Guillaume Coutu-Dumont^CA/QC

Guillaume Coutu-Dumont — Les Empires

Guillaume Coutu-Dumont’s prolific career has spanned across multiple musical groups, influences, and countries. Initially a student of electroacoustics, latin and classical percussion, Coutu-Dumont entered Montréal’s techno and microhouse events through bands such as EGG and Chic Miniature, before moving to Paris and Berlin. Years abroad have seen him play as Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts, a music project filled with latin, jazz, and house influences, which he pursued upon his return to Montreal after a decade. Back at home, Coutu-Dumont now alternates between live projects such as trio Auflassen, which performed during MUTEK Festival’s last edition, as well as the Flabbergast duo with Vincent Lemieux.

Coutu-Dumont has become somewhat of a staple of the MUTEK experience. After over a dozen performances at the festival, he returns once more with Les Empires, a performance situated in mythology, childhood memories of TV cartoon shows, and movie soundtracks. Inspired by Early Krautrock musicians Manuel Göttsching and Klaus Schulze, he creates retro-futuristic pieces filled with the warmth and imperfections typical to the ambient synth sounds from this bygone era. Soft percussions and simple, repetitive melodies create a hypnotic and nostalgic atmosphere reminiscent of a time that may have never existed after all.