There’s no greater proof of that than Igloofest, a wild idea dreamed up by the brains behind Piknic Elektronic. Igloofest has come to Old Port every year since 2007, with a unique spin on the electronic music festival: it’s outdoors, at night, dead in the middle of January, right by the wind-tossed water at Jacques-Cartier Quay. Igloofest runs from January 12 (tonight!) to 28 over three weekends.

Named for the igloos dotting the quay, where revelers can seek shelter from extreme weather, Igloofest is the electronic music event of the season. Outsiders think it’s crazy, but Montrealers wouldn’t have it any other way: Igloofest has grown exponentially each year and now boasts over 65,000 visitors over its three-weekend run. If the novelty of dancing up a sweat at -25 temperatures doesn’t entice you, or you don’t have a wild neon onesie to impress the judges of Igloofest’s hilarious snowsuit competition, then just get a load of the DJs at Igloofest’s site. Igloofest 2012 will feature some of the finest electronic music luminaries in the world.

For starters, this year’s fest brings in UK’s dubstep pioneer Mala (of Digital Mystiks), Portuguese kuduro purveyors Buraka Som Sistema, many-monikered American house-EBM oddball Curtis Jones (here appearing as Green Velvet), Juno award-winning Montreal rave beast and professional VHS retro-ironist Tiga, London house heartbreaker Maya Jane Coles… there’s a sound for electronic fans of all stripes. And who knows? The next top Igloofest DJ might be one of us.

The first course of the event begins tonight! Tickets for a night are $15, with a festival pass going for only $60. Yeah, you know you’ll check it out. Just don’t forget to zip up your parka; it’s already minus ten and dropping…

Click here to view the embedded video.

As of recent, both technological advances and the internet have brought about the ability, and the necessity, for marketers to track true performance metrics in real-time. Marketers are now able to evaluate the effectiveness of their marketing initiatives based on data capture, sentiment, engagement and, most importantly, conversions. Access to this data helps marketers better define where to concentrate efforts, which is bringing a new precision to marketing in the digital music industry. Targeting is crucial, especially in the music industry, because artist marketing is all about being in touch with your fans.

With the right fan management platform you have all the tools you need to grow your fan-base, build relationships, and measure the impact of everything you do along the way. However, with such a wide range of companies providing digital marketing toolkits, how do you know which is the best technology to manage your fans online? BandMark picked 10 companies with momentum in the digital marketing toolkit space that you need to know about: Topspin, Bandcamp, Nimbit, Rockdex, Mozes, NextBigSound, Rootmusic, FanBridge, Buzzdeck, and Artistdata. Read on for a review of the first 5 companies, and then check back next week for part-two of this review.

www.topspinmedia.com

Topspin is a popular direct-to-fan marketing and retail software platform which gives musicians, as well as authors and filmmakers the ability to promote their art and connect with fans.

What can it do? Topspin allows users to effectively spread their content with the use of their multi-media players which stream high-quality audio and video that can be played and shared on websites, blogs, facebook feeds and mobile phones. In terms of direct-to-fan contact, Topspin provides users with the ability to reach their fans via email, FB & Twitter in exchange for free downloads. When sending emails, Topspin offers users the ability to target fans based on: geography, purchase history, social influence, or even how they found you originally. Topspin even allows artists to bundle their digital media with their physical merchandise, tickets and Fan Club/VIP access for the ultimate fan experience. Like most software platforms of this type, Topspin provides real-time fan data which allows for more targeted and cost-effective marketing initiatives.

Why use it? With integrated ecommerce and reporting functions, fan management, asset management, and ticketing tools in one software package, this platform is the whole shebang! Give it a try by creating a free account using the basic services for as little as 9.99$ a month. With musicians from Les Blanks to Arcade Fire and legendary Paul McCartney, all having run successful campaigns with Topspin, what do you have to lose in giving it a try?

www.bandcamp.com

Bandcamp is a service which provides musicians with a place to host, stream and then sell their music through personalized home pages. Although it sounds a lot like MySpace, what differentiates Bandcamp from sites like Myspace is its convenience and the ability to monetize efforts.

