Jesse Somfay^CA

One of the more notable homegrown talents gracing the MUTEK stage this year is Ontario native Jesse Somfay. Somfay's brand of halcyon minimal techno first appeared in 2004 on the highly respected Cologne label, Traum Schallplatten, a label that has developed a keen ear for trainspotting the up-and-coming techno talents. Since then, his productions grown increasingly distinct, drawing on an ethereal wall of sound usually associated with early-90s British shoegazing movement to compliment the addictive qualities of his underlying 4/4 rhythms. Other producers will make you dance, but Somfay will make you float away at the same time. His debut album, Between Heartbeats, appeared in 2005 on Montreal's own Archipel imprint, and since then Somfay has been issuing a steady stream of well-received singles.