THE PROJECTS SECRETS OF THIS 20TH EDITION!

The final sprint has begun! Barely two weeks before the 20th edition of the FME, which will take place from September 1st to 4th and will be once again this year, an unmissable musical event. After revealing the entirety of the program in person on July 6th, the organization comes back with the latest news and the return of their successful projects of their edition.

The Hub Desjardins, a crossroads of interest points at the FME

At every edition, the FME team sets up a place at the center of their main site, the Hub Desjardins. This
year, thanks to the support of Desjardins, the festival-goers will be able to get their bearings and profit
from the many useful installations and different points of interest. Obviously, new things will appear,
including two “5 to 7” shows.


They will also find kiosques from local stores, promotional items of the FME, as well as a bar of regional
products. You will also find kombucha with red fruit and black spruce flavours in the image of the FME, a
product from the company Ékorce from Val-d’Or.

Safe Space
This year, the FME is setting up a new place: Safe Space. This space is a safe environment where we
can find social workers from the Point d’appui and La Coalition d’aide à la diversité sexuelle de l’Abitibi-
Temiscamingue.

CFME radio
From August 26th to September 4th, whether it’s in music, in podcasts, or a form of news column, the
CFME radio station will broadcast original content from big names from here that you won’t want to miss!
It will be possible to enrich the experience of your festival by coming to assist the direct broadcasting of
radio shows which will take place from the Hub Desjardins from September 1st to 4th. Notably, you can
listen to the podcast Autre Atlantique, a collaboration between the festivals Avec Le Temps from
Marseille, La Noce in Saguenay, and the FME.

The duo Sèxe Illégal as well as Jean-François Provençal will be there and they will present their visual
podcast Tu Me Niaises every evening at 10pm directly from the studio. In addition, the international radio station Ferarock will be at the event from 11am every day of the festival. The radio will be available on 100,5 FM and online starting from August 26th.

Jardin XR Newmont Éléonore
Concerning the more technological sphere of the Hub Desjardins, we can count on Jardin XR Newmont
Éléonore to entertain you. XR means “Extended Reality” and gathers just as many virtual reality
experiences as those of augmented reality or mixed reality.


This area offers a vast selection of immersive activities thanks to augmented reality technologies.
For this 20th edition, we welcome you with innovative projects from MUTEK, Sporobole, and the SAT
where the participants are at the center of the experience.


Friday, September 2nd at 11pm, the project LENTEUR, NAUFRAGE ET AUTRES STRATÉGIES POÉTIQUE,
born from a 20 day creation residence between four artists from Marseille and Quebec: Calamine, Kethe
Magané, Pina Woods, and Gaëtan Parseihian. You will be immersed in an experience uniting poetry,
slam, visuals, and music.

Projects and collaborations in full bloom

Pale Ale beer for the FME
Especially for the 20th edition of the FME, the Brasserie du Bas-Canada, situated in Outaouais, created a
Pale Ale style beer for the festival. Called Ultime, it will be available in limited quantities and the festival
will sell it only at the bar of the Hub Desjardins during the event.

20 years of sound

For their 20th year, the FME is participating in a project for the creation of a citizen participatory work,
initiated by the city of Rouyn-Noranda. Alex Pic, an energetic and charismatic artist of the region, will go
meet citizens during the festival and be inspired by their accounts to compose an original musical work
specific to this anniversary edition. He will then perform this as part of the closing show presented by
SiriusXM, on Sunday September 4th at 8pm. This project is achieved thanks to the financial support from
the Quebec government and the City of Rouyn-Noranda as part of the Entente de Développement
Culturel.

Camping

This year, a campsite at the Kiwanis beach of Rouyn-Noranda will be set up for the festival-goers. It is
possible to buy a camping pass online for the 4 festival days. It’s a short 2,0 km distance from the festival
site where 35 spaces will be available to accommodate tents. For more details, we invite you to consult
our site: https://www.fmeat.org/camping/.

