As Planet Break Record's label coordinator, electro/breakbeat veteran DJ Murdock has played alongside some of Canada's biggest names in breaks, such as DJ Czech and Robb G, as well as opened for international headliners such as Frankie Bones (US) and Atomic Hooligan (UK). His style is a dancefloor-friendly fusion of Electro bangers and party-rocking' breakbeats that are sure to get any party started.

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Known more recently for his large scale paintings and street art, Regimental Oneton has spent the last ten years producing, performing and voicing music of all genres for several labels.  Charting well with his releases for Planet Break Records and Bass Bong Records, this hard working artistic titan shows no signs of slowing down.  His double time vocal flow and presence on stage is what made Regimental Oneton a staple in the Canadian electronic-music community.

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Pinky 38 (aka Ivan Djerkic) has been bathing in music ever since he was born.  A DJ for more than a decade, he’s developed his own unique style of breaks, electro, and house.  A graduate of Recording Arts of Canada, he began releasing music on Planet Break Records, a label he co-founded.  He’s played alongside such well-known figures as Robb G, Atomic Holigan and Jordan Dare.  A leading light of the Planet Break collective, Pinky’s brings hip=hop scratching to club technique.  It’s impossible to stand still when he’s on!

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The main brains behind the formation of the Planet Rock collective in 2004, Spacekadet (aka Patrick Harpin) has forged a firm reputation on the Montreal breakbeat scene on the sheer energy he delivers via his sets.  Influenced in large part by 90s rave music, these days he’s still spinning a contemporary mix of breaks, electro, and house.  Harpin has performed at innumerable events across Eastern Canada, including WEMF in 2003-2005 and Piknic Électronik in 2007.  You won’t have time to reconsider so… GET READY TO BOUNCE!

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Deyond (aka Guillaume Paiement) has been a producer, sound technician, and DJ for more than 20 years.  With music as part of his life’s fabric, Deyond has forged a style of his own out of major influences in the house and techno genres, which he inevitably pulled into his first love of breakbeats.  A founding member of Planet Break, he’d collaborated on numerous events and performed alongside artists such as Dilemn and Elite Force.

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The Rogue Element (aka award-winning producer and composer Ben Medcalf) has taken the breakbeat world by storm. A string of singles received instant support from the Plump DJs, Freestylers, Stanton Warriors, Krafty Kuts, The Crystal Method, Hyper and Rennie Pilgrem and culminated in Ben being awarded several prestigious Breakspoll International Breakbeat Awards. The Rogue Element has remixed Stanton Warriors, Freestylers, Krafty Kuts, the Crystal Method, as well as toured all over Central and Eastern Europe, the Far East, Australia and New Zealand. 

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A music critic and independent journalist, Philippe Renaud has been a contributing writer for La Presse since 1999 as well as various tv and radio shows. When asked what he would play for this special premiere, Philippe remained vague but did mention something about exploring the lesser known styles of polka (dubpolka, polka’n’bass, metal polka, polkatronic, reggapolka, polka rap, etc…). But we think he was just kidding. Right, Philippe?  

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Musician and DJ/ producer; artist and scientist, Bran Van 3000’s “Electronic” Pierre Bergen navigates both sides of the creative universe. A writer, singer, keyboardist, guitarist, bassist, drummer, and studio whiz, E.P.’s astonishing versatility also applies to musical style. From house to trip-hop, jazz to rock, pop to gospel, E.P. has done it all.  Although he has been producing for and performing with such Québec celebrities as Mitsou, Jean Leloup and Ivan Dorochuk of Men Without Hats since 1990, it was Bran Van 3000’s Glee album (Capitol/EMI) that propelled E.P. out of his Montreal loft and into the international spotlight. Best known for the hit single “Drinking in L.A.,” he was also involved in Bran Van’s follow-ups, Discosis andThe Garden. 

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DJ Sweet Daddy Luv came onto the scene in 1994 and has since spun at a zillion parties, including most recently the monthly THUMP parties at CFC. Luv branched off and has released his own productions (as Identification and The Dorkestra), co-ran the label C0C0S0L1DC1T1, was one third of real live band The Nanobot Auxiliary Ballet, and more recently has started a collaboration with Andy Williams called the Jazz Amnesty Sound System. Sweet Daddy Luv also puts up weekly dj mixes of various genres, eras and styles for the people here.

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Formed in late 2009, the collective Monitor brings together the complementary talents of several well-established figures on the Montreal electronic scene. Monitor’s sound is tech-house colored with minimal influences and a staunchly underground sensibility: solid rhythms, spellbinding atmospheres and captivating vocal collaborations. Monitor’s live act featured 2 DJs and a keyboard player.

