MUTEK is a one-of-a-kind platform for anyone who believes in new frontiers of electronic music

DAY1:WWW

The first day of MUTEK.JP 2025 was held at WWW.

This venue boasts a Funktion-One sound system, a rarity even in Tokyo.


On stage was a trio featuring longtime collaborators Eiko Ishibashi & Jim O'Rourke, joined by drummer Joe Talia.

The bowl-shaped structure unique to WWW, a former cinema, naturally drew the audience's focus toward the stage.

Jim O'Rourke, hailing from Chicago and a bridge between contemporary composition and post-rock, manipulated synthesizer frequencies with the precision of a scientist.

Ishibashi and Talia wove in amorphous harmonies and rhythms, presenting a psychedelia in which electronic sound and live instrumentation fused at a high level.

Closing out the first day was Martin Messier, based in MUTEK's hometown of Montreal. For over a decade, he has continued to redefine the boundaries between light, sound, and movement through his performances.

Making its Japan premiere this day, "1 Drop 1000 Years" is an immersive audiovisual performance depicting the importance and fragility of the ocean's thermohaline circulation system.

The apparatus, which intricately synchronizes the speed and stroke of falling water droplets with light, embodied both the fascination and beauty of advanced technology, reminding us once again that audiovisual work is never merely "visual expression."

DAY2:O-EAST

On the second day, the venue shifted to Spotify O-EAST, where Berlin-based Alva Noto (Carsten Nicolai) returned to MUTEK.JP after a decade-long absence.

He is also the founder of the legendary label Raster-Noton (established 1999, based in Chemnitz, in the former East Germany), which has produced techno artists such as Kangding Ray, Atom™, and Dasha Rush.

This time, he presented "HYBR:ID UNI PARA," a project rooted in what might be called an "auditory cosmogony."

The live set began with a hushed sense of tension before gradually unfolding into abstract, powerful sound. As it edged toward a kind of madness in its latter half while retaining a distinctly techno-esque pop sensibility, the floor's energy reached its peak almost imperceptibly. It was an overwhelming show that spoke to his long pursuit of fusing sound, art, and design.

MUTEK.JP is a one-of-a-kind platform for anyone who believes in new frontiers of electronic music.

The crowd gave the impression of being less clubbers out to dance and more listeners earnestly attuned to the sound.

Young artists and DJs, in particular, should take advantage of the remarkably affordable ¥5,000 U-25 pass and experience this for themselves.