Twitch

Following the success of this activity last year, the FME is coming back on the platform Twitch via invited
streamers, thanks to support from the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, the Unité d’enseignement et de recherche en création et nouveaux médias, and the Socioculturel de l’UQAT. In the
Twitch program, first we find Charlène, who will be with us to make IRL (in real life) content, in other words direct content on different sites of the festival. Well known for making us discover the scenery, the
ambiance, and the best spots of the FME, Charlène will be returning for her 2nd consecutive year. Yet she will not be the only one, since the streamer Kharliito will also be present on the site of the festival and
directly share his discoveries to the Twitch community.

In addition, we welcome Julien Belhumeur and Andy The Frenchy, two Québécois streamers with musical
talents who will perform at the FME during the free and hybrid shows, that is, on Twitch and before the
public. Julien, a multi-instrumentalist, will perform at the UQAT Thursday, September 1st at 5pm. As for
Andy, a singer and pianist, she will amaze you with her show at the Hub Desjardin Friday, September 2nd
at 1pm. Follow our platforms to find out the streaming hours.

Parcours Scéno

From the months of August to October, a spectacular and enchanting route to discover around Rouyn-
Noranda will be available to the public who wish to revisit the history of the FME. This scenic route
consists of elements and artifacts which were a part of the scenography of previous editions of the FME,
and will be installed in key places, where fans of the festival can learn the evolution of the FME throughout the years. A page is also available on our website in order to situate the route of the town and learn more about the different editions they represented. You can see a route which forms the letters “F”, “M”, and “E” spread across the city of Rouyn-Noranda. The realization of this site is possible thanks to our partners: Fonderie Horne, Desjardins, and the Government of Québec.

Thus, it’s an event from September 1st to 4th! The annual event known among the professionals of Québec, Canada, and internationally, but also by music fans. More than 175 professional representatives from the four corners of the world travel to Rouyn-Noranda to assist with the performances from different artists. Stay tuned via the FME app to be up to date on the surprises all along this 20th edition!

Media relations and interview applications
Régional et Nord Est Ontarien | Anne-Marie Nadeau: 819-277-0764 / [email protected]
National | Sonia Cesaratto: 514-206-4886 / [email protected]
International | Danny Payne & Tom Avis / [email protected] / [email protected]
Europe | Clara Dhilly / [email protected]

FME CELEBRATES ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY AND UNVEILS ITS COMPLETE PROGRAMMING!

Festival de Musique Émergentes de Rouyn-Noranda and SiriusXM, its official announcer, invite you to blow the candles on 20 years of concerts featuring the very best new music as well as renowned musical acts from here and abroad, celebrating by the same token the return after a two year’s absence of its international programming. On September 1-4, 2022, FME strikes again with an eclectic selection of artists offering alternative, novel and singular music, also presenting many up-and-coming outfits of all genres. In all, no less than 100 performances are taking place in premium concert venues and other unique locations of Rouyn-Noranda.


The team recently announced the Événements SiriusXM concert series, taking place at Scène Vidéotron, where headliners Hubert Lenoir, Animal Collective, Lisa Leblanc and Loud rub shoulders with Les Hay Babies, P’tit Belliveau, Koriass, Sarahmée, CRi, Elizabete Balčus, Rich Aucoin and Lou-Adriane Cassidy!


“We are so proud to present Festival de Musique Émergente en Abitibi-Témiscamingue as the title sponsor and to have been a supporter for over ten years,” said Jean-Philippe Lavoie, Manager, CCD & Industry Relations, SiriusXM Canada. “Showcasing Francophone music on-air across North America and live at events is incredibly important to us, and FME provides the ultimate platform for this.”


This year, Scène Vidéotron is newly located on Murdoch Avenue at the corner of 8th Street. The festival will continue to take over numerous festive venues and locations, namely: Guinguette chez Edmund, Petit Théâtre du Vieux Noranda, Sous-sol du Petit Théâtre du Vieux Noranda, Cabaret de la Dernière Chance, Diable Rond, Paramount, Club de Curling a.k.a. Le Hub Desjardins, and Garage Rheault; which last year hosted visionary artist Backxwash in extremis, the team at FME being forced to improvise and move their performance due to Mother Nature.


