The ME_MMIX Festival has established itself on the island as a benchmark where experimental music and digital arts converge to offer unique sound experiences. It presents itself as a showcase for new cultural proposals, both national and international, and as a meeting point for electronic music, music documentaries, mixed music, hybrid formats, and contemporary creations and installations. The first stage of the festival managed to gather more than 900 people in such an emblematic venue as Can Balaguer. This second phase begins with a top-tier lineup on local, national, and international levels.
A contemporary approach: cinema and music in dialogue
One of the most anticipated projects of this seventh edition was the screening at the Teatre Principal de Palma of the short films The Playhouse (1921), One Week (1920), and The Scarecrow (1920) by the American actor and screenwriter Buster Keaton, complemented by the dialogue of Argentine maestro of cine-concerts Martín Matalon. This performance is based on a dialogue through visual poetry, surrealism, and constant surprise under the hallmark of Ensemble Multilatérale, one of the most prestigious groups in European experimental music, which fuses theatre, dance, digital arts, literature, and cinema.
Under the artistic direction of Yann Robin and the musical direction of Leo Warynski, festival attendees have been able to enjoy a cutting-edge proposal arriving directly from France. “I can say, on my behalf and on behalf of my musicians, that it has been a very moving experience. We truly enjoyed being here, performing in that beautiful theatre. We were very impressed by the audience last night after the performance. I was also very impressed by the festival’s organisation; the concert hall was nearly full, perhaps completely full, and that is very gratifying when you perform this type of project with contemporary music alongside films like these,” says Ensemble Multilatérale’s artistic director, Yann Robin.
Classic short films, avant-garde sound
Buster Keaton, awarded an honorary Oscar in 1960 and considered by Entertainment Weekly as one of the best directors in history, was chosen by these two artists. Ensemble Multilatérale commissioned Martin Matalon to create a project around Keaton’s short films and, during the pandemic, he began the composition process. The result has been performed continuously since 2021. “Martin Matalon is, for me, one of the best—perhaps the best—composer of music for film. It is a great success and, yes, we are very proud of this project,” says Robin.
Keaton’s films, thanks to Matalon’s contributions and imagination, have managed to reach much further. “What Martin Matalon brought was something more—he found a space within Buster Keaton’s films, a perfect space. There is a kind of connection between his music and the films; it is a beautiful encounter between music and cinema,” Yann highlights.
A dialogue that crosses borders
Last year they performed this project at a festival in Hangzhou, China, and the event’s artistic director approached Robin to tell him that, thanks to them, they had finally been able to discover the works of this filmmaker, since Keaton was barely known in the country. “He told me: ‘I really want to do the same. I want to compose music for other Buster Keaton short films. Give me a commission and I’ll do it,’” Yann explains. They offered him the commission, and that is how this Chinese director composed original music for three other short films by the American. “Keaton works so well with all images because there are so many invitations within the films. He is very dynamic, very energetic, and he gives you so many ideas… he is very musical. When I saw Keaton’s films for the first time, I said to myself: ‘Wow, we can do something with this,’” the French composer details.
Projects like this bring a new dimension to cinema by joining forces with contemporary music, enriching the images with sounds that amplify emotions and enhance storytelling. “Contemporary music brings something extra; it elevates the films,” says Robin.
The island becomes a clear stage for innovation
The ME_MMIX Festival, which emerged in 2013 at the hand of its creator, Mateu Malondra, with the desire to create in Mallorca a proposal similar to those found in the Netherlands, Catalonia, or the United Kingdom, has become a meeting space for creators from different fields, where various disciplines intersect to offer new professional and artistic opportunities. “It is fantastic. What I saw yesterday with so many people in the concert hall, with children so focused, moved me. I wish all the best for the future of this beautiful festival, and I sincerely hope that the people who organise it receive all the support needed to help it grow. The place is so beautiful, and having such an environment is truly exceptional. I wish them every success in the coming years,” concludes Yann Robin.