#aemcon

AEMCON hosts Canada’s 4th annual electronic music conference

AEMCON, known more formally as Alberta’s Electronic Music Conference, is slated for its forth annual conference, topped with five days of inspiring events, panels, workshops and activities for more than 3,000 expected attendees. Taking place from November 13-17, 2019, AEMCON brings an array of talented musicians, producers and seasoned industry professionals to the table with one main goal in…

Otherwise known as Alfred Darlington, Daedelus is a Los Angeles producer with over two dozen releases on a variety of labels (Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder imprint, Ninja Tune, etc.), and collaborations with musicians in many worlds: electronic, jazz, hip hop, indie (Kelela, Kneebody, MF DOOM, etc.). Known as a founding figure of the LA “Beat Scene,” each of his shows are distinct, employing dynamic controllers that allow on-the-fly improvisations and ingenious a/v from the robotic Archimedes to the twirling Panoptes. Also an Assistant Professor at Berklee College of Music, Daedelus will follow his After Hours performance with a public presentation on November 16 that focuses on the art of live performance.

“I’m thrilled to be performing Calgary for After Hours and experience the National Music Centre’s incredible synth collection with you all.” said Daedelus. “All that sound, and in such a space, needs to be witnessed first-hand.”

In addition to Daedelus’ appearance, Edmonton-bred eclectic house and disco selector Dane returns to his home province after finding international success. Joining him are Montreal multi-instrumentalist and producer extraordinaire Ouri, Toronto-based experimental electronic performer Korea Town Acid, and more to be announced. As previously revealed, Vancouver EDM tastemaker Nick Middleton (The Funk Hunters, Westwood Recordings) will perform a DJ set at After Hours as The Outlier and offer a talk during NMC: ON on November 15. Synth pioneer and Buchla master Suzanne Ciani and Mellotron guru Markus Resch will also offer presentations during the conference.

“For the first NMC: ON, we’re really raising the bar of our After Hours programming,” said Adam Fox, NMC’s Director of Programs. “Balancing some of the most forward-thinking producers and DJs from across Canada—and an international IDM trailblazer—with more sights, sounds and experiences than ever before, this will be the party of the year.”

Guests of NMC: ON—After Hours will also enjoy pop-up bars, a silent disco, interactive installations, and music experiments.

NMC: ON SCHEDULE

NMC: ON–In Conversation with Nick Middleton (of The Funk Hunters and Westwood Recordings) November 15, 2019, 3:15 pm Free Vancouver EDM tastemaker Nick Middleton is a sought-after music producer, internationally-acclaimed touring DJ, artist manager, and label owner. One half of the electronic music act, The Funk Hunters, and CEO and Founder of Westwood Recordings, Middleton’s career is built on a deep love of electronic music and entrepreneurship. As the next Artist in Residence, Middleton will spend five days at Studio Bell collecting sounds from NMC’s collection to be used on his next album. This event will be moderated by Grant Paley from Paquin Artists Agency.

NMC: ON—After Hours November 15, 2019, 9:00 pm $40 for non-NMC Members, $32 for NMC Members, 18+ NMC’s popular late-night series returns with performances by Los Angeles beatmaker Daedelus, Montreal multi-instrumentalist and producer extraordinaire Ouri, eclectic house and disco selector Dane, Toronto-based experimental electronic performer Korea Town Acid, and Nick Middleton (The Funk Hunters, Westwood Recordings) will perform a DJ set as The Outlier. In collaboration with AEMCON, and part of the NMC: ON program, visitors can expect an immersive experience including pop-up bars, a silent disco, interactive installations, and music experiments. Bring your most comfortable dancing shoes as NMC turns down the lights and turns up the tunes. This will not your typical night at the museum.

NMC: ON–Buchla Masterclass with Suzanne Ciani November 16, 2019, 11:00 am Included with admission Dubbed the “Diva of the Diode,” Suzanne Ciani is an electronic sound designer and composer known for her decades-long relationship with, and mastery of, the Buchla 200e synthesizer and its predecessor, the Buchla 200. Ciani will be in attendance to deliver a quadraphonic demonstration and lecture on the history of the instrument.

NMC: ON–Daedelus on ‘Inventing the Instrument’ November 16, 2019, 1:00 pm Included with admission Best known for his output on pioneering UK label Ninja Tune, Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder imprint, and others, DJ and producer Daedelus (aka Alfred Darlington) helps bridge the gap between creator and observer. Also an Assistant Professor at Berklee College of Music, Daedelus’ public presentation will focus on the art of live performance.

