Warehouse raves in the UK are often a one-size-fits-all affair. Techno and drum and bass form the epicentre of events, with fringe genres interspersed on occasion. For a brief four days in the French corner of Rennes, Brittany brims with vibrancy and innovation as Trans Musicales pulses throughout the city. A fleeting but intricate exploration into genre-defying music from across the globe, the week stands as an echo-chamber for the adventurous and pioneers in the experimental sphere.
As the week progresses, it’s evident that the festival has cemented itself as a bewitching ecosystem for rising talent and musical discovery. To its stages it magnetises audiences who seek the new, the bizarre and the exotic. Avant-garde art thrives in the safe space of the festival, the liner delving deeper into upcoming international artists.
Stepping up to the gates of Parc Expo warehouse, stationed in the outskirts of the city centre and on the cusp of Rennes’ airport, what awaits is unexpected. The series of warehouses dotted across the park from the outside seem unassuming, but once you meander through its security gates you’re welcomed into a kaleidoscopic bouquet of soundscapes and polished interiors. Few warehouse events offer the chance for a food court, complete with three course dining menus from notable chefs and local produce. Oysters and locally-sourced seafood is a particular standout, with the quality high and the prices reasonably low. There’s awareness and acknowledgement for local traditions and talent, as well as embracing global influence.
Each warehouse ‘Hall’ is a portal to another sonic realm. It’s Thursday night in the Green Room at Parc Expo when King Kami’s visual live set ensues; grotesque, horror-flick imagery violently flashes across the screens wrapping the walls. Bright white and blue lights aggressively flash from a 180 spectrum, as the Portuguese-based Brazilian-born DJ infuses baile funk with kuduro. Syncopated rhythms sweep through the set list and provide a steady punctuation to the night. There’s an eerie darkness and depth to her sound and the set itself, it’s infectious and addictive. Nightmarish creatures amplify the eclectic set, zooming in and out of focus as the intensity of stum sequences rise.
In Hall 8 later that evening, French experimental electronic artist Jacques delivers a competent set complete with barking dogs, ringtones and signal interference in his impromptu sampling. As he swans onto centre stage, his distinctive ‘mad-scientist’ appearance is comically topped with a memorable coiffured hairstyle, balding down the centre with white static hair on edge either side. With a lab coat draped over his shoulders, Jacques takes position in front of his kit – behind him a menagerie of illuminated tubes and vials shroud the scene. Once again, it’s undoubtedly a visual feast for the eyes, backdropped by a rolling film of everything from the mundane; cars crawling through concrete jungles and traffic jams, to the morbid; timelapses of decomposing carcasses and vivid displays of microorganisms.
It’s an ode to the full spectrum and fundamentals of life on planet Earth, as well as the threats posed to and caused by humanity and modern living. There’s simplicity to his sound. When he pauses to build onto the set, he heads over to one of the oversized test tubes, all magnified on screen behind him, selecting an instrument or utensil to add another footstep of his eclectic sonic journey. Taking one scrape of an amphibian-shaped guiro, or a single plop of a water droplet, or a chime of the cowbell, it’s a slow but steady development, eventuating into a fully-fledged groove-laden set that is undoubtedly a favourite.
In Hall 8, the visual aide continues to maximise proceedings. A gorgeous array of twinkling lights mimic the night sky, with glimmering lasers and screens that trickle in elegant fashion. Flore Laurentienne command the audience with post-classical/post-rock shoegaze; emotive classical sweeps of violins and cellos meld with funk percussion and keys. It’s deliciously executed, providing a melancholy soundtrack to the sea blue display which ripples in the background.
A polished and inspired offering for genre-defying music, events strewn throughout the city in its many different venues. At L’Aire Libre, Nigerian artist Yame conquers a week-long residency. Over at Le Liberté, Rennes five-piece Mokhtar deliver a modern funk and afro-soul flavour to proceedings, while at UBU Bristol born Willow Kayne lays bare her hip-hop, pop, punk, and jungle infusions with assurance and charm.
As the shuttle bus trundles away from Parc Expo on Sunday morning, away from the cacophony of the festival and back into the sleepy city streets. I already miss the uncertainty and excitement of the breadth and opportunity for discovery that each day provides. The Green Room’s offerings are arguably of strongest merit, with experimental Lithuanian artists Monikaze, Nairobi-born Kabeaushé and Australia’s Surusinghe also carrying the beacon for morphing unique soundscapes. Critically, at the heart of Trans Musicales’ success lies adventure, a true platform for the experimental and unplaceable, relishing in the talent and diversity of international underground electronic. The level of freedom of choice is paramount to Trans Musicales’ culture and identity, a precedent which has been upheld and championed throughout it’s triumphant 45th iteration.
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Words: Maddy Smith