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DJ and event designer for more than fifteen years, François Lebaron is the co-founder of Trigger Recording, the first Canadian electronic-music company to have a licensing agreement with Warner Music Canada. Renowned for his unique performances, numerous cutting edge projects and productions, François has performed and held residencies in some of the hottest Canadian venues such as Stereo, Aria Red Lite, Circus, Piknic Électronik, Salon Daomé, Unity, Parking, and U.N. 

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Although notorious for her consistently “hard” beats, her music has evolved stylistically from a self-described “funky pumpin’ techno” vibe to one which she feels is more “groovy, techy and minimal”. The flavor of Misstress Barbara’s craft, however, is in perpetual motion as she continually pushes her own artistic boundaries in search of the next unique sound.

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Axel Helios is not an abstract concept, nor a plankton and absolutely not a shrimp. Born in the post-rave generation and coming straight from Bas-Saint-Laurent, Axel was into electronic music when he was really young. Being a producer more than anything else, he cut his teeth over the years in other disciplines such as live P.As, sound designing and DJing. He's the owner of Shabu Recordings where the main objective is to release music that has a soul even if it was made by machines. 

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DJ and producer Pfreud (Frederic Laurier) has been active on Montreal’s electronic music scene for the last 15 years. Spinning electro-house with a touch of techno-disco, Pfreud is resident DJ in some of the city’s most renowned nightclubs (Sona, Red Lite, High Bar and Jaï).  He’s shared the decks with Felix Da Housecat, Dimitri From Paris, Green Velvet, Carl Cox, Misstress Barbara, Tiga, Darren Emerson (Underworld) and Markus Nikolaï.  

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As part of Ciné-Piknic’s programming at PikniCubik, DJ XL5 invites you on a nostalgia-tinted musical journey retracing the history of music videos before the MTV era.  You’ll discover the Soundies (from the 40s) and Scopitones (from the 60s), little musical films that you could watch by sliding coins into a jukebox of images.  These big machines contained dozens of 16mm music films.  The films were projected via a system of lenses and mirrors onto a pane of frosted glass that gave them the look of futuristic TV.

On the program: swing, rock n’ roll, twist, plunging necklines, queens of marimba, gogo dancers, gleaming guitars, psychedelic vibrations, revelatory bikinis, French and Quebecois artists, as well as American rock n’ rollers and pop icons.

Along with Soundies and Scopitones, you’ll be able to watch excerpts from music films forgotten by history and TV episodes from Quebecois and American shows from the 60s and 70s.  Also along from the video-trip, a rare version of Roger Mainwood’s AUTOBAHN animation, set to the music of Kraftwerk.

Months of research were needed to assemble this inspiring, kitschy, and always eye-opening collection.

DJ XL5 is a Montreal multi-media artist and collagist.  His showcases of short films and thematic events have been presented across Canada in numerous film festivals, repertoire movie theatres and other cinematographic events.  As well as having premiered a number of works at the Fantasia film festival, DJ XL5 regularly organizes viewing soirées.  In the past months, he has presented his projects at Montréal en lumière, Rendez-vous du cinema québécois, Regard sur le court métrage au Saguenay and at the festival Vitesse lumière de Québec.

Here’s the radio announcement for DJ XL5’s Videophonic Zappin’ Party (In monophonic & stereophonic sound).

International. 1930-1979.
Projection numérique.
Une création de DJ XL5. 100 min

Ciné-Piknic
September 4th - 8h30 pm
GURU Stage

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Drawing from a wide range of tropical riddims and urban electro, the power of DJ/producer Poirier’s bass blasts through bits and pieces of dancehall beats, soca energy and electronic intensity, all filtered through the Montreal native’s dance-driven creativity and air horn-worthy excitement. Signed to Ninja Tune, this is a man who just understands what works in the dance. From his legendary Bounce Le Gros parties in Montreal – sold-out events for two years running – to the newer, bigger, better, and bass-ier Karnival nights, Poirier has been unstoppable in his ability to mash styles, expand minds, and move asses.

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Patrice Tremblay (aka Bushido) made his first appearances as a DJ/Producer in 2003 as a member of Spektro, a duo based in Quebec City, before launching his solo project under the pseudonym Bushido. In Montreal for just over 7 years and a member of the 64hz collective, Bushido seamlessly combines pure techno with a variety of other musical styles, such as breaks, dub, electro and tech-house, each time delivering a diverse, non-linear musical experience.

