The Office Franco-québécois pour la jeunesse (OFQJ) thrives on music. Since 1999, the OFQJ has been a partner of MEG Montréal and has allowed new French talents to perform in the province of Quebec.

This year, the OFQJ will give ten French music industry professionals the opportunity to meet with their Canadian counterparts via the international meeting of music professionals in Montreal: MMOI, co-organised by the MEG Montréal Festival & Osheaga Music & Arts.

MMOI, acronym for MEG Montréal Osheaga International, is an open invitation to Montreal and two of its most exciting festivals where promoters, agents, managers, and artists from around the world take part in discussions from August 2-5, 2012. It is an ideal setting to discover new talents from Quebec and Canada with high exportation potential, while nurturing relations and contacts amongst music industry professionals.

Candidates’ profile

Young professionals, between 18 & 35 years old, passionate about current music: tour managers, bookers, agents, journalists … with a minimum of 2 years of experience in their respective domain.

Must be a French national or have had French resident status for over a year.

Visit dates : August 1-6, 2012

Terms & Conditions of the Package

A fee of 600 € will be asked from every selected participant. This package includes the following services:

• Montréal-Paris AR plane ticket with insurance
• Loging in Montreal (double occupancy)
• MMOI pass (VIP access to both Osheaga and MEG events)
• Admission to several concerts, networking activities, and MMOI nights

Expenses not covered by package:

• Meals during the stay
• Personal expenses

Application Deadline : June 20, 2012

Your application must include a CV, a letter of intention demonstrating your interest in the project, as well as a photocopy of your passport.

Please send your application to:

Jany de Chambrun – OFQJ: jdechambrun@ofqj.org

Tel : 01 49 33 28 55 – http://www.ofqj.org

&

Mustapha Terki – Directeur du MEG Montréal : mustaweb@megmontreal.com

These concerts are also open to the public! General ticket onsale Friday April 13th at noon.

MMOI ROCK
Sala Rossa, 8.30-11pm (doors 8pm)

Kandle, MMOI Rock 2012

The Jezabels (AU)
These Australians had to invent a new musical genre to accurately describe their compositions: “intensindie”. The Sydney quartet launched Prisoner last autumn, with eloquent touches of alternative rock and a symmetry  throughout the 13 tracks, the album is a remarkable cocktail of power, ferocity, drama and class. After charming their native land, The Jezabels are ready to conquer America. http://www.thejezabels.com

Kandle (CA)
With a road trip spirit in her head and old blues running through her blood. Armed with her guitar to confront her demons, Kandle casts a bittersweet gloom over her instrument’s energy with her lascivious voice. Her Father Neil Osborne (54-40) produced her debut EP Kandle, on which Sam Goldberg (Broken Social Scene) also added his touch. www.kandle.bandcamp.com

MMOI MTL
Divan Orange, 12am to 3am (doors 11pm)

Propofol (MTL)
The dynamic trio Propofal make free and original music with a high-tempo formula and an emphasis on musical keyboard textures in their energetic French compositions. Marie-Anne Arsenault (bass, vocals), Jonathan Gagné (drums) and Anh Phung (keyboards, traverse flute, vocals) produce stand-out live performances known for their complexity and unbridled passion. http://propofol.bandcamp.com

Technical Kidman (MTL)
With a debut EP that charmed both the public and the critics, Technical Kidman quickly became favourites of the emerging local Montreal scene. The trio has a deep love for synths, and mixthem with haunting and distant vocals to create songs that will strike a sensitive chord with music lovers everywhere. www.technicalkidman.bandcamp.com

MMOI ÉLECTRO
Belmont, 11pm-3am (doors 10pm)

Huoratron, MMOI Electro 2012

Huoratron (FI)
Huoratron is Aku Raski, the Finnish director behind the internet sensation ”Corporate Occult”. This unique electro artist, signed to the Canadian label Last Gang (DFA1979, Crystal Castles, Boyz Noise, Chromeo), was recently discovered by the renowned label while performing at a festival… A metal festival! There’s a rumour that his powerful electronic set is dangerous for speakers… to be put to the test, definitively. http://huoratron.com/

