Paris Musique Club

The 2015 Red Bull Music Academy is held at La Gaîté lyrique in Paris. Throughout the Academy, we are working together with the digital arts and modern music center to present an exhibition entitled Paris Musique Club. Running from October 24th to January 31st, 2016, Paris Musique Club offers both an enhanced music exhibition and programming focused on the carte blanche approach, in which creative collectives and labels from the Parisian scene have been given full discretionary power to do as they please.

The relationships between music and digital art are multiple, with an abundance of possible intersections; they feed off each other to allow music to be experienced, in some cases, as a total experience, made of both sound and images. As part of Paris Musique Club, we’ve invited the Parisian collective Scale to explore the multi-sensory dimension of music through a series of audiovisual devices designed to be either viewed or activated collectively.

Whether working alongside Beat Assailant, Agoria, Carl Craig, Francesco Tristano, Moritz Von Oswald or Christine and The Queens, Scale has mastered the art of sublimating live music through image and light. 360° projections, mapping, virtual reality: these different techniques will be used here to create several immersive installations that will cause the public to lose its bearings and change its perception.

Taitoru

A panoramic video fresco measuring 21 meters wide and 4 meters high, Taitoru is the introduction to the exhibition and a bold visualisation of the sonic and conceptual aims of Paris Musique Club.

Resistance

Invented in the late 18th century, the player piano opened up endlessly complex possibilities for the instrument. The contemporary version – the Yamaha Disklavier – is being made available to the public for Paris Musique Club. Sounds from the Disklavier are also translated into commands controlling an entrancing light installation. Several pianists have contributed short pieces for the Disklavier, but visitors can also showcase their own piano skills in this interactive “audiovisual jukebox.”

Resistance is a new version of the Piano 3.0 project initiated in 2013 for the Némo festival at the MCA of Créteil and with pianist Francesco Tristano.

Playground

Playground is an interactive installation that allows visitors to orchestrate a robotic ensemble of live drums through bodily movements. In front of the 32 snare, tom and bass drums, each with their own computer-controlled drumstick, is a sensory floor grid that the visitors move across to their own beat – and the more people who get involved, the more complex the beats become.

Immorphosis

Immorphosis is a 150-person capacity cube, entirely covered with video, which immerses the visitors in generative imagery. The cube moves between two installations: a series of five short films that blend narrative, 360-degree film footage with graphics, and a responsive collection of visuals designed to frame live music events. In the center of the cube is an arcade game-style interface that visitors can use to manually control the visuals, making it an autonomous apparatus.

1020s

1020s is an imposing installation connecting classic and contemporary principles of artistic creation. A tribute to Maurice Ravel’s Bolero, 1020s is a visual transcript of Ravel’s score that uses graphics codes usually reserved for creating electronic music. A collection of 30 interlocking geometric shapes symbolizing individual podiums in an orchestra, each shape is graphically and dynamically enhanced with video so that the individual notes being produced are represented in shifting, technicolor visual forms.

Terminal

Terminal is the installation version of an interactive project initiated by IRCAM and Chloé. Visitors enter a confined space lit by fluorescent tubes while Chloe’s music activates the the lights in various ways. Attendees are likewise able to connect their cell phones to a wireless network, at which point they operate as autonomous devices emitting sound and images that enhance and complement the existing installation.

This installation was produced in collaboration with research teams at IRCAM. The Web Audio technologies used in this installation were developed as part of research projects by CoSiMa (Collaborative Situated Media) and Wave (WebAudio Visualisation and Editing), funded in part by the National Research Agency and coordinated by IRCAM, in co-production with the Centre Pompidou.

Paris Musique Club is set to be more than just an exhibition. Each week, several events will be offered to provide a subjective overview of the Paris music scene. Labels, artist collectives, agencies, media, venues: the structures highlighted are somewhat all of them at once.

They all share the common goal of producing or coaxing out of hiding content that they then editorialize and disseminate in various forms – albums, blogs, apps, publications, objects, editions, performances, parties... Equally at home on the web as they are in music venues and clubs, these versatile structures bring together musicians, video artists, graphic artists, artistic directors, producers, content developers, and more.

For Paris Musique Club, the 12 collectives will have four days to introduce themselves to the public. They will be telling a story, their own story about music, in the form of live performances, DJ sets, listening sessions, screenings, and more. We have also encouraged them to step out of their comfort zone and organize activities that they don’t normally engage in, such as masterclasses, workshops and programs for kids.

