Montréal

musique contemporaine

Le Vivier InterUniversitaire | Interpreting the Eclipse

by Judith Hamel

On Saturday, January 25, the Espace Orange in the Wilder Building hosted the 9th annual Vivier InterUniversitaire concert, showcasing emerging composers in the field of contemporary music creation. Eight original works came to life in the hands of talented university performers.

The concert opened with Leo Purich’s Shape Games for Saxophone Quartet (2022-2023). In this piece, visual elements projected onto a giant screen presented eight geometric designs. Four of these were used as musical inspiration to interpret these shapes and translate them into sonorities that pushed back their limits.

We continue with Edwin H. Ng’s Eclipse (2024), a work for solo viola inspired by the total solar eclipse of 2024. In it, the composer translates the darkness that imposes itself at the heart of the day, right down to the subtle rays of light filtering through the shadows. It is in understanding this process that the work takes on its full meaning. The viola’s timbre lends itself to this dichotomy between light and shadow, while the strings represent the movement of the darkening day and the rays that reach our well-protected pupils.

The third work on the program is Hélpide Dulce, Escampas (2023) by Pablo Jiménez. This piece for string quartet plunges us into a noisy world of sound. Clusters emerge, instruments overlap and create a background sound that is both organic and disquieting. A well-constructed, organic chaos that oscillates between refined language and raw, evocative expressiveness. A la Jacob Collier, Jiménez takes his salute, fangs in hand, to warm applause from the audience.

Then, Jonas Regnier’s Wistful Fragments (2024) for trumpet with live electronics invites us to explore our auditory memories, using recordings of everyday life. The selection of landscapes such as an urban ambience, birdsong, piano playing, and the sequence of fragments seemed to me to lack a little coherence, but despite this, the alliance between trumpet and electronic processing was skilfully constructed. The composer exploits to the full the expressive possibilities of the blend between these two sound sources.

The fifth work, Composition pour sextuor (2023) by Jules Bastin-Fontaine, features meticulous work on counterpoints and textures. The choice of instruments favors sonic superimpositions that generate new textures. Resonant bodies such as flutes and bass clarinet are used to create reverberant sound backgrounds. Although the expressiveness of this piece did not stand out for me, the care taken in the construction of the textures deserves to be highlighted.

The sixth work, Tracé, Fossile (2023) for violin and cello by Alexandre Amat, highlights the distortions produced by excessive bow pressure. This process generates noisy sonorities that permeate the entire piece. Rather than relying on pitch-based melodic motifs, the work explores a musicality centered on sound mass, which becomes denser or lighter according to musical intentions.

The penultimate piece is Anita Pari’s The Mockingbird (2024) for string quartet. The work favors an ensemble musicality where one feels a common breath throughout the performance. This cohesion amplifies the dramatic passages. As the title suggests, the work evokes a warbling atmosphere, combining a refined musical language with an organic, poetic dimension that resonates authentically.

The evening concluded with Alexander Bridger’s Shards of Bengaluru Bill (2023), a work for flute, clarinet, accordion, viola and double bass. Dressed in bright colors, two performers marked time in certain passages of the work, a gesture that seemed planned, but which seemed to us somewhat strange or with a floating doubt. That said, the instrumentation, in particular the use of accordion and double bass, provided an original sound dimension.

Among the works presented, those by Edwin H. Ng, Pablo Jiménez and Alexandre Amat were my favorites of the evening.

In short, it was an opportunity to discover the promising talents of the new generation of composers, the vast majority of whom are men, despite the values of accessibility and inclusion put forward in this context. Achieving parity remains a laborious and complex process, we have to conclude.

Photo Credit: Claire Martin

Rock

Yseult Kicks Off Her Mental Tour in Montreal

by Sandra Gasana

It was to a packed house that singer Yseult appeared at MTelus on Monday evening. No sooner had the lights gone down than the room began to go wild. In the distance, a voice could be heard counting down in English, promising an intriguing staging.

She is accompanied by her two American musicians, on guitar and drums, whom she teases and imitates the accent at times during the show. Dressed in military pants, white gloves with “Mental Tour” written on them, necklaces around her neck and belts around her waist.

The French singer from Cameroon opens the show with Noir, and seems to be having the time of her life on stage. She dances and strolls around, closely followed by a videographer who captures the moment.