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Christian Smith has been at the top of his game as a DJ and producer for over a decade. While his roots lie in techno, the Swedish-born Smith has never been a purist; favouring instead to flavour the tough, rhythmical music he loves with heavy doses of funk or intersperse the raw energy of his sets with inspired moments of pure euphoria.  With seminal tracks on labels such as Adam Beyer’s Drumcode, John Digweed’s Bedrock, and Dubfire’s Sci+Tec, Smith has spent much of the last decade riding at the top of a global club resurgence.

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Emerging in UK club circles in the latter half of 2009. Alan Fitzpatrick has been name-checked as on of the most exciting producers of techno by the likes of Adam Beyer, Dubfire, Carl Cox, John Digweed, and Len Faki.  A pivotal member of Beyer’s Drumcode roster, Fitzpatrick has released three chart-topping EP’s on the label, as well as Drumcode’s first full-length album since 2005, his well-received Shadows in the Dark.  Since then, he’s started his own imprint, 8 Sided Dice Recordings. Which has quickly belted out over 25 releases by an emerging generation of young producers.

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Boyscout Killers ( BSK ) is an electronic quartet based in Ottawa/Montreal. In association with Place Records, BSK  has had an active role in promoting and showcasing electronic producers in Ottawa. As a group, BSK performs in different combinations but whenever possible as a quartet. Shaped by each member’s own distinctive style, their improvised sets range from industrial IDM to Psychedelic Electro. 

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Montreal-based Léon Lo has been active in the city's musical activity since the turn of the millennium. Under numerous guises, he has been involved in independent, experimental, electro-acoustic, improvised, electronic and free-jazz endeavours. As an active member of ESL Productions, he has DJ-ed with the likes of Roska, Mary Anne Hobbs, Altered Natives, Bok Bok and Dubbel Dutch to name a few. He also co-hosts the ESL Overnight radio show on London-based internet radio Nasty.fm alongside crew members BUS and Bowly. His Skinnybones project, started not yet one year ago, is an exploration of the myriad sounds of the post-UK Garage lineage. His compositions are characterised by a percussive approach and a very personal take on Montreal's Rave years. Skinnybones's appearance at MUTEK this year will mark his very first live performance.

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Drawing from a wide range of tropical riddims and urban electro, the power of DJ/producer Poirier’s bass blasts through bits and pieces of dancehall beats, soca energy and electronic intensity, all filtered through the Montreal native’s dance-driven creativity and air horn-worthy excitement. Signed to Ninja Tune, this is a man who just understands what works in the dance. From his legendary Bounce Le Gros parties in Montreal – sold-out events for two years running – to the newer, bigger, better, and bass-ier Karnival nights, Poirier has been unstoppable in his ability to mash styles, expand minds, and move asses.

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James Teej is a 29-year-old Canadian-born electronic-music artist, producer and DJ currently residing in Toronto.  In 2008, James began releasing his innovative sound to the world on a long list of respected recording labels, including Rekids, My Favorite Robot Records, Rebirth, No.19 Music, Noir, TicTacToe and Connect Four Records.  He’s remixed such artists as Trentemoller, Toby Tobias, Kenny Glasgow, My Favorite Robot, Patrick Zigon, and many more.  

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With over a decade of experience behind the decks and a life long passion for music, Jared Simms and Voytek Korab have come together to create My Favorite Robot and more recently, My Favorite Robot Records.  Born of the Montreal club scene of the 90’s, their partnership started as DJing venture, which still remains their first love. Since then, the My Favorite Robot imprint has firmly planted itself on the map with a string of critically acclaimed singles, artist albums, and remixes from such artists James Teej, Kenny Glasgow, Chloe, and, Jori Hulkkonen to name a few. 

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Montreal native Tronald Trump is a man of many different styles/sounds/flavors. Over the last 8 years he has been earning his stripes playing clubs, bars, pool parties, fashion shows... You name it!  Getting his start with Skratch Bastid at his infamous "Stay Fly" Thursday night at Blizzarts, Tron moved on to start a weekly night at Lola Lounge with Rilly Guilty. This led to regular gigs around the city, including the late great CODA.

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Botnek are a DJ/production duo from Montreal, Canada.  Their unique style and productions take influence from dutch house, jump-up techno and afrobeat music.  They won a remix competition for Felix Cartal‘s single “Skeleton“.  Their first EP “Plonk” is set for release in May 9, 2011 on Discobelle Records.  Following that will be the release of the “Kingdom” EP on Top Billin’ Records later this summer, and being featured on the upcoming "Fried and Tested" compilation on Southern Fried Records.