THE COLLECTIVES

Born Bad - October 29 - November 1

The Born Bad Records label was founded in 2006 with the desire to support a new French rock scene, represented by artists such as Cheveu, Frustration, or La Femme. The label also releases many thematic reissues that give new life to works by French artists of days past who went unnoticed in their time like Francis Bebey, synth wave artists and little known psych rock bands. These reissues feature music from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s, and aim to promote the creativity of French artists who were way ahead of their time.

Thursday, October 29 - Story Club
Launch party and talk, 7 PM
The birth of the label and its artistic, philosophical and economical development. With JB Guillot, founder of Born Bad, moderated by Pascal Bertin. [This talk will be held in French.]

Friday, October 30 - Live Club
Born Bad Live, 8:30 PM
Antilles
Usé
...video by the collective Machine Molle

Saturday, October 31 - Kids Club
Sound workshop by Usé

Sunday, November 1 - Chill Club
Chebran: French Boogie 1980 - 1984 Release Party, 3 PM
Vidal Benjamin (Disco Sympathie)
Fred Serendip (Serendip Lab)
Henriette Coulouvrat
France ’80s DJ Set (Mix Funky Fresh Frenchy by Noisey, Vice and Fluoglacial)

ClekClekBoom - November 5 - 8

A French label that recently celebrated its third birthday at la Gaîté lyrique with a show between sound and video, ClekClekBoom continues to elaborate new projects with interactions between artist and public at their heart. With artists as experienced as its founding members (French Fries, Ministre X or The Boo) and the verve of its new recruits (Bambounou, Jean Nipon, Manaré, NSDOS), ClekClekBoom has become an essential character on the Paris clubbing scene.

Thursday, November 5 - Story Club
Création d’un label avec The Boo et Ministre X, 7 PM
Artist visions with Jean Nipon, Coni and Manaré, 8:30 PM
Image development with Monoburo (Jérôme Hervé & Romain Cieutat), 9:30 PM
ClekClekBoom retrospective DJ set by The Boo, 10:30 PM

Friday, November 6 - Live Club
8 PM
Manaré 
NSDOS 
Jean Nipon

Saturday, November 7 - Kids Club
Party and snacks

Sunday, November 8 - Chill Club
Beginning 3 PM
DJ sets and drinks with Coni and The Boo

La Souterraine - November 12 - 15

La Souterraine is a shaky topography of the French musical scene, an ethno-musicological approach in reverse. Whether they’re known or appear to have emerged from the depths, the artists promoted by this platform aren’t afraid of significant stylistic differences. La Souterraine is writing the in-progress anthology of the current Francophone music scene, and will be haunting the lower level of La Gaîté Lyrique with concerts, screenings, conversations with guests, and exhibits that all reflect their world of French underground pop.

Thursday, November 12 - Story Club
Beginning 7 PM
Launch party and conversation with la Souterraine and Pascal Bertin / first listen and launch of the new anthology La Souterraine Vol. 8 (out November 13th)

Friday, November 13 - Live Club
8 PM
BCBG
Rémi Parson
Requin Chagrin

Saturday, November 14 - Kids Club
PIPRIP -  Constructing my first synthesizer
Workshop, 3 PM - 5 PM
Demonstration of the PIPRIP orchestra, 5 PM

Sunday, November 15 - Chill Club
Screening of Petit à Petit by Jean Rouch, 2 PM
La Souterraine Gala, short shows, and bingo, 3 PM
Camille Bénâtre & Thomas Pradier
Fantôme & Maud Octallin
Silvain Vanot
Eddy Crampes

Garage MU - November 19 - 22

A great example of a protean collective that constantly evolves to adapt to the transformations of culture. An artistic production outfit that specializes in immersive sound installations and urban treks on Smartphone, MU also programs events in the fields of contemporary art, music and new media. Working out of their facilities in the Goutte d’Or neighborhood in Paris, they’ve turned their den into Garage MU, a veritable laboratory in which artist residencies, workshops, concerts, exhibitions, and performances all intersect. Considered one of the French capital’s most underground music venues, its programming features a mix of noise, garage rock, punk and electronic music.

Thursday, November 19 - Story Club
Beginning 7 PM
Launch party with a Garage MU DJ set and a MU conference - the history of the collective with sounds and images by artists and producers. With Olivier Le Gal, Eric Daviron, Vincent Voillat

Friday, November 20 - Live Club
TBA

Saturday, November 21 - Kids Club
Beginning 3 PM
Sound Jungle by collectif MU. Go chasing sounds with your backpack, a helmet with antennas and a map. From 6 years old.

