MUTEK is thrilled to introduce FEMINAE NOX as a guest programmer and collaborator for this year’s Festival and Forum.
Co-created by live music agents, Mira Silvers (IG) and Seny Kassaye (IG) of FORT Agency (IG) FEMINAE NOX is a non-profit music platform focused on prioritizing equity for Black, Brown, Indigenous and other racialized women, femme, and gender non-conforming people working or seeking to work in live music and nightlife—both on stage and behind-the-scenes.
FEMINAE NOX was born after the Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA) informed the duo in 2023 that, at the time, Seny was one of the only Black music agents in the entirety of Canada – making her one of the only known Black female agents in Canadian history.
Globally, there are not nearly enough Indigenous, Black, Brown, and racialized women, femme, and gender nonconforming folks working in live music and nightlife. At the moment, women working in various music industry sectors make up only 36% worldwide. In Canada, BIPOC individuals (all genders included) who work in live music make up 16% of the workforce and of those numbers approximately only 2% are BIPOC women. Computational analysis of Industry reports has shown that BIPOC women working in live music in Québec make up a mere 0.05%.
Mission
FEMINAE NOX’s mission is clear: prioritize equity through education, training programs, mentorship, events, career support, entrepreneurship and celebration. It is evident, live music and nightlife requires a full overhaul and a more holistic approach to bridging the gap with immediate action-based goals to innovate the live music industry now more than ever.
“When we started the FEMINAE NOX community a little over a year ago, we were certainly not the first to embark on this mission and nor will we be the last.” - Mira Silvers (Co-Founder, FEMINAE NOX)
All it means is that there have been generations of activists, community organizers, leaders, music executives, organizations, and peoples that have done this work before, both past and present. FEMINAE NOX’s goal is to continue this work well into the future to arm aspiring and established music executives and artists alike with hope, equity, transparency, encouragement, inspiration, amplification, opportunity, resources, belonging, community, and empowerment.
"FEMINAE NOX is a love letter to Black & Brown women and their never-ending fight to make their voices heard AND matter. It is a love letter to community and sisterhood. Our ultimate goal is creating a golden path for the next generation of young Black & Brown women to disrupt the status quo of the industry and chase their dreams to the fullest!” - Seny Kassaye (Co-Founder, FEMINAE NOX)
Both existing and upcoming generations are encouraged to learn the diverse career opportunities within the music industry–careers and roles otherwise unknown–discover their potential, and shape their career in the industry. And eventually, to take up the mantle to pass knowledge and experience that are essential for empowering the future generations to come. To ensure this work carries on, the FEMINAE NOX’s pipeline program aims to induct more Indigenous, Black, Brown, and other racialized women, femme, and gender non-conforming people to revolutionize an archaic, an economically-sluggish, and exclusionary live music industry.
“MUTEK is excited about this initial collaboration with FEMINAE NOX. We recognize the lack of representation and inclusion in the music industry, especially for BIPOC women and non-conforming individuals. Rethinking workflows and providing a platform for education to deconstruct established norms is one of our priorities. Having a partner like FEMINAE NOX is essential in striving to achieve this goal.” - Sarah Mackenzie and Marie-Laure Saidani (MUTEK)
Events : Feminae Nox at MUTEK 2024
FEMINAE NOX will present an interactive panel alongside a masterclass lab at MUTEK Forum, three exciting performances at MUTEK Festival and an unforgettable Shift Radio night. Join us on Friday August 23 to discover how FEMINAE NOX is shaping the future of the industry and dance to the beats of an electrifying lineup.
MUTEK FORUM
Electronic Music is Black Music - Reclaiming and Tracing Electronic Music’s Roots, Present and Future
Join G L O W Z I, Fabienne Leys and OmniDirectional Groove in this panel discussion moderated by Melissa Vincent to reframe electronic music as Black music, distinctive from its cultural assimilation within predominantly white, European music contexts and discourse. Re-contextualizing and emphasizing accurate narratives of electronic music from a Black lens. This is a transformative conversation and exploration of the dynamic intersection of electronic music and Black culture and counter culture, tracing its rich history, examining its vibrant contemporary and current landscape, and envisioning its evolving role in shaping the future trajectories of electronic music.
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Passion to Profession: Building a Global Brand in the Music Industry
An interactive masterclass lab alongside a fireside chat on building creative and brand development featuring Fabienne Leys, Artist Manager (Kelela, Hayley Kiyoko) and Partner at ATC Management and US Member Lead at PRS for Music UK.