“It’s a pleasure to be back in Montreal, I’m quite moved because it’s the first time I’ve produced a tour on my own,” she shares with us moved, to applause. “It’s thanks to you that I’m able to do all this,” she continues.

She juggles classics like Corps with songs from her latest Mental project, such as Garçon and the crowd-pleasing hit Gasolina. Rock is omnipresent during the show, with her screaming and even shouting between intense electric guitar solos.

“Let me get rid of my wig, I’m going to get comfortable,” she says, before reappearing wearing a hat. Her stage presence is undeniable. “Can I share a new song with you, one that’s not out yet?” she asks the crowd, delighted by the privilege. And so we discover Problematic, which pleases the audience, especially the acoustic section, as well as Hysteria, also an unreleased song. Applause rained down, but it was especially after Corps that the crowd didn’t want to stop applauding. She did it a capella because she had promised herself that she would never do it again in piano-vocals, since the death of her pianist Nino Vella in 2024. The audience accompanied her on the chorus, one of the highlights of the show.

She finished with the track Suicide, ideal for closing the show, before returning for an encore in techno mode. It may have been a Monday night, but that didn’t stop the MTelus from being packed. Next stop: New York on February 3.

Photo Credit: Léa

Electronic

Igloofest, Saturday, January 25 / Fight the Cold With Dance, featuring Skepta (Mas Tiempo), MNSA, Dennis Ferrer, Cheba Iman and Many Others.

by Léa Dieghi

Two stages, two atmospheres. And always more dancing. For this evening of January 25, 2025, the Igloofest team decided to offer us a particularly different program between the main Sapporo stage, and its little Vidéotron sister. While the former was an ode to house music, the latter was a blend of traditional North African and contemporary electronic music.

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VIDEOTRON: Manalou, Mnsa, Nadim Maghzal, Cheba Iman. 

Deconstruction, reconstruction, hybridization between different genres… The sets on the small Videotron stage shone through their sonic interweaving and interweaving. And even though the stage is four times smaller (we didn’t take the time to measure, but we can imagine!), the sets by these mostly Canadian artists melted the snow beneath our feet.

Imagine the setting. We flee behind the main stage and enter the Videotron stage through a tunnel of light. What awaits us there? An audience literally jumping to the beat of the percussion.

Afro-beat, drum and bass, drill, downtempo, hip-hop, but also tech-house, all mixed with traditional Arabian music.

Mnsa, proudly wearing his Palestine scarf, was like sunshine on a winter’s night. With his contagious good humor and his succession of sounds at different tempos, he didn’t let the audience down for a single minute. Between pop classics, heavy bass lines and traditional Arab music, all mixed against a techno backdrop, my fingers, previously chilled by the beer in my hands, quickly warmed up.

A perfect opening for Nadim Maghzal‘s set, who, in his own way, took up the torch and brought the crowd – literally – to the front of the stage. What’s on the bill? The kind of percussive electronic music we love, always associated with North African sounds and UK Bass.

These four artists, from Manalou to Cheba Iman – who also offered us some particularly singular performances – proved the beauty of the synergy between North American and African music. They also showed us how being a DJ is above all about community, and sharing a certain joie de vivre, together.

SAPORO: Lia Plutonic, Syreeta, Dennis Ferrer, Skepta (under his house label Mas tiempo) “HOUSE HOUSE HOUSE

A word that resonates as I dance in front of the main stage.

From Lia Plutonic (Residente Montréalaise) to Dennis Ferrer, house music classics follow one another, all remixed in their own style!

Sapporo

Behind the four DJ-producers of the Sapporo scene, four different visions of house music and its variations. A genre that crosses time and space, and that brings together an audience from diverse backgrounds. 

If Syreeta offered us sounds a little more rooted in the British house music culture (where she comes from), her mix between techno, melodic voices and UK house rhythms proved to be a particularly fertile ground to welcome her colleague from overseas: Denis Ferrer, an influential artist of the electronic scene for more than fifteen years. 

While Syreeta and Lia Plutonic surfed a little more on the hybridization of house and techno, Dennis Ferrer clearly returned to the roots of New York house, to offer us a very disco-funk-tech-house set. Very melodic, very progressive, very 90s, with classics like Ain’t Nobody (Loves me better).  At the front of the stage, a crowd of all ages danced. Proof, once again, of the unifying capacity of house! 

