Carmen Villain^NO/MX

Photo credit : Signe Luksengard

World-class sound explorer Carmen Villain (born Carmen Maria Hillestad) has been sailing along an endless range of sonic influences, moving deftly from the dreamlike art-pop of her first albums to the hazy dub of her latest work, Only Love From Now On. But despite this new creative direction, the charming Norwegian-Mexican artist hasn’t lost an ounce of her organic and bewitching beauty. Using a plethora of instruments such as flutes, clarinets, pianos, synthesizers as well as a wide array of electronic tools and field recordings, she now crafts her signature sound by merging elements of fourth world, dub, ambient and cosmic jazz. Thanks to a truly original approach to production and composition, never shying from improvisation, Villain conjures a conversation across new forms of musical creation, namely granular synthesis. Her journey is one of musical and artistic deconstruction, but also of spiritual growth. Despite diverse, philosophical and often abstract themes, the emotional content remains obvious and unambiguous. Having released works on labels such as Smalltown Supersound, Geographic North and Longform Editions, Villain also collaborated with artists such as Jenny Hval and Parris, while others like Biosphere and DJ Python tried their hands at remixing some of her tracks.

Carmen Villain will make her debut at MUTEK Montréal by showcasing her latest album, Only Love From Now On, in which the artist’s aesthetic sensibilities give way to an exuberant, dreamlike and mysterious sensuality; a collection of brilliantly polished pieces whose themes are as diverse as they are cohesive.

Presented with the support of Smalltown Supersound