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Alongside Romeo Kardec and Mind Bend, Chilean-born DJ Cristobal Urbina (aka DJ Poontz) is co-founder of the Montreal techno label Fur Trade Recordings. Fur Trade has 6 releases, 2 on vinyl, after only a year running, which include Berlin-based artists The Mole and Chicago producer Billy Dalessandro.  In the early 2000s, he settled into breakbeats, forming the infamous Montréal-based Broken Crew playing Montréal institutions like Sona and Stereo. A resident at Laïka Montréal since 2007, Cristobal’s dynamic sets express the elements of sound that he has collected from Chile to Ecuador to Brooklyn to Montréal and have made crowds bounce, from Detroit to Berlin and back.

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Billy Dalessandro’s fluid grooves and complex harmonic structures have found homes on labels both foreign and domestic, including Siteholder Records (of which he is a co-owner), Soniculture, Disco Inc., Force Inc., Forcetracks, Harthouse, Resopal, and Relax. His productions can also be found on compilations by such highly respected jocks as John Digweed, Matthew Dear, and Steve Lawler. His stellar reputation as both a live performer and a DJ have helped him accrue frequent flyer miles, playing at such world renowned clubs as Panorama Bar (Berlin), Sugar Factory (Amsterdam), The Egg (London), and Lux (Lisbon).

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Located deep within the circuitry of a mechanical alien host known as Maetrik you will find a complex web of synaptic dispersements resembling what could be called a soul. Its name is Maceo Plex.  Maceo Plex is on a quest to fullfil his need to inject feeling and funk into the world, and he's already proving to be quite productive. With deep and funky works of audible engineering for the label Crosstown Rebels in the form of a full-length album titled Life Index, a night with Maceo Plex will be one of galactic proportions.

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DJ Mini was born in Rimouski, Québec. Soon relocated in the middle of Montreal's urban jungle, the young Evelyne Drouin slowly builds up a passion for the sounds of techno and electro. She quickly imposes herself as an important figure of the Montreal underground as a DJ, producer and event promoter. She has filled the Parking nightclub every Thursday for the past seven years with the help of many famous guests as the curator and resident DJ of the legendary Overdose parties.

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Self-Taught Multi-Instrumentalist, Producer/Composer/DJ.
Co- Founder (alongside Cristobal Urbina & Romeo Kardec) of Montreal Imprint Fur Trade Recordings, part of the Sinteg live duo (with his brother Ollie Viero) and record pusher at Atom Heart Records.

His DJ style could be described as such :

''I will take the sun in my mouth and leap into the ripe air
Alive
With closed eyes
To dash against darkness
In the sleeping curves of my body
Shall enter fingers of smooth mastery...''

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Kardec started playing records for money back in the mid 90’s. Focusing on funk and soul classics, he gradually moved towards house music before discovering the wonders of techno.  You can find his music on his label Fur Trade Recordings.

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Friends since the age of 14, this duo has been performing together for 9 years and count themselves among Salon Daomé's extended family, where their High Heels Prohibited event is a huge success. They have performed at electronic-music festivals internationally and have played at Stereo, Stereobar, Club UN, Belmont, Passeport, Circus Afterhours, Piknic Electronik as well as at the Festival BPM of Playa del Carmen in Mexico. You will fall under the charm of their deep tech-house sound with a great base line that will get you grooving like only girls can do. 

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MightyKat was born with a sixth sense for rhythm. A native Montrealer, she’s become a player on the international scene while continuing to organize and promote local events. She is also label partner of Pronto Musique with producer, Miguel Graça. Counting her main influences as jazz, disco, and soul, MK’s unique sound bridges eclectic house and the funkier side of techno. Her sophisticated style, refined track selection, and tight mixing skills define her signature sound, while her love of the dance floor drives her musical intuition wherever she plays. 

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dOP is a handful: Clement Zemtsov provides the BPM’s and other programming, Damien van de Sande arrives chockfull of keyboards and horns, and songster Lelli brings it all together with the energizing, tribal lyrics that form the band’s trademark sound. The trio has kept busy since 2007, when they first began releasing records, with an album and no less than eight EP’s to their name on such labels as Paris’ Circus Company (home to Nôze and Dave Aju), Seattle’s Orac and more.

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Electronic-music duo Leboeuf et Laviolette was formed in Montreal in 2008.  They began making more brutist sound collages, in tribute to Quebecois sculptors Henri Laviolette et Orel Leboeuf. But the siren call of dance music was just too strong.  So, for the last two years they’ve dedicated themselves to rhythms that are sometimes nostalgic and always electrifying and over-the-top. Leboeuf et Laviolette is Jean-Francois Lauda and David Lafrance.

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