Guinguette chez Edmund and Petit Théâtre du Vieux Noranda are home to a plethora of artists
looking to promote style, musicality and originality!


Neo-soul/R&B provider and new Bonsound signee, Magi Merlin, is the first artist to perform at la Guinguette chez Edmund a.k.a. the Fonderie Horne Stage. She sets the tone for Connaisseur Ticaso, the latest Album rap de l’année-winner at l’ADISQ, as well as for Naya Ali, a Quebeco-Ethiopian hip-hop artist whose verve is as thorny as it is groovy. Trippy armada Choses Sauvages are headlining on Friday night, playing the intemporal dancy songs found on their latest album: Choses Sauvages II (via Audiogram). They are joined by post-disco singer-songwriter Sheeneh Ko, and by Paris neo-psych outfit Brama. Saturday, FME first presents a family concert featuring Julie Aubé, soon to release a new album via Simone Records, and aerial, sparkly pop singer-songwriter Thaïs. Later that day, attendees are treated to the anthems of Pas l’temps d’niaiser, a new opus by mercurial band Les Hôtesses d’Hilaire. Also playing on the shore of Osisko Lake that evening, we have Montreal minimal pop artist Hélène Barbier and Maryland psych pop ensemble Tomato Flower. Sunday, we turn to Alicia Clara who is presenting songs from her sublime Outsider / Unusual EP, released via Hot Tramp.


On Thursday, Scène Hydro-Québec (set within the confines of Petit Théâtre du Vieux Noranda) puts an emphasis on culturally-diverse artists that cleverly mend alternative, noise and avant-garde with traditional music with new experimental powwow collective, Medicine Singers (featuring FME mainstay Yonatan Gat as well as Thor Harris and Christopher Pravdica of Swans), Canadian-Ukrainian protest-fueled outfit, Balaklava Blues, and Avalanche Kaito, a griot/punk/noise project led by Burkinabe artist Kaito Winse and Belgian musicians Benjamin Chaval and Nico Gitto. Garage rock’s new posterboy, Gus Englehorn, is going on first on Friday, followed by Daptone-protégée, Tamar Aphek (Tel Aviv) and her hybrid of art punk and neo-jazz, then by multidisciplinary Sub Pop artist Chad VanGaalen, a pioneer of Canadian psychedelia if there was ever one. On Saturday, long list nominees for the prestigious Polaris Music Prize, Les Louanges and Lydia Képinski, catapult the content of their new albums, Crash and Depuis, respectively. Fernie takes on opening duties, playing a cocktail of neo-soul and R&B. Sunday presents, as is tradition, a proper dosage of metal, all at once brutal, technical and genre-bending. Decibels are the affair of American metal titans, Dying Fetus, celebrated for their complex riffs and mean cadences, who close the night following sets from First Fragment (technical metal) and Abitabyss (grindcore).


Powerhouse acts, up-and-comers and international novelties take over two mythical bars of the
city!


First off, don’t miss the grand return of Gros Mené, Fred Fortin’s prog-meets-grunge project, at Cabaret de la Dernière Chance, Saturday at 11:30pm sharp, and then on Sunday, a performance from legendary band Eric’s Trip founder member, Julie Doiron, on the same bat-stage at the same bat-hour. Will also be making stops at Le Cab, a slew of artists with a knack for writing alternative gems, namely: Gustaf and Grim Streaker, making the trip from Brooklyn; in addition to MNNQNS (Rouen, FR) and Gloin (Toronto, ON). Because FME also celebrates A&R’s on the lookout for very best new artists, the festival is again hosting showcases curated by French psyche-delicious étiquette de disques montréalaise Bonbonbon and trend-setting Toronto label Hand Drawn Dracula. The former presents delirious troubadour Larynx and hypnotic newcomer Allô Fantôme, while the latter presents Tallies (also signed to renowned British label Bella Union) and calorific noise pop project Fake Palms. For the pleasure of insatiable new music aficionados always wanting more, Sunday brings Révélation Radio-Canada-winner, Lysandre, who shares her unique soulful decoction.