NMC: ON–In Conversation with Mellotron guru Markus Resch November 17, 2019, 11:00 am Included with admission John Leimseider Technician in Residence Markus Resch is the co-owner and contemporary creator of Mellotron, the iconic polyphonic tape replay keyboard used by the Beatles, David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, and many others. Resch will offer a workshop with the instrument and delve into Mellotron’s origins.

Tickets for NMC: ON—After Hours are $40 for non-NMC Members and $32 for NMC Members. This is an 18+ event. Please visit studiobell.ca/whats-on to purchase your tickets online in advance and for a full list of all NMC: ON events. To receive a discounted rate, purchase your membership online today! Details at studiobell.ca/members. AEMCON conference passes include access to After Hours, so get yours at albertaelectronicmusic.com.

About Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre

Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre (NMC), is much more than a museum. A registered charity and national catalyst for discovery, innovation and renewal through music, NMC is preserving and celebrating Canada’s music story inside its home at Studio Bell in Calgary’s East Village. With programming that includes on-site and outreach education programs, performances, artist incubation and exhibitions, NMC is inspiring a new generation of music lovers. For more information, please visit studiobell.ca.

About Alberta Electronic Music Conference (AEMCON)

The Alberta Electronic Music Conference (AEMCON) is a one-of-a-kind experience for music producers, DJs, and those that work and create in the world of electronic music. AEMCON is a multi-day conference aimed at inspiring and elevating Canada’s electronic music scene and the people that make it possible. Combining insight from international headliners, workshops by industry veterans, panel discussions, mixers, and night-life events, this event was created by music lovers for music lovers. For more information and all other AEMCON events, visit albertaelectronicmusic.com.

AEMCON: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Studio Bell at the National Music Centre – NMC Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

Calgary – Alberta Canada, Canadian Rockies

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“This year, we’ve programmed our conference to showcase the diversity of talent present in Canada’s industry and to directly confront some of the most pressing industry issues that are shaping electronic music today” – Isis Graham, AEMCON co-founder

AEMCON 2018 (Gallery)

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While the majority of AEMCON’s conference sessions will take place at Studio Bell , home of the National Music Centre , over 12 other venues throughout Calgary will play host to night events and networking sessions. A stacked lineup of speakers has been curated, aimed at elevating Canada’s electronic music scene and the people that make it possible. The first wave of 2019 speakers was released on September 10th, and includes Dutch producer/DJ and ‘Days like Nights’ founder Eelke Kleijn, Plus8 founder and legendary DJ John Acquaviva, Bass Coast Festival co-founder Liz Thomson, Nick Middleton of Canadian duo The Funk Hunters, YouTube production sensation Andrew Haung, Tool, Skinny Puppy & Nine Inch Nails producer Dave Olgive, UK Garage pioneer DJ Q, five time grammy award nominated composer Suzanne Ciani [Finders Keepers, USA], and many more notable speakers. To view the current list of released speakers, click here. The full conference line-up will follow in early October.

“If you’re serious about taking your career to the next level, either as a producer, DJ, promoter, label, venue, visual artist, or other professional service, we’ve got workshops and panels for you.” – Andrew Williams, AEMCON Co-founder

AEMCON 2019 – The First Wave

Alberta Electronic Music Conference 2019 Highlights Includes:

Mental Health and A Life in Electronic Music – a series of panel discussions on the on-going mental health crisis and how it intersects with the dance music community.

Visuals, Lighting, & And Creative Media in Dance Music – a series of panels & workshops that explore how Canadian artists, festivals, and creatives are redefining the role of lighting, projection mapping, media and space design in the world of electronic music.

How LGBTQ+2 culture, Feminism, and Indigious Groups have shaped electronic music in Canada – in a series of high-profile panels, we’ll explore how traditionally marginalized groups have shaped Canada’s electronic music scene and built the foundations for Canada’s electronic music future

Moving from Amateur To Professional – a series of music production and business workshops that focus on upgrading your creative and music business skill set.

Program Partner NMC:ON – A special sub-conference programmed by the National Music Centre featuring music technology & production innovators Suzanne Ciani, Markus Reisch and Nick Middleton.

For updated conference session listings, CLICK HERE.

Combining insight from international headliners, workshops by industry veterans, panel discussions, mixers, and night-life events, AEMCON was created by music lovers for music lovers. Join us for the fourth edition this November 13-17th to gather, elevate, educate and dance!

Conference passes can be purchased at albertaelectronicmusic.com.

*Student discounts are available

FOLLOW AEMCON

Alberta Electronic Music Conference (AEMCON) 2018 will take place at the National Music Centre—one of Canada’s best live venues:

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What exactly is your involvement with AEMCON? Tell us about your team and how your roles have evolved over the past 3 years?