What can it do? Bandcamp offers a plug-and-play simplicity which jives with artists who are not web-savvy and up-starts who are just looking to sell or share their work. For the most part, Bandcamp takes care of the ‘nitty-gritty’ technical details, so that users can focus on producing and promoting their craft. Nevertheless, for those who wish to roll up their sleeves and delve into the world of digits, Bandcamp features an incredible array of statistical tools to help users learn more about their audience.

Why use it? In addition to convenience, the benefit of using Bandcamp is the freedom it gives artists in how they share their work. Unlike other platforms, Bandcamp’s user-defined pricing scheme empowers musicians to price and sell their work at their own discretion, in whichever digital format they prefer. Artists then pay a portion of their profits to the site. The one catch is to find a price that’s low enough to create conversions, yet high enough to cover the site’s commissions. Bottom-line: If you’re not an economist with a background in price optimization, you may want to avoid this hurdle altogether by releasing work for free. Either way, with Bandcamp, the choice is totally yours!

www.nimbit.com

Nimbit is another direct-to-fan platform created for fan-management activities in the music industry. Nimbit prides itself on providing an easy solution for self-managed artists, managers, and emerging labels to: grow and engage their fanbase; to sell their music online; and to sell tickets, VIP Bundles and all their merch online.

What can it do? Nimbit helps artists to connect with their fans through email marketing, twitter and facebook. With Nimbit’s platform, musicians can sell their digital music on nimbitmusic.com, facebook, in addition to their dedicated site. In fact with Nimbit, artists can sell just about anything, direct from everywhere, while Nimbit fulfills on the seller’s behalf. Nimbit also allows artists to offer free tracks for email sign-ups, create and share download cards, and to create customized promotions. In addition to allowing users to create their own fully customized store-front online, Nimbit offers a variety of reporting features which help artists to manage and optimize their business activities. Marketing analytics, real-time sales reports, tracking fan history, catalogue management and multi-artist dashboards are among some of the reporting features offered by Nimbit.

Why use it? Would you ask your plumber for medical advice? Probably not; that’s why Nimbit was made by musicians, for musicians. “We’re not just a bunch of tech heads trying to make a buck off musicians. We’re people with experience from all sides of the music business. We’ve seen the problems of the old-style music industry first hand and we’re here to change it.” Bonus: Nimbit runs an affiliate program for companies targeting similar audiences. Affiliate partners can place either a unique button or banner on their website, and earn commissions ranging from $10 – $20 per signup!

www.rockdex.com

Although Rockdex was originally created to be an extension of the Music Arsenal band management application, RockDex eventually grew into something much bigger: a full-fledged company. With the launch of its 1^st standalone version in 2009, Rockdex caught the attention of music professionals with its simple and visually intriguing social media metrics and insights.

What can it do? RockDex is a unique, B2B platform that tracks thousands of websites, collecting data for musicians from blogs, fan connections, pageviews, tweets, song plays and more. Rockdex then uses this data to provide artists with a high-level view of their online buzz, including a comprehensive picture of growth and scale. Using this revolutionary software, artists can explore actual conversations in order to understand what motivates fan behaviour and drives exposure. Rockdex can even spot viral trends and help artists track the progress of such trends over time through constantly updated charts, graphs and maps.

Why use it? No matter where you stand in the music industry, Rockdex has something for you. Record labels, Managers, Artists, Publicists, A&R Reps, and Booking Agents are all making use of Rockdex to stay ahead of the curve. With a free 15-day trial on all accounts, it’s worth checking into this platform to find out what all the buzz is about…literally!

www.mozes.com

Mozes Connect is a web-based platform that allows users to create and manage customized, targeted mobile marketing campaigns. As mobile marketing becomes increasingly important in the case of live events, Mozes’ mobile platform is an ideal new media technology for bands and other performing artists wishing to connect [with fans] at the point of inspiration.