Their very vibrant sets were able to welcome with undisguised joy the main artist of the evening, Skepta, performing under her project Mas tiempo, which quickly increased the BPM a notch. Although he is better known for his performance-productions as an MC-rapper, the London-based artist has been able to stand out in recent years with his very rhythmic mixes, sometimes deconstructed, but nevertheless particularly progressive and always very house. 

On the agenda: UK Drill and Grim, drum and bass, house, to finish on techno prog. The crowd was already unleashed, while more than a dozen couples saw, from the top of my terrace, climbing on each other’s shoulders. There are balloons flying in the air, bodies colliding while dancing, voices screaming and snowflakes falling on the tops of our heads. 

A very nice end to the winter evening, for a very nice program of this Saturday evening of Igloofest.

Africa

Alain Oyono: The New Saxophonist in Town!

by Sandra Gasana

Initially, I wasn’t planning to cover last Saturday’s show at La Brassée, I was going as a spectator, to discover the man everyone’s talking about at the moment, Alain Oyono. Originally from Cameroon, but living in Senegal for over a decade, the saxophonist, who was a member of Youssou N’Dour’s “Super Étoile de Dakar” orchestra, gave us an amazing show. So much so that it was hard to keep it to myself, so here it goes.

By way of introduction, he opts for gentleness with The Beginning, which also marks the start of the artist’s solo career, before showing us his singing talents on Loba, which means God in Douala, the language spoken in the coastal region of Cameroon. These tunes immediately remind me of Kenny G, whom I used to listen to over and over again in my youth.

Against a backdrop of carefully arranged instrumentals, and equipped with a laptop, pedals and mini-console, Alain, who is also an author, composer and performer, manages not only to play his instrument but also to engineer it. On some tracks, notes from piano, afrobeat or afro jazz are used as a basis for him to improvise on as he pleases. On other tracks, he introduces pre-recorded ambient noises, backing vocals and other sounds to complement his instrument.

In his latest EP released in 2023, entitled Transcendance, he pays tribute to nature, notably in the track “Ma nature”. “This album is dedicated to the ecosystem, especially in these difficult times. Fortunately, you’re bringing the warmth back here tonight,” he says, addressing the crowd.

Several instruments are added one after the other in the second half of the concert.

Alain returns to the stage first accompanied by Dauphin Mbuyi on bass, then a few songs later, Deo Munyakazi joins the duo with his inanga, a traditional Rwandan string instrument similar to the zither. Together, they create magic before our astonished eyes. They are joined by Dicko Fils, from Burkina Faso, with a bewitching voice reminiscent of the Sahel, and the charming Sylvie Picard, who enchant us each in their own way.

And just as we thought the concert was drawing to a close, Raphaël Ojo arrived with his djembe to add the finishing touch. The concert turned into a jam session, much to the delight of the audience, who gradually realized that they were in for a unique experience. The owner of La Brassée told me that this was one of his favorite concerts. “Are you enjoying it as much as I am right now?” he asked me between songs. “I’m floating,” I replied.

The concert couldn’t end without a tribute to the giant Manu Dibango, with a cover of the classic Soul Makossa, which pleased the couple sitting next to me. All in all, La Brassée audiences can count themselves lucky to have discovered an artist who will surely be making a name for himself on the Montreal art scene in 2025 and beyond!

Photo Credit: Peter Graham

Hip Hop / R&B

Only The Righteous au Balattou

by Rédaction PAN M 360

Only The Righteous est un groupe formé à Montréal en 2017. Alliant leur passion pour des sons tels que le Hip-Hop, le Jazz ou le R&B, ainsi que des musiques telles que le kompa, le makossa ou le bend skin, ils proposent un spectacle plein de rythme et de chaleur, porté par des compositions et des reprises en français, anglais, créole ou médumba. Clerel et Only the Righteous sont des musiciens locaux qui savent comment s’y prendre. Ils jouent un style de musique Motown, des vibrations uniques et douces.

Only The Righteous is a group formed in Montreal in 2017. Combining their passion for sounds such as Hip-Hop, Jazz or R&B, as well as music such as kompa, makossa or bend skin, they offer a show full of rhythm and warmth, carried by compositions and covers in French, English, Creole or medumba.Clerel and Only the Righteous are local musicians who know how to do it. They play a Motown style of music, unique and smooth vibes.

