Concert curators: their best albums of 2022

Concert halls and festivals programmers are the heroes behind the scenes, the ones you never see on stage but who make sure that the stages are always occupied by captivating and enchanting bands or artists. It’s a job that requires not only an in-depth knowledge of the current music scene, the one that’s worth the detour, the one that attracts both crowds and adventurous music lovers, but also an ability to negotiate with the teams of said bands and artists in order to convince them to come and visit us. These music curators spend a large part of their time attending concerts and of course listening to a lot of music. PAN M 360 approached some of them to share with us three of their favorite albums released in 2022.

Meyer Billurcu / Blue Skies Turn Black

President and co-founder of the production company Blue Skies Turn Black, in charge of the programming of the venue/bar Le Ritz PDB. When it started in 2000, BSTB operated as both a label and a promotion company. In 2007, however, the label ceased operations so that BSTB could focus on concert promotion. Blue Skies Turn Black has become an essential part of the Montreal music scene, having collaborated with a wide range of international and local artists in venues of all sizes across the city.

Beach House

Once Twice Melody (February)
Sub Pop

Dream Pop

The Soft Moon

Exister (September)

Sacred Bones

Indie Rock, Shoegaze, Post Punk

Spiritualised

Everything Was Beautiful (April)

Fat Possum

Psych Rock, Shoegaze, Post Punk

Évelyne Côté / Evenko

Director of programming, concerts and events at Evenko. A former journalist and music editor for the now-defunct Montreal weekly ICI, Évelyne Côté is a competent and passionate professional who is responsible for programming major events such as the Osheaga, Ile Soniq, Lasso and Heavy Montreal festivals, not to mention the programming for the many concert halls operated by Evenko.

Fred Again

Actual Life 3 (November)

Atlantic Records

House, Electronic

“This is not the first (nor the last) time house music has fostered a meeting between vulnerability and serotonin! But get this: Fred’s resonance is internal. Rather than telling stories, he documents our own, and in doing so, he gives voice to our inner selves.”

Sylvan Esso

No Rules Sandy (August)

Loma Vista Recordings

Synthpop, Electropop, Folktronica

Sudan Archives

Natural Brown Prom Queen (September)

Stones Throw Records

Nusoul, Avant Pop, Experimental

Big Thief

Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe You (February)

4AD

Indie Rock, Indie Folk, Folk Rock

Mikey B. Rishwain/ M pour Montréal, Mundial Montréal, Hub MTL

Programming Director at Avalanches Productions, in charge of M for Montreal, Mundial Montreal and Hub Mtl. Mikey is one of the most well-connected talent hunters on the local, national and international emerging scene. He also collaborates on the programming of the Santa Teresa festival.

Bibi Club

Le soleil et la mer (August)

Secret City

Avant Pop, Synthpop, Dream Pop

Steve Lacy

Gemini Rights (October)

Screwed

L-M Records/RCA

Neo Soul/R&B, Instrumental Hip Hop

DJO

Decide (septembre)

DJO

Dance Punk, Electro Pop

Marie-Laure Saidani / MUTEK

**(crédits illustration : @Orysia_Zabeida)**

Marie-Laure has many years of experience in different cultural structures, mostly in the electronic music scene. She is specialized in booking artists and in programming, notably for Piknic Électronik and Igloofest from 2007 to 2018 and for MUTEK since May 2019. She is definitely one of the most competent programmers in the Montreal area.

Rosalia

Motomami (March)

Columbia Records

Avant Pop, Nuevo Flamenco, Electronic, Hip Hop

Marina Herlop

Pripyat (May)

PAN

Avant Pop, Electro, Jazz, Classical, Carnatic

Jamal Moss

Thanks 4 The Tracks U Lost (April)

Modern Love

Techno

Philippe Laroque / Mothland

Insatiable music lover, Philippe is an artist agent and producer/programmer of events and concerts at Mothland, a structure in charge of programming the FME, Distorsion Psych Fest and Taverne Tour festivals. Very appreciated for his flair and vision, he is a member of the PAN M 360 family where he sits on the board of directors.

Ezra Furman

All Of Us (August)

ANTI –

Rock, Post Punk, Alternative

Chat Pile

God’s Country (July)

The Flenser

Sludge Metal

Spiritualised

Everything Was Beautiful (April)

Fat Possum

Psych Rock, Space Rock, Shoegaze

Dan Seligman / POP Montreal

Originally from Toronto, Daniel Seligman has been living in Montreal for 25 years. After completing his religious studies at McGill University, he has chosen a career in the music business, first as manager for his brother’s band Stars. In 2002, he founded the POP Montreal festival, of which he is still the artistic director. His taste and cross-cultural openness are still sharp, POP Montreal remains one of the best music festivals on this island.

black ox orkestar

Everything Returns (December)

Constellation

Klezmer, Rom, Middle-Eastern, Chamber Jazz, Experimental Folk

Sudan Archives

Natural Brown Prom Queen ( September )

Stones Throw

Neo Soul / R&B, Avant Pop

Aldous Harding

Warm Chris (March)

4AD

Avant Folk

Olivier Godin / Salle Bourgie

Olivier Godin is a pianist, organist and conductor. Before becoming artistic director of Bourgie Hall at the Montreal Musée des Beaux-Arts (MBAM), Olivier Godin was a concert pianist, chamber musician and teacher, notably at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal and the Schulich School of Music of McGill University. In addition to having recorded some thirty albums, he has worked on numerous opera and concert productions under the direction of renowned conductors such as Raffi Armenian, Franz-Paul Decker, Charles Dutoit, Agnès Grossman, Jacques Lacombe, Simon Leclerc and Yannick Nézet-Séguin. He co-founded the Académie Internationale Vocale de Lachine in 2017 with his colleague Richard Turp.

Renaud Capuçon – Martha Argerich

Beethoven, Schumann, Franck (November)

Deutsche Grammophon

Classical, Romantic, Modern

“Une amitié de longue date unit Martha Argerich et Renaud Capuçon qui

collaborent souvent au disque et en concert. Réunis ici pour un

merveilleux moment de musique autour de Beethoven, Schumann et

Franck.“