The annual gathering for fans of electronic music and digital art is fast approaching. For its 26th edition, running Aug. 19-24, 2025, MUTEK once again shines a light on the bold and groundbreaking work of artists from around the globe. Among them, a number of Québécois artists are getting ready to stretch their creative limits in a live setting. Here are three not to be missed.
Martyn Bootyspoon
Select the image to access the YouTube video of the Martyn Bootyspoon song “Nite Ryde”
Jason Voltaire, better known as Martyn Bootyspoon, owes his early musical curiosity to his brother, artist Jesse Voltaire. “He’s six years older than me, so he was already hitting the clubs when I was still a kid,” Jason recalls. “I’d see him head out around 10 p.m. on a Friday, and only come back Saturday afternoon. I started watching what he was doing on the computer at our parents’ place. He had the demo version of FL Studio and showed me the basics when I was about 10 or 11. I’ve always been kind of a tech nerd, so I picked it up pretty quickly.”
After starting out as a DJ in the late 2000s, Martyn Bootyspoon quickly immersed himself in Montréal’s nightlife. Originally from the West Island (Dollard-des-Ormeaux), he decided to enroll at Dawson College for a very simple reason: being closer to Montréal’s downtown core. “I started listening to Justice and going out to bars and clubs using my brother’s ID,” he recalls. “That’s when I started meeting people who were more like me, not just the folks from my old block. A few of us in the neighbourhood were pretty pissed off about suburban life. We were starting to connect with underground music, beyond the HMV stuff, Top 40, or David Guetta. We wouldn’t be caught dead wearing Parasuco!” he says sarcastically.
Active as a producer since the mid-2010s, the artist delivers an incendiary blend of house, techno, footwork, electro, and grime. His appearance at MUTEK this year will reflect the fiery fusion that defines his sound. “I want to make people dance. Sure, I have quieter, more introspective moments, but I don’t want the show to get too existential. I want it to channel the DNA of Montréal nightlife… more like a tribute to our disco capital past than something you’d watch with your arms crossed in a contemporary art museum,” explains the artist, who’ll be releasing two EPs in the coming months on the renowned U.K. label LuckyMe.
Martyn Bootyspoon will perform during the NOCTURNE 3 event, Sat. Aug. 22, from 2:20 to 3:20 a.m.
Gayance
Select the image to access the YouTube video of the Gayance song “Clout Chaser’s Anthem” (featuring Janette King & Hua Li)
Aïsha Vertus, aka Gayance, is always on the move. The last time we caught up with the Montréal-born artist for a story in Words & Music, a little over two years ago, she was living in Amsterdam. Today, you’ll need to dial Portugal’s country code (+351) to reach her. “Amsterdam was cool, but it never fully felt like my vibe,” she says. “When I had to start paying taxes there, I started questioning things. And every time, I kept thinking about my love story with Lisbon. So, I figured, instead of blowing all my savings on vacationing there every year, I might as well just settle down and make it official.”
Gayance draws inspiration from her travels and the people she meets. Her rich musical output is a reflection of her journeys around the world. Her debut album Mascarade – a deft blend of jazz, house, R&B, and broken beat – was well received in 2023, though the success caught her somewhat off-guard. “I always craved recognition, but once I got it, I didn’t want it anymore,” says the Haitian-Québécoise artist, still somewhat conflicted about the attention the album received, notably earning a spot on the prestigious Polaris Music Prize short list.
Roughly five years after her debut as a producer, Gayance – who spent much of the 2010s between Québec and Belgium, working as a host, writer, documentarian, and music curator – is now gearing up to release her second album early in 2026. As a nod to her wanderings, she’s titled it Roaming. “The music is very eclectic. There’s a track inspired by the Haitian carnivals of the 1980s, and in fact, there are a lot of Caribbean influences. I sing in Creole, French, and English,” she explains, adding that her large-scale MUTEK performance – featuring seven musicians and three VJs – will offer a strong preview of the album’s sonic signature.
Gayance will perform during the NOCTURNE 3 event, Sat. Aug. 22, from 12:15 to 1:05 a.m.
Sliberium
Select the image to access the YouTube video of the Sliberium song “MayGodSaveUs.exe”
Sliberium’s story is nearly 20 years old, and dates back to when Prince Amani Kouame (aka Kuma) and Tristan Sendji (aka Sendji) first met in kindergarten, at a school in LaSalle. “My first clear memory of Tristan is us going sledding together in the winter. It was incredible… even though we used to fight a lot!” Kuma recalls, in a burst of laughter.
After Kuma moved to Châteauguay, the childhood friends lost touch during their teens. During this time away from Montréal, the young Québécois/Ivory Coast-rooted artist began learning the basics of music production. As an avid fan of trap and R&B, he started experimenting with whatever tools he had on hand, creating his first demos using just a phone and a pair of earbuds. “Let’s just say the gear wasn’t exactly top of the line, but it got the job done!” he says.
Re-uniting with his longtime friend during college studies in LaSalle allowed him to level up. “As soon as we re-connected, it just clicked,” says Sendji, who is of Cameroonian and French heritage. “I saw him making music on his phone, and I was intrigued. I said, ‘Come on, let’s go on this journey together. We’re gonna make something out of this!’”
Thus began the Sliberium adventure in 2020. Their multi-disciplinary project blends experimental pop and distorted digital works, giving us a sharp-edged audio-visual experience. “There’s something very human in what we do, even though it can also be harsh and edgy, but it perfectly captures the feeling of being alive!” says Kuma. “The world of Sliberium is constantly evolving, and our performance at MUTEK will reflect both our past and our future.”
Sliberium will perform during the EXPÉRIENCE 4 event at L’Esplanade tranquille, Sat. Aug. 22, from 5:00 to 5:35 p.m.
Other Québec artists to catch at MUTEK this year:
- Priori (winner of the Electronic Music Award at the 2025 SOCAN Gala)
- RAMZi
- Alexis Langevin-Tétrault
- RICO X PARIA Ensemble
- Florence Delphine-Roux
- Guillaume Coutu Dumont & Line Katcho
- Yu Su
- TUSH
- Cleo Leigh
- Ouri
- .618
- DELAVELOUR
- Aria
- BelleyFERRIS
- BunBun
- Charline Dally
- Claire
Click here for a full list of local artists to check out.
The MUTEK Forum also returns from Aug. 20-22, 2025, with an expanded three-day program focused on cutting-edge innovation and critical conversations around research, creation, and collaboration. The lineup includes talks, performances, exhibitions, workshops, masterclasses, readings, and networking events exploring the intersections between music, AI, XR, media arts, video games, ecological futures, quantum art, and design. Full Forum program available here.