Diable Rond, a quaint, but surprisingly great sounding venue is yet another bar where to catch even more concerts, namely: Sub Pop country artist and Orville Peck accomplice, Bria; Ombigiizi, a new collaborative work between Adam Sturgeon (Status / Non-Status) and Daniel Monkman (Zoon); post-modern singer-songwriter Lucill; Folivora’s latest roster addition, Solipsisme; as well as sweaty rock’n’roll threats, Tha Retail Simps and Killer Kin. Last, but not least, FME was able to sway legendary country artist and B movie director – who worked with rock music monuments such as Kiss, Metallica and Guns & Roses – Johnny Pilgrim into playing two (!) shows, the first of which is held at Diable Rond on Thursday.


Off-kilter locations and special events abound for the 20th anniversary of the international festival
specializing in new music!


For its opening night, FME invites you to the Vidéotron Stage where awaits the festive living room pop of Bibi Club, a new duo combining electronica, krautrock, jazz and post-punk into fresh jams. On top of hosting a second performance by cowboy Johnny Pilgrim, the stage also welcomes triple Félix-nominee, Matiu, known for his powerful folk heard via Musique Nomade, along with producer and multi-instrumentalist, Mitch Davis, whose jazz and psychedelia-drenched neo-soul was noticed by Arbutus, the label releasing The Hunt, his first solo album, on April 22nd.


“Music is an important pillar of our culture, which is celebrated across all of Québecor and Vidéotron’s platforms, in all regions of Québec. It is a great honor for us to support and promote, through our involvement in FME, the many artists that enliven our everyday life, that take us to new places; the very same artists who will perform for years to come on the biggest stages the province has to offer.”
– Pierre Karl Péladeau, President & Chief Executive Officer at Québecor

Onto the armored concrete of Garage Rheault lands a motley mix of artists that include: electro-pop ensemble Le Couleur, back from France where they supported Concorde (via Lisbon Lux); Montreal-Lyon cooperative rap mixtape project, Latitude 45; Montreal Afrofuturist outfit AfroTroniX and their deft alloy of deep house, dubstep and African rhythms; not to mention American supergroup CDSM (featuring ex-members of FME alumni Material Girls). Club de Curling also becomes the Desjardins Hub, where festival goers can catch dreamlike songs from Crease (via Constellation), the new album by avant-garde singer-songwriter Kee Avil, plus an audiovisual feast by Le.Mira, a project created by a pair hailing from Dubuisson and Malartic.


Sous-sol du Petit Théâtre and Paramount provide night owls with audacious and groovy concerts
that go late into the night!


For the nocturnal concert series taking place at Sous-sol du Petit Théâtre, the team of curators have opted for an abundance of novel musical acts that range from electro-pop, all the way to subversive techno and post-punk, inviting Montreal projects: Pelada, Super Plage, La Fièvre, SEULEMENT and No Waves; together with international artists Gargäntua (Paris, FR) and aforementioned CDSM (Atlanta, GA), who play the first of two sets there on Saturday. Les Nuits Électros, taking place at chic venue Paramount, present a superb bouquet of modern rhythms and sounds, three nights with unique amalgams of genres, starting Thursday with hyper-stylish pop from Narcisse, Virginie B and La Bronze. Friday, the crowd is sure to be bopping late into the night as Nouvelle Lune, Ixindamix and Nocide provide the beats. Finally, the saturnals promise ambitious low frequency turbulence, brought to you by Mamiilou, Laure and Sinca.

A circuit featuring stage design elements and artifacts from previous editions!

A grandiose and enchanting circuit spanning Downtown Rouyn-Noranda will be available to the public in July. Stage design elements and artifacts from previous editions of FME will be seen at the many key locations to be found along this stroll down memory lane, bringing back fond memories, while also showcasing the festival’s unique evolution over the years.