What can it do? Mozes connect is a simple platform which allows companies to create mobile experiences in order to engage audiences at live events. With Mozes, users can run a variety of mobile campaigns including: contests, voting, trivia, fan generated content, or simply send out branded media. Mozes also offers users a variety of cool web widgets, and other proprietary tools, to boost campaign results. Most importantly, users can check the status of their campaigns in terms of participation, locations, poll results and much more, and then use this information to manage their mobile activities in real-time. The best part? Marketers have the option to easily change any campaign into a mobile and/or email list building engine so that marketers can keep the customer relationship going even after the event ends.

Why use it? Mozes Connect is the only platform solution focused exclusively on connecting companies with their audience via mobile phone – in particular at live performance venues, something which is extremely useful for bands and musicians.

Without a doubt, any vinyl purist will tell you that vinyls will be around years to come because the audio quality of a record trumps that of a CD or any other digital medium. In case you’re wondering, there are two reasons for vinyl’s supposed sonic superiority. Firstly, mastering houses generally compress the audio on CDs in order to make the sound as loud as possible; however unlike with CDs, the audio on vinyls cannot be compressed to those extremes. So despite the fact that CDs can have a wider dynamic range, LPs will generally have a more subtle sound to them. The second reason for vinyl’s superiority is that regardless of the sampling rate, digital recordings can never capture the complete sound wave present in an analog groove. For both of these two reasons, vinyl offer can offer a richer, warmer and more nuanced sound than CDS, and it’s often argued that cds and other digital mediums will never be able to reach the sound quality of vinyl. Nonetheless, modern-day music listeners and even most djs are predominantly choosing digital music over vinyl. Why is that? Most notably, the major appeal behind digital music is accessibility and portability. With the massive proliferation of ipods and other digital music player devices it appears that despite the fact that a record can sound better than digital mediums likes cds and mp3s, portability is so important to consumers today that we are ready to forfeit better sound quality for the benefit of being able to bring our music with us everywhere.

Nevertheless, we’re still seeing vinyl sales increase and it seems likely that those sales are driven by the fact that records provide an element of tangibility that digital music can never offer. Many people in the music industry that will tell you that for many, including the artists, “vinyl is the true version of the release…the size and presence of the artwork, the division into sides, the better sound quality, [and] above all the involvement and work the listener has to put in, all make it the format of choice for people who really care about music.”[2] Although big labels are resistant to the idea of a vinyl comeback, many vinyl record companies are staying competitive by recognizing the unique needs of music fans living in the 21st century. In catering to consumers’ desires for easy accessibility and portability of their music, many record labels are now including download codes in their record packaging which music fans can use to download MP3 versions of the songs. With many of the major record labels now including these download codes, is it possible that vinyl will not only survive in this digital age, but actually rival other digital formats such as cds and streaming music sites? Only time will tell. Speaking for myself however, vinyl records just don’t fit into my lifestyle. While I do miss the old days of flipping through cd inlets filled with album lyrics and artwork, as an avid music listener whose ipod is never more than a purse pocket or a jacket zipper away from me, digital music is the only way for me to experience music in the way which really moves me: on-the-go music pumping out the perpetual soundtrack to my life.

In today’s plugged-in world, where the ubiquity of the social media network reigns supreme, keeping in touch with your fans is paramount to success in the music industry. When I buy a new CD, I expect more from the band than the possibility of a secret bonus track; I expect the whole (online) user experience: a website, a music blog, a Facebook band page with Facebook band tabs to visit; a Twitter account to follow, and a band newsletter to subscribe to. So what does this mean for music artists trying to survive in this cut-throat industry? Simple, your fans want to hear from you – not just your music; fans want content, and one of the best ways to provide this content is by newsletter.

