In an already feverish atmosphere, Montreal composer Phoebé Guillemot, aka RAMZi, opened the second evening of the Métropolis series at MTELUS. Opening for legendary Japanese DJ Satoshi Tomiie, the artist immersed the audience in a lush universe where hybrid rhythms and surreal soundscapes intertwined. For over a decade, RAMZi has been developing a unique musical mythology, driven by his forest alter ego, a spirit animal who watches over an imaginary ecosystem that is both backward-looking and futuristic. His latest album, balmini, released on his FATi label, served as the matrix for this performance: a lush mosaic where elastic dub, fourth-world ambient, and post-tropical grooves intersect. On stage, Guillemot played music that was sometimes vaporous, sometimes catchy, enriched by the intriguing sounds of his Electronic Wind Instrument, a sort of digital saxophone reminiscent of the experiments of trumpeter Jon Hassell. These electronic breaths gave the ensemble a mysterious and tribal aura, reinforced by a voice transformed into short, high-pitched, almost childlike incantations that seemed straight out of an anime.
The visuals perfectly complemented this parallel world: lasers and light effects bathed the room in contrasting palettes, shifting from the warmth of reds and oranges to the cool atmospheres of blues and magentas. By offering this constantly evolving set as an opening act, RAMZi established a poetic and immersive intensity that ideally set the stage for the rest of the evening. A performance that confirmed his essential role in Montreal’s electronic music scene.
