Mutek 2011 Starts Today!

Today marks the beginning of Mutek's very exciting 12th edition. In case you don't know, Mutek is a festival that brings some of the finest producers of electronic music worldwide here to Montreal. This year it'll be taking place from today (June 1st) until June 5th. The festival is split into a variety of events that take place all throughout the Quartiers des Spectacles and other areas (including the Society for Arts and Technology, the Metropolis, the Salle Pierre-Mercure, the Place de la Paix, Parc Jean-Drapeau, and Parc Emilie-Gamelin). There are daytime events, late-night events, free events, outdoor events, and even a few that showcase exciting Montreal chefs in conjunction with great DJs; there's really something for everyone.

Mutek's line-up boasts 80 different performances (spanning 111 artists), including 8 world premieres, 10 North American premieres and 9 Canadian premieres. The ones I'm most anticipating are Amon Tobin, Gold Panda, FaltyDL, Jacques Greene, Modeselektor, Hype Williams, Plastikman, Traversable Wormhole, XI, Floating Points, Terry Lee Brown Jr., Four Tet, James Holden, Deadbeat + Lillevan, Bowly and Horror Inc. As long as that list might seem, it's barely scratching the surface of what Mutek has to offer. Don't be fooled; these aren't just DJs. These artists bring full on live performances, often accompanied by an extensive visual aspect. These are full shows, and definitely aren't too be missed.

If you're a fan of electronic music, dynamic audio/visual displays, or something that's fresh and exciting, then you owe it to yourself to check this out. Hell, even if you aren't, Mutek is sure to be an eye-opening experience that you won't regret. If you haven't already, I definitely recommend getting yourself a pass or tickets.