Sunday, November 22 - Chill Club
Eric Stil is the programmer for music at Garage MU and for the festivals organized by collectif MU. Chill to the sounds of the first anthology edited by Garage MU and get an idea of what Garage MU looks like live with screenings in the auditorium.
Eric Stil DJ set, 3:30 PM
MU Screenings - Garage Mu Best Of : one hour of videos with preview images of the Barbes Beats festival with Acid Arab, filmed by the collectif Monstres, 5:30 PM
Garage MU DJ Set, 5:30 PM

Antinote - November 26 - 29

Founded in 2012 by Zaltan, Antinote views its musical approach as “exploded” and without labels. Following its early days as a niche label that released intimate techno gems on ultra-limited vinyl editions, Antinote became a staple of the Parisian scene. Today, the label represents artists like Syracuse and, as always, continues to place special emphasis on the visual aspect of its productions, working with graphic studio Check Morris.

In Paradisum - December 3 - 6

A Paris label founded in 2011 by Guillaume Heuguet and Paul Regimbeau (AKA Mondkopf), whose leading artists include Low Jack and Somaticae (among many others). Between album releases and happenings, the label has made experimental music its specialty. «In Paradisum» events are moments where heaven and hell come together in a blast of sound that ranges from electronica to drone / doom / noise. Their maxim: «Sufficient unto the night is the evil thereof.»

Brut Pop - December 10 - 13

Brut Pop is dedicated to promoting experimental music and the visual arts to an audience made up of persons with autism and individuals with mental or psychological disabilities. The project’s main emphasis is to share these fields of artistic activity and the questions they raise, namely via a collaboration between artists labeled as Brut artists and underground artists. BRUT POP is also a DIY lab that creates new tools adapted to all.

Infiné - December 17 - 20

Founded in 2006 by Alexandra Cazac and Yannick Matray, InFiné has built a reputation for itself that has long since grown out of French borders. With artists of international scope such as Apparat, Rone, The Hacker or Francesco Tristano, InFiné offers real artistic experiences. The label constantly seeks originality and creativity, whether it be through bold associations between electro, minimal, techno and classical music, or through innovative visual identities for videos.

Potemkine - January 7 - 10

The story of Potemkin can be related to the story of Born Dad. Initially a simple DVD store selling specialized music, Potemkin quickly adopted a new mission «to stimulate the eye of jaded spectators» by reissuing rare and forgotten gems that tell a singular story of the 7th art. In a logical extension of this approach, Potemkin became a theatrical distributor of independent and experimental films. While music is not the distributor’s specialty, it features prominently in its catalog of works— which should come as no surprise given that Potemkine founder Nils Bouaziz, brother of Joakim, is a DJ himself as well as the founder of the Tigersushi label.

Sonotown - January 14 - 17

Since 2008, the main objective of Sonotown (SNTWN) has been to promote emerging musical styles in France, in particular by giving promising young artists the opportunity to gain visibility on the French music scene. The collective began as a cultural webzine before rapidly expanding into the field of event production. It made a name for itself by offering a series of pioneering Parisian events, first in unusual places (from which today’s famous «75021 -temporary arrondissement» events emanated) and then in most of the capital’s main clubs. In 2013, SNTWN began to diversify its approach by opening a production company called Rooms and a communication agency called OOO, which helped it establish itself as a major brand on the electronic scene.

Barbi(e)turix - January 21 - 24

The driving force behind Barbi(e)turix is fifteen volunteers, fifteen Riot girls who want to shake things up. The goal: to challenge stereotypes and promote female and lesbian culture. Barbi(e)turix is both an Internet site devoted to this culture, a free DIY fanzine distributed in bars, galleries, concept stores and Paris clubs, as well as the creators of the biggest Paris lesbian party night: the WET FOR ME! events.

Mawimbi - January 28 - 31

An uncommon presence on the Paris scene, Mawimbi has invited us to travel since 2013. They’ve created bonds between a musical heritage influenced by the African continent and contemporary sounds. This seldom explored hybrid has been their playground for the creation of different formats: events, performances, workshops, a blog and also a compilation… Always with the spirit of the family that characterizes them. Afrobeat/disco/techno/kwaito waves (“mawimbi” in swahili) continue to bring rhythm to the diverse projects initiated by the collective, whose aim today is to give new breath to the contemporary music scene.