POUR ACHETER VOTRE BILLET, C’EST ICI!

Ce contenu provient du Balattou et est adapté par PAN M 360

Classical / période romantique

OSM | Between Icelandic Basses and Bruch’s “Unforgettable” Concerto

by Judith Hamel

The Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal (OSM), under the direction of conductor Dalia Stasevska and violin virtuoso Randall Goosby, presented a program on Wednesday evening featuring composers Thorvaldsdottir and Price, as well as Bruch and Dvořák.

Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s Archora, commissioned by several major orchestras and premiered in 2022, opened the concert with a spellbinding 20-minute soundscape. Designed to evoke a textured universe, the work transports the audience into an exploration of the ensemble’s sonic and energetic potential.

From the very first notes, the hypergraves invade the space, creating an imposing, palpable sound mass. The screeching cymbals add an organic dimension, while the winds click their keys and use their breath to amplify the work’s mystical atmosphere. All this adds up to an almost living narrative. Then the organ, with its imposing presence, amplifies the impression of immensity, of a room larger than ourselves. The twenty minutes passed with great fluidity, like a single wave that sweeps over us. The apparent stability of the sounds, achieved by the interweaving of the musicians’ breaths, gave a superhuman impression.

American soloist Randall Goosby then took to the stage to deliver a straightforward performance, carried with finesse by his great mastery of the instrument. Max Bruch’s “unforgettable” Violin Concerto No. 1, though somewhat frustrating for the composer in its eclipsing power over his other concertos, remains a landmark work in the German Romantic repertoire. Tonight, in the “Adagio”, Goosby was able to express the full intensity of this inner romance. It was in the third movement, however, that the soloist really came into his own. He unfurled himself in the passionate, dancing themes that hint at Bruch’s Hungarian origins, as well as in the final, technical passages. These playful accents resonated particularly well with his light, easy-going playing. A young virtuoso who didn’t overwhelm us with his musicality, but whose technique and ease are impressive.

Florence Price’s Adoration opened the second half in an orchestrated version for violin and orchestra by J. Gray, putting a second female composer in the spotlight. This short piece was particularly well suited to Randall Goosby, who effectively conveyed the emotional charge through his straight but honest playing. However, an OSM concert is no exception: just as he was about to raise his bow, Goosby was interrupted by the telephone of an audience member who was listening to the recording of his performance of the first part at full volume. With humor and patience, he lowered his bow and said: “You can play it again if you want”. But no sooner had he started to play than a cricket buzzer sounded in the hall. Fortunately, the crickets were out of place, but they gave the audience a good laugh.

Although the concertante gave the evening its title, it was Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8, fiercely conducted by Dalia Stasevska, that stood out as the highlight. Dalia Stasevska’s conducting was particularly noteworthy for its emphasis on drastic contrasts of nuance and the exaggeration of certain rhythmic passages. This symphony, with its bucolic atmosphere, was thus deployed through moments of lightness, straight trumpet lines and the exaggerated popular character of certain dancing themes. The fourth movement, which opens with a flamboyant trumpet call and ends with groovy chromatic passages, ended the concert on a welcome note of youthfulness.

Photo credit:  Randall Goosby – Kaupo Kicks ; Dalia Stasevska – Antoine Saito

classique rock / hommage

Taverne Tour : The Beaters

by Rédaction PAN M 360

Le 6 février prochain, Noël Fortin, Robin Gaudreault, Yan Lapierre et Frank Gilbert, quatre passionnés de musique originaires du lac St-Jean, vous interpréteront des chansons des Beatles avec une attention particulière à l’album Abbey Road et aux morceaux du concert légendaire sur le toit de l’Apple Corps en 1969. Venez revivre les moments magiques de John, Paul, George et Ringo et plongez dans l’univers intemporel des Beatles.

On February 6th, Noël Fortin, Robin Gaudreault, Yan Lapierre, and Frank Gilbert, four passionate musicians from Lac St-Jean, will perform songs by The Beatles with a special focus on the Abbey Road album and the legendary 1969 rooftop concert at Apple Corps. Come relive the magical moments of John, Paul, George, and Ringo, and immerse yourself in the timeless universe of The Beatles.

