Among the first generation of South American ex-patriots to rise to prominence in European avant-garde techno circles, Chilean producer Cristian Vogel has been releasing compelling experimental electronic music since the early 90s. Vogel built his early reputation with groundbreaking releases on progressive German labels like the legendary Tresor and Mille Plateaux, before eventually making the leap to Novamute at the turn of the decade. A longtime friend of electro-soul troubadour Jamie Lidell, the pair joined forces to form Super_Collider in 1997. Under this guise, Vogel channeled futuristic-funk that was equal parts James Brown and glitch-techno, a telling precursor to Lidell's releases ever since. Vogel has remixed the likes of Radiohead, Thom Yorke, Maximo Park, Juan Atkins, among numerous others. Recently, he has returned to his core interest in electro-acoustic experimentation, creating soundtracks for Swiss choreographer Gilles Jobin's dance company, which has resulted in the 2007 release, Music for the Creations of Gilles Jobin. Also, he released "The Never Engine" on Tresor last year, which is a return to the techno dancefloor, but with Vogel's signature twists and turns. He does not come to North America very often these days, but we were luckly to grab him while he's here to play at the Mutek Festival in Montreal.

Leisure Muffin, (Michael Hopkins), has been making electronic music since the early 90's and his style cris crosses everything from ambient to electro, hip hop, minimal house, and dub. Textures, layers, and incredible beats follow suit with recordings and performances featuring a careful mix of analog synthesizers, laptop, and live instruments. He loves to play live and has collaborated extensively with many others in fantastic ways, but tonight he is going to be presenting an Abelton Live DJ set, and might mix the Cure with acid frog or Meat Beat Manifesto with regressive haus or Autechre with meepyfloop or something like that. Currently, Leisure Muffin lives in his grandmothers basement surrounded by creepy dolls. When not engaging in flame wars on the Ableton Live online forums, he somehow finds time to craft regressive epic meepyfloop tracks. Among his 12 friends, he is considered to be the greatest meepyfloop producer EVER. Be advised to keep your children and pets away from him.