IG: My duty at AEMCON is the talent acquisition, event management, and logistics, I tour as a DJ and perform as Esette. Andrew Williams, our Marketing Director is from Edmonton and runs Night Vision Music Academy, he’s also a full-time producer and DJ under the guise of Dunmore Park. Matt Carter, our Marketplace Director is a producer from Lethbridge, he hosts a number of community-based events in his community and tours and performs as KillMidi, an exciting live act. Our Social Media Coordinator Dane Hanson has run Skylab Events throughout the Canadian prairies for around 6 years and produces and DJs as Danger Bay. Our Volunteer Coordinator Vicki Perrault is essentially a Western Canadian mainstay in the festival volunteer management sector. Max Foley, our media team coordinator is a photographer and blogger for numerous media outlets in Alberta, our Graphic Designer Michael Benz runs Noctilux Collective, one of Alberta’s leading bass music initiatives and now a label. Chan Neveling our videographer is a DJ as well and works full time as a videographer for festivals and known brands as well.

IG: We are lucky to have a team comprised of DJs, producers, and creatives from all over Western Canada. This helps us stay on the ground level of what’s important to our community and develop programs at AEMCON that suit the needs of local musicians and business owners. The process of growing into our roles has been really interesting as the scope of the conference program grows year after year. Certainly, after our second year, it was clear that we each needed to focus our skills and efforts into one area and it’s been wonderful to streamline and learn how to grow with the demands of the conference. Our first year had around 45 delegates and 150 guests and speakers and in 2018 we are looking at well over 120 speakers and artists and over 500 guests. It’s a lot of growth, and it’s very exciting to see for our little centre in the middle of Canada.

We understand AEMCON will host a variety of workshops, masterclasses, panel discussions and evening performances — what are you personally most looking forward to?

IG: My favorite part about music conferences is the gathering of knowledge and the opportunity to share it in panel formats, one on one discussions or presentations. I think a lot of the tough thinking and planning in our industry happens at events like this and it helps us format the future. I also really love panels about history, especially if it’s localized as you can really see into the window of time.

Here’s a list of my top picks from the AEMCON Program:

Exploring The Mothership, A Journey into Live Midi Hardware with Detroit’s legendary Octave One.

Fast Forward Rewind: DnB in Alberta within a global context A panel loaded with local D&B legends as well as Chris Goss from Hospital Records.

Safer Scenes: Moving Beyond Call-Out Culture is surely set to cover some tough ground but will surely give attendees some excellent tools around mental health and managing your online presence.

Keeping Venues Alive & Flourishing is set to be quite revealing in terms of how we look at the reality of keeping clubs and underground venues afloat in tough and ever-changing economic times.

A build your own synth workshop as well as product masterclasses from Universal Audio, Pioneer, Roland, Moog, and Ableton.

BioWare New World, New Score: Inside the Music Production & Technology of BioWare’s New IP ‘ANTHEM’. This unique insider view of Video Game music production is sure to inspire a new generation of game music producers in Alberta, and, of course, we are most excited to reveal the great Tonto!

You’ll be presenting some exciting news regarding the newly refurbished TONTO — can you tell us some more about this?

IG: The world suffered the tragic and sudden loss of John Leimseider, the head resident instrument technician at the National Music Centre in mid-September. John had just completed the full restoration of the TONTO Synthesizer, which he had been working on since NMC had acquired the synth in 2013. This work along with so much more will live on as part of John’s great legacy at NMC here in Calgary. We are so lucky to be hosting Malcolm Cecil, one of the co-creators of TONTO, who will be delivering demonstrations and lectures on the history of the instrument at AEMCON. In case readers aren’t aware of what TONTO is, it is the world’s first (and still the largest) multitimbral polyphonic analog synthesizer and it lives full time here in Calgary at NMC. This is certainly a piece of history that should not be missed.

Tell us about the venues. We heard the National Music Centre is something special — can you elaborate? And where else can attendees expect to visit?

IG: There simply could not be a better space to host an Electronic Music conference in Canada. The National Music Centre’s new space showcases the collection, which includes over 2,000 rare instruments and artifacts including the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio, the TONTO synthesizer, and one of Elton John’s pianos, along with the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. On top of that, space is home to a number of state of the art recording studios and event spaces, perfect for a music conference. The space was designed by Portland architect Brad Cloepfil and is clad with 226,000 custom glazed tiles made in Germany. The spaces are mesmerizing and at times, discombobulating and will surely inspire creativity for our guests.

