I left Piknic to head to the Maison Symphonique at Place des Arts to catch one of my favourite producers, the ineffable Pantha du Prince. He would be showcasing his latest album Elements of Light, a collaborative effort with Norwegian carillon group, The Bell Laboratory. Upon arrival, I discovered that the show would actually be a sit-down concert, and although it was a beautiful performance, I was still rattled by the energy of it all. The crowd was dead silent – the performance was, quite literally, breath-taking.

Pantha du Prince

Photo courtesy of www.mutek.org

Next, I mustered up my last shreds of energy to catch local hero Jean Patrice Remillard, better known as Archipel labelboss, Pheek. True to form, he brought his A-game, playing a conceptual min tech set alongside fellow Montrealer Diagraf. The set was a stunning triple threat of sound, visuals, and vibes, and the pair was all smiles throughout. It’s no wonder why Pheek is such a legend in this city. Dictaphone took the stage next, with an acoustic techno set that paired live instrumentals with downtempo electronica. Although a few of the songs were a bit lengthy given the environment, it was a truly stunning departure from your typical electronic set. Finally, we were greeted by techno pioneers Juan Atkins – whom I had just had the pleasure of seeing in Detroit at Movement – and Moritz von Oswold, as Borderland. Despite their prowess for bumping techno, their Borderland project delivered smaller sound with equal force, favouring a more minimal atmosphere, with some dub influences pulled in as well.

Pheek

Emma Robertson