MUTEK at the Maison symphonique: Sound in Its Purest Form

For its 27th edition, MUTEK is making a stop at Montreal's Maison symphonique. Spanning three evenings, the festival's X/Visions series will take full advantage of the venue's exceptional acoustics to celebrate sound in its purest form.

"The only other time MUTEK took over the Maison symphonique was back in 2013, during a memorable evening featuring Nils Frahm and Pantha du Prince & The Bell Laboratory," recalls Alain Mongeau, MUTEK's Founder and Executive Director. "It remains a defining memory for both festivalgoers and our team. Returning to this extraordinary venue reflects our ongoing commitment to expanding and reimagining the MUTEK experience."

Variety is very much at the heart of this year's program. Audiences will have the opportunity to experience a remarkable lineup of pioneering and influential contemporary artists under optimal listening conditions.

"The Maison symphonique opens up a whole new dimension for MUTEK," adds Alain Mongeau. "It's a monumental listening space where works take on an almost cinematic scale."

The Hypnotic Power of the Organ

The series opens on August 27 with a double bill showcasing two groundbreaking composers: Montreal-based Kara-Lis Coverdale and American artist Kali Malone.

Malone is renowned for her contemporary reinterpretation of the king of instruments through immersive compositions deeply rooted in drone and minimalist traditions.

Coverdale, who began composing at just 14 years old, has become one of the most distinctive voices in experimental electronic music. An organist and music director in several churches since her teenage years, she has developed a unique sonic language that blends the grandeur of acoustic instruments with digital technologies, synthesizers, and real-time signal processing.

Sculpting Sound

On August 28, New York artist Tristan Perich and British organist James McVinnie will find the perfect setting for their artistry in the Maison symphonique and the magnificent Grand Orgue Pierre-Béique.

A former Assistant Organist at Westminster Abbey, McVinnie is widely recognized for his collaborations with leading contemporary composers, including Philip Glass and Jonny Greenwood.

Tristan Perich, meanwhile, has established himself as a pioneering artist by placing 1-bit sound at the core of his creative practice. By pushing the limits of digital processing, he creates radically minimalist works in which audio signals are stripped down to their pure binary state. The result? One hundred loudspeakers spread across the stage engage in a dialogue with the organ, creating a striking three-dimensional acoustic sculpture.

The evening concludes with Voices From The Lake, the acclaimed collaboration between Donato Dozzy and Neel, who will immerse audiences in a meditative blend of ambient techno, slow-moving rhythms, and fluid basslines.

Between Nostalgia and the Avant-Garde

The trilogy concludes on August 29 with the sonic journey of the duo Ah! Kosmos and Hainbach, followed by Austrian guitarist and composer Christian Fennesz, joined onstage by visual artist Lillevan.

Together, they will celebrate the 25th anniversary of Endless Summer, the landmark album widely regarded as a masterpiece of ambient music and glitch pop.

Released in 2001, the album combines electric guitar with intricate digital processing. Fennesz deconstructs traditional harmonies into majestic waves of sound, creating an immersive listening experience. Inspired by the aesthetic of The Beach Boys, Endless Summer remains an ideal gateway into experimental music.

"It's always wonderful to perform in venues that also host orchestras," says Christian Fennesz about the Maison symphonique. "In my experience, the acoustics of these kinds of spaces suit my music extremely well."

For this performance, Berlin-based visual artist Lillevan becomes an instrument in his own right. Using abstract compositions and cinematic collages, he creates live visuals that respond in real time to Fennesz's evolving soundscapes, enriching the immersive atmosphere of the performance.

"Lillevan has spent a great deal of time developing the visual concept," Christian Fennesz shared just weeks before the concert. "It's a bit of a leap into the unknown, but it could turn into something truly special."

X/Visions at the Maison symphonique takes place August 27–29, 2026.