The National Music Centre of Canada – Calgary, Alberta

What is it about Alberta that makes it an ideal city for this sort of Conference-Festival?

IG: While most people abroad will likely have no recollection of artists from Alberta, our province has been a constant contributor of successful, marketable artists on all levels for decades, but unfortunately,  most Canadian music business infrastructure resides in cities like Toronto and Vancouver, which are quite far away from our centre. Our artists tend to leave quickly for greener pastures. However, over the last decade, the prominence of our fast-growing festival circuit in Western Canada has made Calgary and Edmonton top tour stops for most traveling artists, the number of shows and venues has increased as well as the number of producers, labels, and agents residing in our province. There is a massive need for a music business infrastructure here to support the aforementioned groups and that’s where our idea for AEMCON truly came from. Not only does Alberta have a fantastic tourism infrastructure for international travelers, but we’ve got an excellent network of connected cities all over the western Seaboard in both Canada and the US. Having an educational conference hub closer to the Midwest and West Coast than NMC or ADE is essential to the continuation of growth of this entire music business ecosystem on our side of the planet.

What is your #1 goal for this year’s event?

IG: I think our number one goal for AEMCON is always to keep giving artists hope that they can succeed in their music careers. Our successes come from the interactions and business card exchanges in the hallways between panels, the new collaborations that we see after the conference and of course the continued success of artists taking the reins in their career and staging their next big moves. For us, it’s easy to feel like the project is a success when we see success in others year after year.

ALBERTAELECTRONICMUSIC.COM

PURCHASE TICKETS

WHEN: NOVEMBER 15-18, 2018 WHERE: CALGARY, ALBERTA

AEMCON 2018 – First Wave Speakers & Artists:



“For AEMCON’s third year, we’re exploring the many ways that artists and electronic music professionals can make their way in the modern economy. From scoring video games and creating Youtube channels, to touring internationally or producing festivals, there are many ways for people to make their way. We’ve assembled some of the world’s best at this conference to teach you how they forged their path.”

This year’s conference will emphasize the many ways that today’s artists can turn their art into a full life, by exploring opportunities through publishing, grants, video gaming, streaming and more. An impressive  panel of speakers will include Canadian electronic music group, activists and multi Juno Award winners, A Tribe Called Red , PK Sound’s Senior Vice President, Arlen Cormack , Chris Goss;  Co-founder of the world-renowned drum and bass label, Hospital Records, plus presentations from premiere tech companiesMOOG Audio, Roland, Pioneer, Abelton, Universal Audio, MeeBlip and many more! Each a leader in their various sectors, the knowledge and insight that these key-note speakers impart is truly invaluable!  These panels are always a highlight of AEMCON.

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Workshops and masterclasses will provide attendees with additional learning opportunities, allowing them to participate in live demonstrations. This year’s events will be divided into six main content streams:

AEMCON Apprentice – For those new to the music industry. Essential workshops on music production skills, marketing, and publishing

AEMCON Video Games –  For those who are looking to pursue the many music possibilities in the video game industry

AEMCON Advanced Audio – For experienced producers looking for advanced production skills

AEMCON Promoter – Masterclasses in creating creative and financially successful events

AEMCON Career Artist – Business and Industry advice for DJs, Producers, Labels and Promoters

AEMCON Culture – For those are interested in how electronic music is developing in our cities and across the world

Notable workshops to look out for this year include the TONTO Demonstration with Malcolm Cecil,’ where Cecil will unveil the newly refurbished TONTO, which has been under repairs by the late and greatly missed John Leimseider. In another workshop, ‘NMC AiR Workshop: A Tribe Called Red x TONTO,’ witness A Tribe Called Red, as they become the first act to use TONTO in the creation of new music after years of restoration work on the instrument. See ATCR share their creative process and provide a taste of new music at this public workshop. Visit albertaelectronicmusic.com for information on additional workshops.  for information on additional workshops.

When day turns to night, the fun continues at the National Music Centre and various venues, where participants can catch more than 40 artists throughout the week. AEMCON’s nightlife series is yet another opportunity to connect with industry peers; stay tuned for a full list of performers.

Join AEMCON this November 15-18, and support the Canadian electronic music landscape, while broadening your own knowledge of business, technology, and culture.

ALBERTAELECTRONICMUSIC.COM

PURCHASE TICKETS

WHEN: NOVEMBER 15-18, 2018 WHERE: CALGARY, ALBERTA

📣 AEMCON 2018 Key-Note Speakers 📣

Presentations by MOOG, ROLAND, PIONEER, ABLETON, UNIVERSAL AUDIO, MEEBLIP & more.