The Desjardins Hub

Every edition sees FME carefully establish a central location where artists and festival goers alike can gather, also known as the Desjardins Hub. This year, with support from Desjardins, attendees can enjoy a multitude of kiosks featuring local artisans as well as CFME radio station, plus an XR garden – a space offering different immersive activities through extended reality technology – and much more!

Festival passes and single tickets

Blind” passes for the 20th edition of FME have been available since June 10th via the festival’s website. With the complete programming now announced, pass holders have the priority to choose the concerts they wish to attend until July 13th. Single tickets will be made available at noon on July 13th. Keep an eye on our social media accounts, Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok, for future announcements.

Relations média et demandes d’entrevues
Régional et Nord Est Ontarien | Anne-Marie Nadeau: 819-277-0764 / [email protected]
National | Sonia Cesaratto: 514-206-4886 / [email protected]
International | Danny Payne & Tom Avis / [email protected] / [email protected]
Europe | Clara Dhilly / [email protected]



FME CELEBRATES ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY AND UNVEILS A FIRST WAVE OF ARTISTS JOINING THE FESTIVITIES!

Festival de Musique Émergentes de Rouyn-Noranda invites you to blow the candles on 20 years of concerts featuring the very best new music as well as celebrated musical acts from here and abroad. On September 1-4, 2022, FME strikes again with an eclectic selection of artists offering alternative, novel and singular music, also presenting many up-and-coming outfits of all genres. In all, attendees will be able to see no less than 75 performances taking place in premium concert venues and unique locations of Rouyn-Noranda. Because keeping such a programming under wraps is eating us up, we unveil today the artists performing outdoors on the Scène Vidéotron, the main stage for this 20th edition of the festival! On the menu for this Événements SiriusXM concert series: neo-folk, indie rock, hip-hop, experimental music and much, much more!

A delegation from the Maritimes to kick off the festivities!

The honor of kicking off the festival’s 20th edition is bestowed upon multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter : P’tit Belliveau. At 8pm on Thursday, the Nova Scotia native, who recently released Un homme et son piano, will be showcasing his unique blend of rustic instruments and electronic elements. Fans of country and bluegrass will not want to miss this surprising artist, known to tackle music with neverending candor and an unconventional spirit.


Following closely, Les Hay Babies will offer a new, meticulously crafted, conceptual show that is flush with sincerity. With Boîte aux lettres, their third studio album, the New Brunswick outfit are going back to basics without resorting to clichés and/or banality, harnessing rich influences and creating songs that are both inspired and inspiring. What’s more, the new material is even better live!


Closing out this inaugural bill, we have the unpredictable, but always-on-point singer-songwriter Lisa LeBlanc, who should again dazzle the Vieux Noranda crowd with a spirited concert. To fully appreciate the musical glitter and colorful lyrics sung loud and proud on her latest album, Chiac Disco, it is strongly recommended to wear platform shoes, bell-bottom pants, colorful tops and a whole lot of sequin. Then all shall boogie under the stars to the tune of her bright, funny and sparkling music until the Moon magically turns into a disco ball!

Friday is all about groove and verve!

At this stage of her career, Sarahmée is an absolute staple of Québec’s rap scene. With Poupée Russe, a third long-player to followed critically-acclaimed albums Légitime and Irréversible, the first ever hip-hop artist nominated for the prestigious Révélation de l’année award at Gala de l’ADISQ came back stronger than ever, resolute to leave a legacy. On Friday, starting at 8pm, she kicks off the great venusian ball with rhymes and style a plenty!


Considered a pioneer of the genre, Québec rapper Koriass has been busy over the years as he released six albums including neo-classics such as: Love suprême, La Nuit des Longs Couteaux and Génies en herbe. Combining maturity, cynicism, humor, sensitivity and steadfast focus, the artist whose reputation precedes him promises a barrage of sharp spits when he presents new material from his latest album: Abri de fortune (pour fin du monde).