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SHIFT RADIO
About SHIFT RADIO
FEMINAE NOX is taking over SHIFT RADIO during MUTEK Festival. Presented at Café SAT, FEMINAE NOX has curated an evening showcasing some of Montreal’s brightest and up-and-coming DJs from the electronic scene. Making their SHIFT debut, FEMINAE NOX invites you to dance to funky, spicy, and the well-seasoned sonic landscapes from IVY (Haiti), KAA$H (Tanzania), Aniika (Nigeria + Sudan/Uganda), Cheba Iman (Morocco), et Mina (Turkey).
SHIFT Radio is an independent web radio based in Montreal as an alternative to traditional radio. This music broadcasting platform offers boundary-free content, showcasing the richness and diversity of the electronic music scene.
MUTEK FESTIVAL
NOCTURNE 4 (SATOSPHÈRE)
Co-presented with FEMINAE NOX, MUTEK’s Nocturne series invites you on Friday, August 23, 2024 to an amplified experience at the SAT Satosphère dome. This special program showcases an innovative show unlike anything you've experienced before, featuring three exceptionally talented artists: Korea Town Acid (South Korea/Toronto), Tati au Miel (Haiti/Montreal) and N3ZHA (China/Vancouver) who are reinventing live electronic music shows in an immersive state-of-the-art visual environment.
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About Korea Town Acid
Korea Town Acid unleashes her avant-garde electronic explorations in Sonic Chaser. Her performance weaves dubby beats, syncopated rhythms, and industrial textures into a compelling narrative, highlighted by mesmerizing live finger drumming. Her innovative use of analog and digital tools crafts unpredictable soundscapes that bridge classical influences with futuristic sounds
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About Tati au Miel
Tati au Miel unveils Reverie, a sonic and visual odyssey that distills their eclectic ethos—merging experimental, ambient, and industrial sounds. Crafted during their residency at World Creation Studio, this performance features live instrumentation and immersive 360-degree visuals, encapsulating Tati’s unique narrative and multidisciplinary approach to exploring identity and abstract storytelling.
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About N3ZHA
N3ZHA delves deep into her cultural roots through immersive soundscapes that celebrate loyalty, sacrifice, and the triumph of spirit. This performance is not just a tribute to heritage but a bold redefinition of electronic music, inviting listeners from all backgrounds to connect with a rich tapestry of sounds that resonate with universal themes of courage and rebirth.
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G L O W Z I - OmniDirectional Groove - Fabienne Leys - Melissa Vincent - Korea Town Acid - Tati au Miel - N3ZHA
Conclusion
Centering community, at the forefront, this is a hand-ons and interactive takeover by FEMINAE NOX taking place at MUTEK. It’s a first step to (re)explore electronic music and its business from veteran Black and Brown femmes, who have already been involved in paving a way for Indigenous, Black, Brown, and other racialized women, femme, and gender fluid folks wanting to work and already working in music. To (re)discover unique local and international community diasporas on the intersection of music, art, business, and technology. Key takeaways are to (re)discover historical contexts, gain applicable knowledge to one’s own career and artistic practices, get inspired, network with like-minded individuals, and overall enjoy dancing the night away to an intentionally curated evening of 8 incredible sets.
Looking ahead, FEMINAE NOX calls for festivals to hire more BIPOC individuals and empower them to create programming reflective of their identities and communities, highlighting artists and executives both locally and internationally. In this way, festivals can prioritize equity not equality, and more specifically: financial equity.
This collaboration between FEMINAE NOX and MUTEK helps to continue to pave the way for Indigenous, Black, Brown, and racialized women, femme, and gender nonconforming folks as they have been and are seeking to contribute to the future of festivals and live music.
“We envision this as just the beginning of a more intentional and expansive approach to education and programming. We hope other festivals will take cues from MUTEK's lead in collaborating with FEMINAE NOX to bring diverse and inclusive programming to their festivals and conferences.” - Mira Silvers (Co-Founder, FEMINAE NOX)
Words by: Mira Silvers and Seny Kassaye
Edited by: Emma Garon
Graphic Design: Gandhi Delsoin (@gwendostudios), Noah Valere (@nvalere.design) and Mira Silvers (@msslvrs)
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