8th edition of the audio visual festival cements MIRA’s place at the epicentre of Barcelona’s left leaning music and arts world

Packed with a super bill of live music, DJ sets, screenings, A/V Live 360º, exhibitions, workshops, masterclasses and more, MIRA Festival 2018 cemented it’s status as a festival and platform with no fear of pushing the boundaries of communication. Through two days and nights of audiovisual and concept shows, from traditional and non-traditional formats took Barcelona’s curious culture hunters on a wild ride through digital art installations, 3D and 4D sound shows, presentations and educational workshops. Mira’s exhibition “THE SEARCH FOR (modern) PLEASURE” was a stand out too, with artist like Brooke Candy exhibiting work as part of MIRA’s first solo show.

From 8th to 10th November, MIRA Festival returned to it’s native city with an eclectic and thought provoking schedule filling Fabra i Coats and adored club, Razzmatazz with audiovisual explorations that did not disappoint. From a cherrypicked selection of live music from leftfield heroes – the likes of Tangerine Dream, Gaika, Guidetti and Eartheater mesmerised attendees. Expertly curated DJ sets came from Objekt, Call Super, Josey Rebelle, Avalon Emerson and more. Special shouts to Nicolas Jaar and Stéphanie Janaina, who joined MIRA to present the avant-garde premiere of ¡miércoles!, an incredible, live performance SON Estrella Galicia by 3D Sound Room we will be able to enjoy a live improvisation performance with 50 surround speakers.

Swiss DJ and producer, Aïsha Devi gave an enigmatic performance – industrial otherworldly sounds blazing across a backdrop of distorted ruins set the tone for an intriguing weekender. An incredible performance from Yves Tumor’s took R&B influences into a nether realm with warped beats and visuals. London’s inimitable GAIKA made his mark on the city, stunning Barcelona with his Spanish Debut. From behind the booth, Christian Len’s DJ set spanned across disco, deep house and lo-fi techno gems, with DJ Stingray, Call Super also performing standout sets.

Celebrating MIRA’s first solo exhibition “THE SEARCH FOR (modern) PLEASURE” featuring works from Brooke Candy, Filip Custic, Claire Tolan and more. The festival has wound down but “THE SEARCH FOR (modern) PLEASURE” continues. Running until 16h December, do not miss this. Center of Contemporary Art of Barcelona – Fabra i Coats.

From Barcelona, to Berlin to beyond MIRA Festival is a platform that champions emerging artists, celebrate the established, always looking to the future and beyond the ordinary. The MIRA family would like to thank all of the staff, crew, partners, artists and attendees who made MIRA Festival 2019 so special, including Adidas Originals who backed the Dome space.

We check in with local Crew Motion: Theory: Music ahead of their upcoming event at killing time…

Do you like your music psychedelic, yet dubby and house.  Those musical traits might feel like an oxymoron, but it is not out of the realms of possibility if you attend a Motion:Theory:Music event. Run by longtime lovers Ben and Katharine Abrahams, the focus is on small intimate events to invigorate those internal frequencies. Between them, they share well over 20 years of experience and are known for their work along the Australian East Coast.

For those living on the Gold Coast, you might recall they ran their Motion:Theory:Music every Saturday at Elsewhere Bar. It ran for seven years, and as Katharine fondly remembers: “It was cutting edge underground house and techno – the only place on the Gold Coast to hear the deep sound.” And for everyone living along the coast of gold, Ben will be returning to Elsewhere Bar in under a month for a special return set to play alongside the club’s Friday resident Audun.

For their upcoming event, the Abrahams’ spruik it will feature ‘a unique, futuristic groove. Concocted in the past, evolving in the present, designed for the future.’ Sounds interesting. We asked them to back up each of those statements in the form of a track…

‘MOTION’ BY JULES DAVID WITH BEN ABRAHAMS – MTM001 (PREVIEW)

‘‘Motion’ is a culmination of years of dancefloor research concocted with Melbourne’s most prestigious producer of THAT sound, Jules David. With a cosmic connection that goes way beyond our being born on the same day, it is truly a pleasure to finally get the chance for others to hear the first sounds we feel are an accurate aural description of our musical direction; our take on modern acid-house, with a twist.’

Jules David: “Motion was the first track Ben and I made with the label in mind; its style, feeling and sound being heavily influenced by the music at Motion:Theory:Music parties. A versatile dub bass driven acid groove; stripped back and atmospheric.”

‘ROBOTS OF DAWN’ BY RYAN CROSSON AND MATHEW JONSON WITH CESAR MERVEILLE AND ISIS (VISIONQUEST)

‘Robots of Dawn’s’ vibrations ground us in the present, while simultaneously priming us to embark on a subterranean journey of futuristic funk. This release on Visionquest hits us on a deeply personal level, relating to our past, present and future; an incredible structure, with super-futuristic production and razor-sharp arrangement. It’s a true representation of our current style and trajectory. This is our go-to interstellar dancefloor Groove-Weapon.

‘ONE’ BY ARGENIS BRITO & PHILIPPE LIARD & ARFIL (QUEEN STYLE) ON BLA BLA

Feel the heat of the invisible bonfire in this tribal psychedelic piece from Bla Bla. ‘One’ draws everyone in with its strangely familiar melody. This is electronic folk music from a time that never happened, alluding to shared past life experiences; the whole village cheers as the bard tells of our heroine’s impossible escape and joyful return home: to the Motion:Theory:Music dancefloor. We choose inspired breakdowns: both stimulating and sublime; breakdowns that tell you a story and take you somewhere, compelling you to pay attention and respond with your body.