Farben^DE

Charting new sonic frontiers comes easy to Jan Jelinek, the landmark musician, producer and sound designer behind Farben, an alias for his microhouse-related virtuosity. The founder of record label Faitiche emerged among a generation of turn-of-the-century producers who used house and techno’s minimalist structures to create a collage of delicate, bite-sized loops that built into veritable sonic monoliths. Between 1998 and 2004, Farben’s breezy, textured cuts of abstracted rhythms received immense critical praise. After a six-year hiatus, Farben curiously resurfaced in 2010 with two EPs, paring down on the intricately layered, off-kilter compositions in favour of more spontaneous recordings without complex arrangements. Last performing at MUTEK in 2006, Jelinek hasn’t showcased his Farben side to Montrealers since the festival’s 2002 edition. The alias’ return to MUTEK after a decade’s silence marks Jelinek’s long-awaited return to house music and is sure to draw one of the festival’s biggest cult followings.