Sold out concerts at Bell Center and Vidéotron Center, a performance on les Plaines d’Abraham… Nothing’s too good for Loud. Following the commercial and critical success of his first three releases, two full-length as well as an EP, the superstar rapper recorded a new album entitled Aucune promesse. He now resumes live activities, defending a brand new concert where old classics, new earworms and deep cuts can be enjoyed. In short, come Friday, 10pm, expect an overdrive of beat, flow and swag on Scène Vidéotron!

Saturday puts an emphasis on experimentation and innovation!

As is now tradition, FME is presenting a selection of artists pushing the boundaries of modern music for the pleasure of festival goers on the lookout for new sounds. First off, the curators offer for the very first time in Québec, Latvian performing artist, Elizabete Balčus, rumored to release a new album in the Summer. Saturday at 8pm, attendees can catch a glimpse of her unique artistic method where dancy rhythms, vocals and flute loops, as well as melodies played on a synthesizer made out of fresh fruit (yes, made of fresh fruit!) coexist flawlessly.


At 9pm, follow the house-fueled synthetic anthems of Montreal artist CRi, the first ever electronic musician to win Révélation de l’année at Gala de l’ADISQ in 2021. Propelled by slightly syncopated percussive elements and futuristic, yet anchored bass lines, his slow burning and trance-inducing tracks are celebrated by electronica aficionados all around the globe. For the occasion, the protégé of London-based electronic label Anjunadeep offers a unique formula featuring guest performers.


To conclude this utmost psychedelic bill, FME invited prolific art pop ensemble Animal Collective to take part in the Événements SiriusXM concert series! Drenched in electronic manipulation, heavenly reverberation and calculated exuberance, songs from this world-renowned orchestra are all at once grandiose and cryptic, the result of their uncanny ability to elude eras and trends. The four visionaries, described by journalist Fred Thomnas as “the face of independent experimental rock during the 2000s and 2010s”, perform their bigger-than-life musical.

A Sunday event that promises to be both eclectic and vivifying!

To properly commemorate 20 years of programming the very best up-and-coming music, the festival organizers have put together a most festive event to close out the ceremonies. Opening at 8pm, Lou-Adriane Cassidy will share devil-may-care songs from her latest album, an offering that showcases her exceptional talent, all the while celebrating sensuality and youth. Catch the alternative and soulful blend of pop of this artist that does as she pleases.


Festival attendees will then be entertained by indie-rock-with-a-touch-of-electronica artist: Rich Aucoin. The FME regular recently unveiled two singles from Synthetic, his forthcoming album scheduled for October 19th. Here is what we know so far: it is a quadruple album AND it features no less than 37 keyboards. All of this begs the question: “What gadgets will the synthesizer enthusiast be bringing for his performance”? Find out on Sunday at 9pm when our dear friend visits us for a much-anticipated third concert at FME!

For the grand finale of this 20th anniversary edition, the team at FME thought it best to invite their favorite MC: the illegitimate heir to the subversive pop throne a.k.a. the prince of the alternative airwaves a.k.a. their majesty Hubert Lenoir! The artist first offered a formidable earworm goldmine entitled Darlène, but looking back on it, it is now obvious that this was but the tip of the iceberg. With Pictura de Ipse : Musique Directe, the singer-songwriter later proposed an absolute tour-de-force, a long-player where modern rhythms, timeless melodies and daring arrangements run amok beautifully all along the grooves. What’s more, his live concerts are energetic and cathartic, the perfect context to get lost for an hour or two… Rouyn-Noranda is the place to be on September 1-4, don’t you think?

Festival passes et single evident tickets on sale this Friday!

After a two year absence, festival passes will be back for this 20th edition of FME! The different passes; La Totale, De Luxe, De Base, Shows Extérieurs and La Clique à 10 piasses, will be going on sale on Friday, June 10th, 2022 at noon. These items will be offered in limited quantities on the festival’s website.

Relations média et demandes d’entrevues
Régional et Nord Est Ontarien | Anne-Marie Nadeau: 819-277-0764 / [email protected]
National | Sonia Cesaratto: 514-206-4886 / [email protected]
International | Danny Payne & Tom Avis / [email protected] / [email protected]
Europe | Clara Dhilly / [email protected]