POUR ACHETER VOTRE BILLET, C’EST ICI!

Ce contenu provient du Taverne Tour et est adapté par PAN M 360

Jazz

Taverne Tour : Félix Stüssi Quartet

by Sami Rixhon

Quand il parcourt la ville à vélo ou lorsqu’il est derrière son piano, Félix Stüssi aime l’aventure et le vent frais. Depuis qu’il a tourné le dos au journalisme et qu’il a monté à bord d’un cargo en direction du Canada, ce Suisse d’origine se consacre entièrement au piano jazz et à la composition. En 2007, son quintette gagne le prestigieux Grand Prix du Festival International de Jazz de Montréal. L’année suivante, le quintette devient un sextette avec l’ajout du tromboniste américain Ray Anderson. Les quatre albums du groupe sont très bien reçus des deux côtés de l’Atlantique, des nominations pour divers prix (Juno Awards, ADISQ, Prix Opus) en témoignent. 

Be it on a bicycle or behind the keys, Félix Stüssi loves adventure and fresh air. Since his move from Switzerland to Canada, Stüssi has turned his back on journalism – jazz piano and composition are now his main focus. In 2007, his quintet won the prestigious Grand Prix of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal. A year later, US-trombonist Ray Anderson joined the project and the band turned into a sextet. The four albums of the group were very well received on both sides of the Atlantic, they were nominated for several prizes (Juno Awards, ADISQ, Prix Opus).

BILLETS PAR RÉSÉRVATION TÉLÉPHONIQUE

Ce contenu provient de FélixStüssi.com et est adapté par PAN M 360

Electronic

Igloofest 2nd Night: Wild Card with Apashe, Marie Davidson, Dileta

by Loic Minty

Marked with wild musical contrasts and daring approaches, this second night of Igloofest is another reminder of Montreal’s vibrant local scene. We once again witnessed the power of breaks and bass in full effect as big name dj’s turned the dial up, and saw the rising starpower of local homegrown harvest legends in a perfect exhibition of dance music.

Headlining the Videotron stage was none other than Marie Davidson. In this dj set, her emblematic synthwave sound revealed its origins in a steady stream of late night analog techno crowned with some of her own tracks like “Work it” which had the crowd losing its mind. Marie Davidson showed us a guideline into her musical genius and as in her live shows, the wide-eyed presence and honest spoken word effortlessly enticed the crowd into her unapologetically bold aura.

Matching this energy, Honeydripp proved once again to be the queen of kinetic sounds as she liquefied genres into her own spaced out mix of breaks, bass and a groovy remix of Fergalicious. Playing with silence and space, her rhythms teased the line of recognisable patterns, occasionally broken by bassy dub influenced sections which shook the stage.

Ending on a high note with chopped breaks going in and out of time, homegrown harvest’s reputation for long nights dancing was not let down. As Dileta put us in a time warp of progressively rich drum patterns and acid bass sequences to tear the roof off, the crowd quickly understood this was an experience like no other. Dileta’s vast selection of dark leftfield tracks, seamless transitions and sharp accents of retro samples had people young and old grooving from side to side in unisson.

Meanwhile on the Sapporo stage we witnessed an ascent into craze as Jeska displayed a virtuoso performance of drum and bass, accelerating from a wide sound with minutely precise breaks into head banging, hard style territory. Imanu had no problem keeping this energy up with his feel good, synthpop textures and kept the crowd bouncing to classic pop samples mixed between densely energetic house.

It seemed the night would go on in this boundary breaking succession of increasingly ecstatic sounds until in a sudden turn of events, classical music from Apashe’s repertoire transformed the entire festival into a scene from Dante’s inferno.

As the haze from the river gradually blanketed the fluorescent lights, people started slowing down, almost expecting a ballerina to come out in “pas chassé”. But this was all part of Apashe’s master plan. After a solid 20 minutes, a manifesto appeared on the screen and in an instant the scene was flooded with strobes. The rest of the night belonged to Apashe’s, and with his artistic conception of EDM combined with the stadium scale scenography and sound, it will be one to remember. Notable to his “majestic” style was the display of cinematic visuals paired in synchronicity with transitions and instruments that created a mesmerizing audiovisual experience. After an emotionally evoking set, Apashe leaves us once again with the soft sounds of an orchestra walking us out into the streets. The buzz of the crowd turns into screams and we all know what we just witnessed. Igloofest is living up to the hype.

