Eclectic, savvy and inclusive programming, butter-slick planning and ambitious scope made this year’s decade-anniversary Mutek undoubtedly the best of the four I’ve personally attended. It’s not easy to melt through the frigid shells of the scarf-toting, schedule-doting minimal-tech teetotallers who visit for this festival, but there were some genuine moments of blissful abandon in there. There’s one detail I must pick on, however, as much about us party hounds as the festival organizers. I heard though the grapevine that, on Sunday evening, Ricardo Villalobos was looking for a loft or afterparty to play. This is a recurrent theme. Over the years, the local scene never seems to respond with afterparties and secret jams during Mutek. I suspect it’s largely due to the chronic under-representation of members of the homegrown techno community, as many often can’t afford the pricy entrances or can’t stand all the uptight out-of-towners. But honestly, at the very least, it’s a great chance to cash in on those rich-kid tourists. At best, it’s a way to integrate the festival with the local crowd it seems to alienate at times.
Having said that, I wanna mention a new coalition of festivals, uniting Mutek, Pop Montreal, Piknic Électronik, MEG, Fringe and les Éscales Improbables, which is a promising attempt to add force to the local medium-sized festival circuit. It’s called le Regroupement and I suspect we’ll enjoy some fabulous crossover parties as a result.
This week, drop by Panthère Noire tonight, Thursday, June 4 and say hello to a new weekly catering to our old friends disco, Italo, old school house, Detroit techno and acid, featuring resident teams Cocktail Club and Loose Joints. And on Saturday, say a fond farewell to Boomboxx at Zoobizarre. The last edition unites prime ambassadors of the freak funk, glitch-hop, international bass pantheon, namely Khiasma, the whole Super Aqua Club posse and many others. Peace out, Guillaume!
YOUR HAIR IS SUCH A MESS! jack.oatmon@gmail.com
