontreal.com for more deets!

People who can’t wait until the end of October to get their live electronic fix will be pleased to hear that this weekend offers a few humdingers. Over at the Cabaret tonight, Germany’s dirty electro-punk shuffle king T.Raumschmiere will be shouting his way into everybody’s hearts as U.K.’s Four Tet brings his krautrock-driven IDM sound to the fore. Granted, T.Raumschmiere’s last album was not his most consistent, but his live shows are unbrideled mayhem and shouldn’t be missed. Oh yeah, Four Tet’s pretty good too.

Tonight, if you find yourself sitting quietly at home and are struck by the sudden urge to go out and see one of Montreal’s hardest working producers, then you’d do well to drop by the ever happening Mix Thursdays at Saphir. Mateo Murphy will be setting up shop at 1 a.m. to drop science on all the young upstarts and aspiring local DJs with a set of primetime techno. Let’s hope he’ll drop some exclusive Murphy-made tracks and remixes in the mix. Also on the bill will be Toltech, Axionfigga, Kill Whitey and Gak.

Saturday, if you’d be foolish enough to miss the MIA show at Metropolis, then you might be crazy enough to check out Biological Project 2 over at the Darling Foundry. Aaron Liberator, Indica vs. Adrenalin, Radium, Bloukak and Galaksy are just a few names on this twisted bill. While most will enjoy the two rooms of acid, trance and hardcore, personally I’m going for the biomedical fetish sculpture exhibit. Sweet! For those who like their kink with a little less formaldehyde, the sexy electro swagger of Savas Pascadilis and Kiko should prove satisfying as they take over the SAT on Saturday.

Finally, on Monday, it’s another Slowdance night as sibling selectors DJ Fighters and their more than capable ally Matte Silver bust out all the tearjerking classics you thought (or hoped) you’d never hear again. So don’t forget your chaperone, and remember to keep one arm’s length apart at all times. n

MMMMM, FORMALDEHYDE… Diskoakimbo@sympatico.ca

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