With a veritable cornucopia of email service providers to choose from, it’s no easy task to find the right provider, especially if you’re in the business of beat testing and not A/B testing. Nevertheless, despite how daunting the selection process might seem, and how tempting it may be to start emailing newsletters yourself, it’s highly recommended that you choose a web-based provider for distribution. Before you start your search however, it’s important to define what you’re looking for in an ESP. Once you’ve established all of your needs, we recommend that you base your choice on these critical factors:

Here’s a review of four leading newsletter technology providers for bands…

MailChimp (www.mailchimp.com)

MailChimp is one of the newer email service providers in the context of this review. However from our research, Mail Chimp provides one of the best entry-level opportunities for small businesses (including up-and-coming music artists) as they offer: a good balance of pricing with a free plan for a mailing list of up to 2,000 subscribers; a good level of reliability; and a decent set of reporting metrics.

From a user standpoint, the interface is as simple and fun as its mascot. Most notably, contact list management is straightforward, and creating emails is a jiff with a wide selection of free HTML templates and their Design Genius editor to create your own designs. Inherent in the simplicity of its design however, is that it’s not quite as loaded with features as some of the competing email providers.  For one, Mail Chimp does not allow users to compare message reports. Nonetheless, MailChimp has an add-on that lets you leverage certain Google Analytics data giving you insight on certain ROI data that wouldn’t be available otherwise. Finally, in addition to being fully integrated with PayPal and Google, Mail Chimp is also fully integrated with Twitter and Facebook to help you spread the word about your newsletter.

Super Band-bonus: With MailChimp you can create campaigns in several different email platforms (without even having to log in!). You can even use their i-phone app to manage your account making it perfect for use when you’re on tour and you can’t get to a computer! Just another reason why MailChimp is BandMark’s preferred ESP.

ExactTarget (www.exacttarget.com)

Exact Target is a global messaging platform which allows businesses and artists, to connect with their customers and fans via email marketing, social media marketing, mobile marketing, landing pages and dynamic sites. In our opinion, this platform is better-suited for medium to large e-businesses delivering complex interactive marketing campaign, rather than bands and music artists. In terms of user features, the Exact Target Design toolkit includes everything you need to create sophisticated HTML emails, and then some.

In terms of reliability, Exact Target claims to have an average system up-time of 99.99%; unfortunately, an audit of customer reviews of ExactTarget’s software paints a slightly less appealing image. Users claim that the software Exact Target is running is outdated, and there are many reports of bugs.  Other users still complain about ET’s incomplete and poorly written documentation, in fact I couldn’t even find a price list for their services anywhere on their site!

Biggest Band-bummer: Although Exact Target’s complex software and reporting allows you to create those highly targeted, personalized communications required to cut through media clutter, engaging with your fans shouldn’t be this complicated, or time-consuming.

Constant Contact (www.constantcontact.com)

Having been in business since 1996, Constant Contact is one of the oldest email marketing services around. In terms of ease of use, Constant Contact has a well-designed interface that is relatively easy to learn. For novices, Constant Contact is reputed as having excellent customer service and support, including online support communities and access to your own dedicated support agent. In terms of features, Constant Contact offers a wide range of standard email creation and sending features, as well as some neat optional features like the ability to archive emails and host them on a Constant Contact homepage.

Constant Contact email templates are simple to use and format-tested in all major email programs. Unfortunately, compared to other providers, the flexibility of their template designs is limited, and only available when using their in-house templates. Nevertheless, Constant Contact has a built a good name among the sea of providers, and with a 60-day free-trial you can see for yourself. The only downside is that this email service provider is on the more expensive side of email marketing service providers.  On the other hand, in terms of deliverability and reliability, you get what you pay for with Constant Contact, which boasts a 97% inbox delivery rate.

