A Match Made in Heaven: La Bacchanale and THUMP Are Bringing Montreal Jeff Mills

One of the true problems in our event space today is that an overwhelming handful of promoters fall into a deadly routine and lack the motivation to deviate once they've found success. Often, promo teams aim to produce large revenue with as little effort as possible. In every city, there is always room for creative design to make events stand out in light of those that simply don't. In the city of Montreal, that's where La Bacchanale come in. Through the innovation of newfound immersive, yet interactive sensual experiences at every show, La Bacchanale boast a track record of events that are beyond what anyone would call just a "party." Instead, events are inspired "by a theme that intersects the realms of electronic music, art, and fantasy." By taking a step back and methodically planning every detail of their events, beginning to end, La Bacchanale are breaking barriers in several fashions.

In Montreal, the ancient Bacchanalian tradition lives on through techno. THUMP spoke to the five man team behind La Bachannale, responsible for producing these rare intricate events. We started from the beginning of it all―the creation of both the company and the concepts that drive it.

"La Bacchanale started two years ago from an idea to create the party we wanted to attend. We all have experience with nightlife in Europe, and by coming here we quickly realized what we were looking for did not exist." they explained. "We wanted to build not only the party we were used to back home, but the party of our dreams!"

The team boasts an impressive roster of past bookings; to put it into perspective, their last two bookings were Dystopian boss RODHAD and techno pioneer Robert Hood. But it's always interesting to see how bigger underground brands build from, quite literally, the ground up. "Strictly speaking, we started underground, [because] the first events we organized were not legal. Now, we want to progress out of that 'underground' label. The idea is more to bring electronic artists that we like, whether underground or not, into a unique setting where people can live a special experience."

The team leans on a unique organizational pillar―a "new vision of event planning." It's the harnessing of multiple senses―beyond just sight and sound―and creating features that work interactively. We asked them to elaborate on how La Bacchanale differentiates from your typical techno-oriented promoters.

"We often say that we are neither a club nor a promoter, but more a movement. A creator of dreams. This is really important to us. We always redefine our vision and try to attain what we consider to be perfect."

They broke it down even further. "Ever since the beginning, we have sought to break conventional norms of event planning by creating a sense provoking experience. That's why we always look for new atypical venues, that go beyond 3 AM, incorporate artistic projects, and bring the most talented DJs in the world. Together, they create this whole that people call Bacchanale."

There is an inherent feeling of 'curation' in all of their events. Everything is meticulously planned, from the bookings, to the production, to the venue and beyond. Think of it as a puzzle you must create from scratch. Each piece must be determined in cohesion with the others, or else it just won't fit. This is an insight into the solidarity of the team. Each member must trust one another to lock in their best efforts in their respective areas for the night to work out.

"Our approach to event planning is very different from that of more classical promoters. Usually you rent a venue, book an artist, and promote it. Our vision inclines us to go beyond that. We usually start by conceptualizing the event with respect to the artist and the venue we have confirmed. We then seek to translate this concept into an artistic project."

They're also quite known for the incorporation of art into their events. In fact, their events are massive, multi-faceted pieces of art in and of themselves. "We believe that artistic installations are made to provoke the senses and stimulate imagination. By incorporating art into our events, we build a better visual experience. It's a way of making our shows unique and memorable. So far, we have worked mainly with VJs, scenographers as well as interior and interactive designers. We've also worked with other artists, like graffiti artists, photographers, and even sculptors."

But the start to finish progress is a time consuming matter, as one can imagine. It's not like throwing together a DJ, a projector, a drink special and sending out some Facebook invites. "It usually takes us two months to plan a Bacchanale event. Every single detail, from the purchasing act up until the moment people will enter the venue, is considered and deconstructed."

In terms of the future, beyond Jeff Mills, it's easy to wonder what they have in store next. "Breaking news: We're planning the very first edition of a Bacchanale festival next year! We don't want to say too much about it, but it is going to take place in a very unique setting, where we will combine history and modernity to create a special universe. We're very excited!"

The conversation couldn't end without touching on the man of the moment, Jeff Mills, and the imminent event―our La Bacchanale and THUMP spectacle coming January 9.

"For this show, we are aware that expectations are high. And to be honest, we have been working on this for a month already, so we are definitely very excited. The whole artistic and visual concept will be around the 'monolith,' a tool of a highly advanced alien civilization. You can find it in Kubrick's movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. That's all we can say for now!"

The more finite details will come in our pre-event coverage. What we can stress, for now, is that the return of Jeff Mills to Montreal will be glorious for this city's techno purists. Hot off a summer of intense touring and knee-deep in creative projects like Time Tunnel and Man From Tomorrow, Detroit's "Wizard" will surely provide a late-night, relentless injection of techno into Montreal's veins. We all know how much Montreal loves its techno. In this regard, it's easy to see why space exploration is a fitting theme. On January 9, the undisclosed La Bacchanale and THUMP venue will become an ephemeral spaceship. Our captain? Jeff Mills.

Stay tuned for pre-event coverage and full details in the coming weeks.

You can follow Zack on Twitter: @zackrota