Founded in 2000, MUTEK is an international festival organization dedicated to the promotion of electronic music and the digital arts. Its central platform is an annual five-day event in Montreal that takes place in late May and early June. Each year, more than 100 artists, panelists, and industry professionals participate in what has become a leading event of its kind in North America.

The MUTEK festival has presented many of electronic music’s most established figures, while providing a platform for numerous new talents who have gone on to build sustainable careers, often as a result of their appearances at the festival. One of the organization’s main priorities is to provide avenues of exposure for Canadian artists alongside their international counterparts.

Alongside the Montreal edition, MUTEK also hosts numerous international versions of its festival in locations often under-represented by the electronic-music industries of Europe and North America. A Mexican edition of MUTEK has taken place in Mexico City since 2003. Annual South American single and/or multi-day events have taken place in Argentina and Chile since 2002 and 2004 respectively. Other showcases have also occurred in Brazil and Colombia as well.

Apart from Central and South America, in 2005 MUTEK was among the first Western cultural organizations to send a delegation of electronic artists to China. MUTEK’s activities have also taken place in many European and American cities, with showcases and tours bringing the organization and its artists to wider audiences with every passing year. MUTEK also owns and operates a record label, Musique Risquée.

All in all, over 200,000 people have attended MUTEK events worldwide in the last decade, and over 400 artists have performed on MUTEK stages.

International acts include Ricardo Villalobos, Thomas Brinkmann, Luomo, Vladislav Delay, Pole, Alva Noto, Francisco López, Matthew Herbert, Rechenzentrum, Murcof, Coil, Luciano, Matthew Dear, Monolake, Senor Coconut, T. Raumschmiere, Telefon Tel Aviv, Andrew Weatherall, Apparat, Biosphere, Isolée, FM3, Jan Jelinek, Modeselektor, Michael Mayer, Rhythm & Sound, Shackleton, Kode 9 & Spaceape, Wighnomy Brothers, Christian Fennesz, The Field, Radio Slave and many others.

Canadian acts include Plastikman, Richie Hawtin, Akufen, Deadbeat, Jacob Fairley, Pheek, Jeremy P. Caulfield, Tim Hecker, Martin Tétreault, Mitchell Akiyama, Mike Shannon, Ghislain Poirier, Solvent, The Mole, Sixtoo, Cobblestone Jazz, Mathew Jonson, Junior Boys, Loscil, Aidan Baker, Guillaume & the Coutu Dumonts, Jesse Somfay, Mark Templeton, Secret Mommy, Kid Koala, Knifehandchop, Megasoid, and many others.

The festival celebrated its 12th Montreal edition Jun 1-5, 2011.

External links [link]

• MUTEK Canada
• MUTEK Mexico
• MUTEK Chile
• MUTEK on MySpace
• Musique Risquée MySpace Page
• MUTEK Records at Discogs
• MUTEK on www.samurai.fm - samurai.fm | NEW MUSIC RADIO
• Interview with Alain Mongeau (founder of MUTEK) on Headphone Commute (May, 2010)