Biggest Band-bummer: While Constant Contact offers a relatively standard tracking options, it does not allow for social media integration, conversion tracking, or integration with Google Analytics. So if you’re planning on selling your band merch through your newsletter, this newsletter technology is not for you.

Courrielleur (www.courrielleur.com)

Courrielleur is a French-Canadian ESP based in BandMark’s hometown of Montreal. In terms of ease of use, Courrielleur has the typical set of mailing list management and a fair share of automated features which take care of list management for you. Courrielleur also offers a decent selection of free newsletter templates that are format-tested in all major email programs. In terms of tracking and reporting, Courrielleur offers a pretty straight-forward dashboard and visuals to help you understand your campaign. Courrielleur is well-suited for use in all industries as evidenced by its diverse group of clients from agencies, companies and government bodies including: EDC, Dom Rebel, Lotto-Quebec, NVI and Ogilvy.

Super Band-bonus: In terms of the general administration of your account, one of the bonuses of Courrielleur is that it allows the possibility of multiple users per account, unlike Constant Contact. Courrielleur also offers the ability to make secure online payments. Both of these features are perfect for on-the-go musicians who want to spend more time making music.

Biggest Band-bummer: Although Courrielleur offers a free-trial, there’s a 99$ activation fee upon sign-up. Also, an all-French website means you better brush up on your 7^th grade French classes tout-de-suite!

Bran Van 3000

As far as Canadian bands go, Bran Van got off to an auspicious beginning. An excursion into radio vibes with 1997′s hit single “Drinkin’ in LA” (which charted once in Canada and twice in the UK) landed Bran Van brief tenure in pop stardom, including a global tour and a Capitol Records release for their 1997 debut Glee. Riding high on their success, BV3 was subsequently signed to the Beastie Boys‘ label Grand Royal for their sophomore effort, 2001′s Discosis.

Unfortunately, a sudden collapse of the Grand Royal label coincided with Discosis‘ release, tanking the album’s publicity. In the wake of disaster, the track “Astounded”, featuring vocals from soul legend Curtis Mayfield, managed to become Bran Van’s highest-charting hit, but the band re-appraised their direction nonetheless. Leaving behind labels and management of any sort, BV3 became notoriously reclusive, refusing interviews and live shows, seeming to exist only in rumour as they assembled their subsequent album, 2007′s Rosé.

Continuing critical acclaim for Discosis and Rosé didn’t change this reclusive image, and BV3 remained a well-kept Canadian secret – until an appearance at the 2008 Montreal Jazz Festival turned the spotlights back upon them. The urban myth of Bran Van was busted when over 200,000 fans converged at the show, packing the streets to see the group play their first live set in almost 10 years.

Click here to view the embedded video.

You could say it was something of a turnaround for BV3′s approach. Back in the groove of live shows and recording, BV3 released The Garden in 2010 – and it might be their best work yet. As far back as Glee, Bran Van was fusing electronic beats with rich acoustic sounds and they only push it further here, for The Garden simmers with experimentation and creative meldings of genres. Everything from singalong twee-indie to downtempo, electro-funk, hip-hop and reggae makes an appearance, courtesy of an army of skillfully-arranged guest vocalists. It’s all unpredictable but it never sounds strained – for this, The Garden has earned unanimous and deserved critical praise.

Yeah, we know what you’ll be doing at Osheaga this Friday. See you there!

Osheaga

We recommend you don your neon headbands, leg-warmers and slap-bracelets for this one. With these three down-tuned, cinematic groups engaged in a war of keyboards and drum machines, we’re sure it’s going to be a synth-wave throwdown.

THE GLITCH MOB

Hailing from the bass-driven nightlife of Los Angeles, The Glitch Mob are neither especially glitchy or, technically speaking, a mob – but with an onslaught of moody, funky instrumentals spanning a whole constellation of ’80s and early ’90s synth sounds, they manage to paint a grimy portrait of neon-lit nights and Vice City violence that makes their name feel spot-on. Variously described as glitch-hop, IDM and breakbeat, Glitch Mob don’t stick to one sub-sub-genre long enough to be pigeonholed, but their sound is unified by creative sonic layering and midnight retro atmosphere as thick as LA smog. This is one mob you’ll be happy to join.

