In a world overcrowded by festivals that keep blooming and withering, celebrating a twenty-anniversary edition is a remarkable milestone. That’s precisely what Mutek MX has just done, with a two-week programme that has taken over Mexico City to showcase cutting-edge performances, concerts, and visuals across different venues. Through immersive installations and experimental proposals that bridge art, music, and technology, Mutek MX cements itself as a necessary festival to better understand our present while also looking into the future.
We kicked it off on Sunday with Play 2, a programme that merges consolidated acts with more emerging artists. Set in the beautiful Casa del Lago UNAM, in the magical Bosque de Chapultepec, the three performances we saw were about sonic exploration. There weren’t many visuals or strobe lights like we’re used to, just sounds. Kotanna opened the evening with a meditative, introspective ambient set that was incredibly soothing — many people decided to lay down and experience it with their eyes closed, reaching a sort of trance. Gibrana Cervantes spiced it up with her violin, whose sound she distorts to an extreme that becomes almost unrecognisable. It was visceral, passionate, and refreshing. Finally, Rafael Anton Irisarri was the cherry on top with a magistral concert of ambient and drone music.
For Play 3, there was a step up in the proposals (they included visuals this time), but the reflective, explorative quality to them remained untouched. One of the most original and visually mesmerising was that of Cirrina Lab, Opuntia, and Isaac Soto, who altogether crafted an audiovisual piece that explores the community of bacteria that inhabit the skin of the mountain axolotl — one of the most characteristic animals in the country. Using different types of microscopes, we delved into this curious, organic world that is so different from the computer-generated images we’re used to seeing. The day finished with a warm and candid concert by Natural Wonder Beauty Concept, a duo formed by composer and multi-instrumentalist Ana Roxanne and DJ and producer Brian Piñeyro aka DJ Python.
The next day, we moved to Museo Diego Rivera-Anahuacalli, an impressive location that hosted brilliant acts. Veteran Suzanne Ciani knows what she does when she’s in front of her tools, and she just proved that to the large audience. Starting her set with some natural sounds like birds chirping, she guided us through a psychedellic journey across different sounds. She was followed by experimental saxophonist Bendik Giske, who played highly emotional songs surrounded by heavy smoke and stunning lighting. Joining him on stage, Mexican dancer Diego Vega Solorza put movement to Bendik’s music, making it a well-rounded performance piece that merged different artistic techniques.
Of course, one of the main highlights of the night was composer David August, who came equipped with a wide range of tools, from a CDJ to a gong. As you can imagine, his blend of spirituality and club-oriented beats blurred the limits of music that’s made to be danced to and music that’s made to carefully be listened to. It was cathartic and exhilarating, and the entire façade of the Anahuacalli lit up thanks to the visuals by MFO, which complemented the dreamy, almost metaphysical performance by August.
On Friday, the audience was ready to finally party. Martin Messier, a staple of the festival (he’s participated in several editions of Mutek around the world), did an incredibly engaging set that helped us get into the mood. His act was followed by Robert Lippok and Lucas Gutierrez, who embraced chaos and noise in such a powerful way, both visually and sonically.
Then, one of the main highlights (and personal discoveries) of the night: Nsdos. A multifaceted artist working across music, digital art, and dance, his hour-long show got incredibly packed as more and more people were hypnotised by his proposal. Daring, passionate, primal, visceral — it was hard to describe how magnetic his presence, music, and movements were. After him, Ezra Miller and Nick León felt a bit underwhelming — it was hard to follow in Nsdos’ footsteps.
The artist who put us back on track was none other than Alva Noto. With a career spanning decades and having played in some of the most prestigious festivals around the world, he was a safe bet. Still, it’s hard to prove yourself when everyone expects so much from you — but of course, he delivered. Incredibly visual and electrifying, we were pulled into his carefully crafted universe. Another master of his craft is Japanese Daito Manabe, who kept the spirits high with a jaw-dropping show of shape-shifting visuals and experimental yet danceable music. It was just… chef’s kiss.
Closing the first Nocturne 360 night, it was Iglooghost’s turn. Back in May, the producer released his new album, Tidal Memory Exo, a record based on the power of water and chaos as a driving force. Speaking of it with us, he said: “After making such a pastoral, serene record with Lei Line Eon [his previous album], I immediately wanted to swing the pendulum into the opposite direction and make something mechanical, feral, and polluted.” His live show was that too: multilayered, confusing yet cohesive, and highly energetic.
On Saturday, our legs were tired already. But you all know that show must go on. We started quiet peacefully with Meth Math, an emerging Mexican band that explore nostalgia, grief, and otherness through a mystic sound. Amnesia Scanner & Freeka Tet, who’ve lately collaborated in projects like the music video AS Over, offered one of the best sets of the festival. The visuals were highly political and committed to doing a critique of our society and the capitalist system. And the noisy music matched that violence perfectly.
Meanwhile, on the other room, we caught glimpses of Lee Gamble, Flabbergast, and again David August, who brought a more club-oriented set while staying true to his balance between dance and meditation. Duo Animistic Beliefs was on that same page — blending introspection with partying, a discourse that many contemporary artists are starting to revolve around. And to close the twentieth edition of Mutek MX, Octopic and Myriam Boucher presented an audiovisual show that was the icing on the cake of a marathon-like festival.