Classical / Classical Singing / orchestre / période moderne / période romantique

OSM | Mahler, Payare and The OSM: Between Inner Turmoil, Light and Fatality, a Powerful Evening.

by Hélène Archambault

The OSM has made an enlightened choice to present the works of Alma Mahler and those of her husband, Gustav, in the same concert to inaugurate 2025. The performance of Alma’s works alongside those of her illustrious husband is a contemporary nod to a time when many female musicians are giving up their careers to support those of their husbands.

At the age of twenty-three, Alma, née Schindler, frequented the Viennese artistic scene, composing lieder and insisting on her artistic and intellectual independence. She met Gustav Mahler in November 1901. Twenty years her senior, he made a deal with her: to become his wife, she had to give up her aspirations as a composer. Passionately in love, she accepted, and the marriage was celebrated on March 9, 1902.

Despite this “ban” on composing, Gustav suggested that Alma rework the lieder and have them published (in the program notes, Catherine Harrison-Boisvert notes that “Gustav seems to have wanted to make amends”). It is fortunate that Alma’s Lieder have been rescued from anonymity in this way. Their performance is a first for the OSM. With these 5 lieder, the orchestra offers a sensitive listening experience, and, in my case, one of discovery. In meins Vaters Garten (In my father’s garden) is particularly touching. Mezzo-soprano Beth Taylor’s deep, radiant voice is enhanced by the composer’s expressive writing. My only downside? The orchestration by Colin and David Matthews. A slight mismatch between the two scores is unfortunately to the detriment of the voice.

Of the Sixth Symphony, called “Tragic”, Alma writes that it is her husband’s most personal work, the one that sprang most directly from his heart. She also reports that in writing the Sixth Symphony, Gustav anticipated his own life in music. Three blows of fate, symbolized by as many hammer blows in the finale – only two of which are retained – also befell him: the loss of their daughter Maria to scarlet fever, a diagnosis of incurable heart disease, and the loss of his position at the Vienna Opera. As Mahler’s Sixth was written before these events, this interpretation is debatable. But the story is worth telling, if only to stir the imagination! And perhaps also a little to allow ordinary people to become a little more attached to the composer?

Speaking of attachment, the OSM and Payare, in their interpretation, go the right way. From the very first bar, the tempo is energetic without being frantic. The tone is set. The first movement unfolds between the military and the evocation of Alma, embodied by the strings. The orchestra alternates between rumble and light. Payare seems to play with rhythm. Though regulated like a metronome, time with him seems more supple, more alive. The beautiful pages of the second movement feature a dialogue between woodwinds and brass, in which the orchestra’s playing is limpid. The third movement, almost dreamlike, and the finale follow one another without a break. This sequence seems to allow the orchestra to bewitch us, before plunging us into an emotional stampede in the style of “being Gustav Mahler” right to the end. Just writing it makes me breathless – the energy deployed by the conductor must be the envy of the greatest sportsmen and women. Tragic” symphony, you say? Between enchantment, sweetness and tragedy, one does not leave the symphonic house completely unscathed.