Click here to view the embedded video.

PHANTOGRAM

Click here to view the embedded video.

Phantogram have been a mainstay of the Montreal scene since 2007, delivering their unique brand of downtempo trip-hop to a growing fanbase – this writer recalls a crowd going apeshit for them at a local venue last year as they followed up the release of their debut album Eyelid Movies.

Sonically, Phantogram are firmly rooted in the sultry stylings of late ’90s Massive Attack and Portishead, filtered through a decade-plus of organic experimentation and low-fi indie sound-collage. The fragile crooning of lead singer Sarah Barthel s as likely to attract fans of Florence + the Machine as much as old-school Bowery Electric.

COM TRUISE

Com Truise has been described – as always, somewhat non-descriptively – as chillwave, but for us Nintendo Generation kids, he’s more than merely chill, he’s an architect of a certain nostalgic time and place where chill was the default state.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Stirring up a blend of laid-back, ’80s-styled soundscapes by way of classic analogue synths and samplers, Com Truise is to downtempo what the Valerie Collective is to electro. A bit of hard-edged cyberpunk (Com Truise is perhaps most well-known for his remixes of the Tron soundtrack) and spaced-out Steve Moore-ish atmosphere add further colour to Com Truise’s sound. Glitchy samples and the occasional broken breakbeat are the main clues to modernity for Com Truise; for the most part, he’s as ’80s-authentic as a Sylvester Levay film score – and just as moodily cinematic.

So pop-rock gods U2 are coming to Montr– what, you’ve already heard? Oh, of course. If you live here, you’ve definitely heard.

Over 160,000 fans are expected to show up tomorrow to U2′s massive self-constructed venue at the Hippodrome at Decarie and Jean Talon, formerly the Blue Bonnets racetrack. Hundreds, in fact, are already there right now, camping out in the streets overnight to catch first glimpse of Bono and his crew tomorrow night. U2 plays two full shows Friday and Saturday night (July 8th and 9th), as part of their massive world tour, U2 360.

The much-discussed 360 stage gives U2′s tour its name. A rotating stage will slowly turn throughout the concert, leaving the stage and band totally surrounded by countless thousands of concertgoers. It’s been done before, but never to this scale – U2′s attempt is the largest stage of its kind ever built. Depending on your point of view, this enormous and expensive spectacle is either an audacious move to accommodate the needs of an enormous fanbase, or an over-hyped publicity stunt cooked up in typical fashion by the world’s most pretentious Adult Contemporary band. Both views are common in the media at the moment – we’ll let you make up your own mind.

One positive of the stunt? The enormous stage means there’s an enormous amount of space, which means tickets are still available!

You can thank U2 for that one. Maybe Prince ought to take some pointers.

Incidentally, the number 360 also has added meaning for hardcore U2 lovers. U2′s Montreal stopover comes almost a full year late – fans will recall that a back injury sustained by Bono cut U2′s 2010 tour short before it ever reached Montreal. Tomorrow should wash away 360 days of anticipation.

Click here to view the embedded video.

It’s all sort of last-minute: Prince wasn’t on the bill until the middle of June, when he suddenly descended from on high and asked the co-ordinators of the fest if he could be included in the show. Plans were made – you can’t say no to the man who did Purple Rain. Audiences, as always, seem to agree: The shows were sold out over a week ago (sorry, folks!). This is well in keeping with the pop-god’s usual showings, which are often short-notice.

What to expect at the show? Expect to get your groove on, for one. Prince is an artist who has spanned genres and decades, influencing countless imitators and spawning sub-genres left and right. His music is emotional, sexy, moody, sonically lush and nearly always dance-oriented. A prodigy multi-instrumentalist, Prince throws wild guitar solos, synths, pianos and nearly every other instrument into his sound with boundless energy.

