Dedicated to providing the Barcelona community with premieres, transcontinental exchanges, special projects and unusual encounters across a circuit of venues in the city, the ninth edition of MUTEK.ES, taking place March 7 to 10, 2018, promises another unique trajectory. Every edition presents an opportunity to renew commitments to audiences and contemporary artistry by reimagining live electronic music, audiovisual practices and their performance, in the dynamic and experiential frame of the festival. The signature programs A/Visions, Nocturne, Play and Experience articulate the prism of performance types and expressions the festival aims to spotlight each year. To that end, the festival is thrilled to present the first contours and artist confirmations for its leather anniversary:

Alexis Langevin-Tétrault (CA/QC) / Beatrice Dillon (UK) / Belief Defect (US/MX) / Byetone (DE) / Caterina Barbieri (IT) / Colleen (FR) / DJ Python (US) / Fred P (US) / Graham Dunning (UK) / Huma (ES) / Lucas Paris (CA/QC) / Mana (IT) / M.E.S.H. (UK) / Move D (DE) / Robert Lippok (DE) / Sculpture (UK) / Tutu (ES) / Waclaw Zimpel (PO) / Wooky (ES) / Zip (DE) / Ziúr (DE)

Over 4 days and nights, festival goers can zig zag through the city, between mesmerizing, early evening performances at Institut Français, magical audiovisual works at Barts Theatre, nighttime extravaganzas both big and intimate at Nitsa/Astin and the Antiga Fàbrica Estrella Damm, but also at new venue Laut. Connecting the dots not just between performances but local communities, Laut is a space run by the Lapsus festival crew, directed by Albert Salinas aka Wooky, an alumnus of MUTEK events in Barcelona and recently Montréal this past summer. For those wishing to explore artist talks and technology, the cool interior of the Mazda Space will also host the daytime DIGI_LAB activities and function as festival headquarters.

It’s a cinema for the ears on opening night with the first program of A/Visions presented by the Institut Français featuring the textural, electroacoustic dub and pop of Colleen and the experimental jazz of Polish composer and clarinetist Waclaw Zimpel. The series’ second program, held at the Barts Theater, will be unveiled early 2018.

The first confirmations for the Nocturne programs boast a European premiere from Fred P also known as the Black Jazz Consortium, who brings his transcendental jazz-kissed live show to the Astin room on Friday night, alongside stalwart German house DJ Move D. In the Nitsa room, British producer Beatrice Dillon will deliver a Spanish debut of her cerebral and celebratory rhythm and dub live show, while Perlon co-founder and long-form, trippy DJ and producer Zip makes a rare Barcelona appearance to finish off the night. Olaf Bender and his Byetone alias lead a whole program on Saturday night built around the new Raster.Index label, showcasing new albums and performances from Robert Lippock and a Spanish live debut from US/Mexican duo Belief Defect. The festival is thrilled to present one of Barcelona’s rising stars and now Shape platform artist Tutu in the coveted closing spot. In the parallel Astin room, the acclaimed low tempo, deep reggaeton of DJ Python will set a completely different mood.

Local luminary Wooky and perennial festival favourite Vaghe Stelle as Mana, who has a new EP on Hyperdub, feature on Thursday’s Play program along with Pan artist M.E.S.H, presenting a special live set just for MUTEK. Saturday’s Experience event at the Antiga Fàbrica Estrella Damm runs the gamut from delicate to industrial and includes composerly synthscapes from Caterina Barbieri, audiovisual disorientations by Lucas Paris, a new live A/V show from local artist Huma, and a brainy blast of beats and noise from Planet Mu artist Ziúr.

Final schedule details, the daytime program and the next release of names coming January 18!

DIGI_LAB by Mazda at MAZDA SPACE

Emphasizing the mix of technology and art at the core of MUTEK’s mission, the Mazda Space hosts 2 events in the lead-up to the festival, as well as conferences, panels, workshops and performances during. Robotics, tactility and object-oriented interactions figure into the work of all the featured artists. On January 20, British duo Sculpture unleash their zoetropic animation discs and live show and a month later on February 17, Montréaler Alexis Langevin-Tétrault plays his sonified cables and contraption, Interferénces (String Network). A rescheduling of Graham Dunning’s ingenious mechanical techno project brings him to the festival proper on March 9.

➤ Final artists unveiled in January 2018

➤ Individual tickets on sale December 19th

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