From its activist and community-driven roots to its most contemporary transformations, techno remains an art of collective resonance. Carried by a vibrant history of resistance, countercultures, and dancing utopias, it has pulsed across decades like an underground current—constantly reinventing itself.

Techno was born in the industrial ruins of Detroit in the 1980s, a city in crisis. Artists like Derrick May, Juan Atkins, and the duo Cybotron, of which Atkins was a part, shaped a new sound—mechanical yet emotional—drawing from funk, European synth pop, and urban dystopia. More than just a genre, techno emerged as a language to express resistance, hope, and visions of the future.

It quickly spread and evolved. In Chicago, it crossed paths with house music. In Europe, it merged with rave culture. In Berlin, it became a soundtrack to reunification. In Rotterdam, it turned into a sonic laboratory. Festivals multiplied, communities solidified, and the scene became increasingly professionalized. In Montréal, techno took root in the 1990s, in Mile End warehouses and downtown basements.

Founded in 2000, MUTEK became one of the catalysts of that energy, bringing techno into the realm of digital art. Since then, the festival has continued to explore its many dimensions—minimal, industrial, immersive, and experimental.

Here are five artists not to miss:

Kevin Saunderson: Back to Where It All Began

A foundational figure of Detroit techno alongside Derrick May and Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson is one-third of the legendary Belleville Three. He left an indelible mark on music history through projects like Inner City, his KMS label, and the alias e-Dancer, where he explored more experimental and stripped-down techno. A pioneer of the iconic “Reese bass” and the mind behind anthems like Heavenly, Saunderson has influenced the evolution of electronic music for over three decades.

The three pioneers of Detroit techno at the KMS label studio: Kevin Saunderson, Derrick May, and Juan Atkins, in 1989 and again in 2017. © Detroit Free Press

This summer, Kevin Saunderson returns to the stage at MUTEK Festival with his son Dantiez, reviving the mythical e-Dancer project—a deep dive into his most adventurous sonic explorations. Their live set merges the raw power of Detroit with a sharp, contemporary edge, blending percussive textures and emotional intensity. It’s a generational handoff that captures the core of techno: rooted in the past, and always facing forward.

This intergenerational performance will take place on Friday, August 22, during Métropolis 1 at MTELUS, a night that also features European pioneer Speedy J and the spellbinding Aurora Halal. Entirely dedicated to the visceral and hypnotic energy of high-impact electronic music, the evening offers five performances that chart a wide spectrum of techno—from legendary names to breakthrough talents—for a musical journey deep into the night. Let’s be clear: this is not one to miss!

Speedy J: Sonic Architect

Hailing from Rotterdam, Speedy J (Jochem Paap) emerged in the early 1990s as a defining figure of the Benelux techno scene. With albums like Ginger and G-Spot, he played a key role in the rise of Warp Records’ Artificial Intelligence movement, laying the groundwork for a more introspective form of techno—what some called “armchair techno.”

Soon after, he moved away from polished formats to embrace more chaotic terrain. Albums such as Public Energy No. 1 and A Shocking Hobby ventured into fractured rhythms, abrasive textures, and deconstructed structures. On stage, Speedy J acts as a conductor of hybrid setups, blending machines, improvisation, and sonic storytelling into commanding live performances.

Today, through STOOR—his studio-label based in Rotterdam—he continues to push the boundaries of experimentation by curating fully hardware-based, collaborative live performances. Part studio, part stage, part sound lab, STOOR is a space where spontaneous creation unfolds free from preset formats.

This spirit resonates with the approach of Aurora Halal, who joined a recent STOOR session at Kappa FuturFestival. Her immersive, DIY aesthetic shares the same commitment to raw sonic craftsmanship—where sound creation becomes a physical, immediate, and collective act.

Métropolis 1

Aurora Halal: Pure Energy

A regular presence at institutions like Berghain and De School, Aurora Halal has emerged in recent years as a key figure in the global club landscape. Her deep commitment to authenticity and collective creation lies at the heart of her artistic path, drawing in a devoted and dynamic community.

Venturing into the psychedelic edges of techno, her sonic aesthetic moves fluidly between physical intensity and hallucinatory momentum. As co-founder of the Sustain-Release festival and a resident at Nowadays in New York, she represents an alternative North American scene devoted to building new spaces for artistic and personal freedom.

Her live performances are immersive journeys—catalysts for both trance and shared introspection.

Detroit, Rotterdam, New York, Berlin… and why not St. John’s?

Since 2018, on the island of Newfoundland off Canada’s Atlantic coast, rising Canadian artist Cleo Leigh has been crafting hypnotic techno using modular synths and hardware machines. Her live performances are marked by a physical intensity, always driven by improvisation and a carefully sculpted rhythmic narrative.

In 2021, she co-founded the vinyl label SÉKS TAPES, which showcases refined, incisive techno from artists such as Kaiser, Egotot, and Wrong Assessment. Recently, she has performed across Canada and internationally — at FORMAT in Toronto alongside Blawan and SHDW & Obscure Shape, at Vibrancy Fest in Halifax with Tiga and Lady Starlight, and on a 2024 summer tour with stops in Tbilisi, Istanbul, Santiago, Detroit, and Montréal.

On Thursday, August 21, as part of the free Expérience 3 program at Esplanade Tranquille, Cleo Leigh will present Romance by Design — a hypnotic techno live set shaped by modular synthesis and hardware. Inspired by the architecture of Mario Botta, this improvised performance transforms emotion into sound, weaving together minimalism and raw rave energy.

Bitter Babe: The Art of Fusion

Bitter Babe unapologetically blends dystopian reggaeton, fractured dembow, and abrasive electronic textures. Emerging from Miami’s underground and closely tied to Colombian label TraTraTrax, she represents a new Latin American avant-garde where the dancefloor becomes a space for diasporic expression and political play.

Known for her intense, hybrid sets, she fuses tribal, raptor house, Brazilian funk, and guaracha into a global, percussive groove. By engaging with genres rooted in Latin cultures, she challenges techno’s conventions and helps reshape it into something more organic, syncopated, and grounded in the realities of the Global South.

She has performed at Panorama Bar, Dekmantel, and Horst, and frequently collaborates with Nick León, including on the tracks Fuego Clandestino and Delirio—sonic manifestos for a techno in flux.

At MUTEK, Bitter Babe brings her live show to Montréal for the first time: a high-impact performance balancing tension and controlled chaos, capturing the raw energy of a club music scene in transformation. Experience it on Sunday, August 24, in the Satosphère, during Nocturne 5.

Techno is a language that speaks as much to the body as to the mind. You can't go wrong attending any of these performances — each event offers a chance to experience artists at the height of their craft.

This piece was written by Barbara Philip. The MUTEK Montréal team was not involved in its production.

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