Prince’s show may be booked, but he isn’t the only attraction at the Montreal Jazz Festival this weekend. Everyone from torch-singer goddess Holly Cole, to ’80s sensations B52s, to legendary crooner Maryanne Faithfull will make an appearance. Clearly, this isn’t just for people who like jazz – it’s for music fans of all stripes. And it’s all available in the heart of Montreal, from St. Laurent Boulevard and De Bleury Street and Ste. Catherine Street and President-Kennedy Avenue downtown. Find out more at their site. See you there!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Tobin is one of those names, like Aphex Twin and Plastikman (the latter also appearing at this year’s MUTEK) that’s known well beyond the inner circle of electronic music devotees, having achieved a brand of mainstream recognition in a traditionally underground scene.

Born Amon Adonai Santos de Araujo Tobin, the Brazilian genius was releasing music from his bedroom studio as a teenager, which eventually led to some notoriety via his debut album Adventures in Foam under his artist name, Cujo. An underground sensation, Adventures in Foam attracted attention from the likes of Funki Porcini, which led to Tobin being signed to infamous London label Ninja Tune. 1997 saw the release of Tobin’s breakthrough album Bricolage, which attracted significant critical attention – and the rest is, if not history, then legend at the least.

Tobin is known for his deep, layered production, which fuses samples of acoustic instruments with hard-hitting breakbeats and drum and bass rhythms. Tobin’s work is varied and genre-sweeping – at times frenetic and claustrophobic, at times relaxed and subtle. Orchestral and jazz instruments figure prominently in much of his work. The cinematic richness of Tobin’s sound has given him the opportunity to work in film and video games as a soundtrack artist, and he’s been lauded by gamers and music lovers alike for his work on the Splinter Cell series and the recent Infamous.

Since 2002 Tobin has resided in Montreal courtesy of his association with Ninja Tune’s Montreal offices, which means MUTEK wasn’t much of a commute. Tobin’s June 1^st spectacular brought the house down with wild projections of 3D abstract visions upon a massive sculptural form, courtesy of several fabricating and engineering companies who collaborated on the huge project. Of course, this kind of collaborative fusion has defined Tobin’s career all along. The only question remaining in the aftermath of MUTEK is, how can Tobin possibly top himself now?

We can’t wait to find out!

For over a decade, MUTEK has made Montreal a mecca for fans of electronic music. In contrast to the club version of electronic that pervades the mainstream, MUTEK prides itself on its appeal to hardcore fans of IDM, glitch, minimalist house and much more.

One of the largest electronic music events in Canada, MUTEK is billed as an International Festival of Digital Creativity and Electronic Music. The primary focus since the debut fest in 2000 has been Canadian acts, but its international status means MUTEK isn’t limited to the local – it’s a showcase for electronic artists from across the world, and that means some of the top names in the scene (previous MUTEK guests have included the ubiquitous Kid Koala, Pitchfork darling Fennesz and avant-garde industrial gods Coil). It’s a venue for both the most famous as well as the underground, and this wild mix is one of MUTEK’s chief appeals.

This year’s MUTEK Festival will include appearances by world-renowned electronic artists Amon Tobin as well as Richie Hawtin, alias Plastikman. Over the course of more than a decade, Tobin has redefined IDM with his layered, jazz-influenced style, while Hawtin has been a pillar of the techno community for nearly twenty years. These are perhaps the largest acts to have ever graced MUTEK, and, as if that weren’t enough, they’re also brushing shoulders with the likes of Four Tet and Modeselektor.

If all this sounds like shameless promotion, it totally is. Hell, you can’t blame us for being enthusiastic with a lineup like that. One thing’s for sure: BandMark will allocate some hardcore work and play hours to this sonic smash. See you there!