Photo Credit: Gabriel Fournier

Electro

Igloofest: Adriatique, Marten Lou et Yulia Niko

by Rédaction PAN M 360

Que contient un nom ? Pour Adrian Shala et Adrian Schweizer, cela représente une décennie – et bien plus – de créativité commune. Après s’être rencontrés à Zurich en 2008, Adrian & Adrian sont devenus inséparables, non seulement en tant qu’amis, mais aussi en tant qu’artistes. Ils ont tracé leur carrière en tant que l’un des duos DJ/producteurs les plus constants et distinctifs de la scène house et techno : Adriatique. La clé d’un partenariat durable est, bien sûr, de se compléter, et les deux Adrians le font admirablement. Musicalement, leurs goûts variés se combinent en un son unique, et leur préférence respective pour le travail en studio et la performance fait que les deux aspects sont également bien couverts. Les sets DJ d’Adriatique, tout comme leurs productions, sont longs, méditatifs, et bâtissent progressivement une ambiance, défiant toujours l’auditeur avec des subtilités qui viennent enrichir un groove hypnotique. Cependant, il y a bien plus chez ce duo que juste une machine musicale électronique bien huilée. Ils vivent ensemble, conçoivent des projets ensemble, et soutiennent l’art sous toutes ses formes ensemble. 2016 a vu la réalisation d’un vœu de longue date : la création du propre label d’Adriatique et d’une plateforme pour les arts. Appelé Siamese, leur label publie leur propre musique ainsi que des productions d’autres artistes, tant que cela adhère au credo des Adrians : que la musique doit être une forme de méditation. Allant bien au-delà du standard d’un label, Siamese soutient également les artistes visuels et performeurs, organisant des soirées en club qui mettent ces collaborateurs en lumière tout autant que les stars musicales. En plus de sortir leur musique via Siamese, Adriatique est signé sur les labels de renom Diynamic et Afterlife. Le premier, le label et la série d’événements de Solomun, est depuis longtemps un chez-soi pour Adriatique, tandis qu’Afterlife est une aventure plus récente. Le label de Tale Of Us a sorti leur single “”Ray”” au début de 2018, marquant le début du projet “”Nude””. L’album de debut d’Adriatique est leur déclaration artistique la plus personnelle à ce jour, une collection de chansons, de sentiments et de souvenirs qui se distinguent dans le catalogue d’Afterlife. Le titre “”Nude”” fait référence à un autre aspect d’Adriatique qui se dévoile sur l’album. Le duo prouve qu’il est tout aussi talentueux pour créer des chansons mélodiques et belles que pour produire des beats club puissants. Puisant dans leur propre expérience de deux étrangers devenus partenaires à plein temps, Adrian et Adrian savent que c’est le pont entre les différences qui nourrit la créativité. C’est pourquoi, dans le futur, ils prévoient d’étendre leur réseau de collaborateurs ainsi que la portée créative des activités d’Adriatique et de Siamese. Cela fait déjà une décennie qu’ils sont dans le métier, mais la véritable mission d’Adriatique ne fait que commencer.

What’s in a name? For Adrian Shala and Adrian Schweizer, it represents a decade – and more – of shared creativity. After meeting in Zurich in 2008, Adrian & Adrian have become inseparable, not only as friends, but also as artists. They have charted their careers as one of the most consistent and distinctive DJ/producer duos on the house and techno scene: Adriatique. The key to a lasting partnership is, of course, to complement each other, and the two Adrians do this admirably. Musically, their varied tastes combine into a unique sound, and their respective preferences for studio work and performance mean that both aspects are equally well covered. Adriatique’s DJ sets, like their productions, are long, meditative and gradually build a mood, always challenging the listener with subtleties that enrich a hypnotic groove. However, there’s much more to this duo than just a well-oiled electronic music machine. They live together, conceive projects together, and support art in all its forms together. 2016 saw the realization of a long-held wish: the creation of Adriatique’s own label and platform for the arts. Called Siamese, their label publishes their own music as well as productions by other artists, as long as it adheres to the Adrians’ credo: that music should be a form of meditation. Going far beyond the standard of a label, Siamese also supports visual artists and performers, organizing club nights that put these collaborators in the spotlight as much as the musical stars. In addition to releasing their music via Siamese, Adriatique is signed to renowned labels Diynamic and Afterlife. The former, Solomun’s label and event series, has long been a home for Adriatique, while Afterlife is a more recent venture. The Tale Of Us label released their single “”Ray“” in early 2018, marking the start of the “”Nude“” project. Adriatique’s debut album is their most personal artistic statement to date, a collection of songs, feelings and memories that stand out in Afterlife’s catalog. The title “”Nude“” refers to another aspect of Adriatique that is revealed on the album. The duo prove that they are just as talented at creating melodic, beautiful songs as they are at producing powerful club beats. Drawing on their own experience as two strangers turned full-time partners, Adrian and Adrian know that it’s the bridge between differences that fuels creativity. That’s why, in the future, they plan to expand their network of collaborators as well as the creative scope of Adriatique and Siamese’s activities. They’ve already been in the business for a decade, but Adriatique’s real mission is just beginning.

POUR ACHETER VOTRE BILLET, C’EST ICI!

Ce contenu provient de Igloofest et est adapté par PAN M 360

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