Christine (FR)
Christine is a French duo paying tribute to Stephen King, even being inspired by one of his books, that was adapted to the big screen, for their stage name. These rising stars of the European electro scene were the winners of the coveted Detours Adami competition, which gave them the opportunity to make an appearance at several partner festivals, MEG and Osheaga being two of them. If you want to dance until dawn, call Christine! http://www.sheischristine.com

Le Matos (CA)
The North American electro scene really has no reason to envy its European counterpart. The Montreal trio Le Matos gathered its finest material, loaded with keyboards and exciting rhythms, on a compilation launched last autumn,Coming Soon. The group first gained attention with 88 MPH, one of the standout tracks on the Saboteur label’s compilation Tight, continuing this success with popular remixes of #Numero and Cœur de Pirate. www.lematos.bandcamp.com

Artist discovery, quality of music, relationship building as well as positioning Montreal as a premier cultural destination are the key values of MMOI. It’s goal? Encourage local scenes from all around the world to grow closer, on an international level.

For accreditations: Evelyne Côté, write to ecote@mmoi.ca

To subscribe to MMOI newsletter: http://www.mmoi.ca/sign-in

Pass info: http://www.mmoi.ca/passes

Now, among these artists and MEG Montréal Festival’s programming, MMOI has handpicked a half dozen mind blowing acts on the rise that we absolutely do not want you to miss. These artists will be featured in selective concerts at Sala Rossa as well as Belmont on August 2nd, to kick off Osheaga and MEG beautifully.

MMOI-labeled artists and concerts will be revealed on April 11th, the same day MMOI passes will be put on sale.

As if that wasn’t enough, a second wave of Osheaga lineup announcements will follow in a couple of weeks. Summer 2012 will rock!

August 2-5 2012, we will be gathering in the beautiful city of Montreal at the occasion of Osheaga Festival Music and Arts and MEG Montreal Festival. If you are active in the music industry, please get in touch.

MMOI EARLY BIRD PASSES @ $305 CAD all incl. ($250 CAD+tx+sc), onsale starting April 10th. To buy, write ecote@mmoi.ca.

This includes:

• VIP access to Osheaga Festival Music and Arts
• MEG Montreal Festival (limited access to MEG Boat)
• MMOI 5 à 7 networking cocktail presented by SOCAN
  
• VIP access to all our MMOI-labeled concerts
• Pro brunch on Osheaga grounds catered by Chuck Hugues
  
• All the Osheaga In the City programming (to come)
• Networking with international festival networks

A value of over $850, offered to music and entertainment professionals exclusively.

For any inquires, contact Evelyne Côté at ecote@mmoi.ca

Early bird passes available in limited quantity.

“Festivals have become the physical manifestation of a digital world’’, noted Live Nation L.A.’s David O’Connor, at the second International MMOI Conference, July 28 at Hotel Opus.

In other words, through all the emailing, the downloading and the streaming, festivals help create an actual space that is much needed for today’s music industry to grow.

This opinion was shared on different levels by panelists from Germany, France, the States and Quebec, who discussed the state of affairs of the music business through issues specific to festivals.

Ontop of the cultural and social wealth of such events, strong identity and organisational sophistication were two topics that arose frequently over the two panels of the conference. (The first panel was based on what is needed for a festival to exist and survive, whereas the second one focussed on what festivals can give back to their communities on economic, social and, of course, artistic levels.)

Left to right: Sandy Boutin, Ralph Christoph and David O'Connor

For European delegates such as Jutta Unger (c/o pop) and Arnaud Monnier (EMB de Sannois, Réseau des lieux de Musiques Actuelles en Ile-de-France), logistics as well as networking and funding were key.

Makes sense as traditionally, all government levels in France are financially involved to support artists and various cultural endeavours. Similarly, the city of Cologne, host of the c/o pop festival for the past four years, has been fundamentally involved with the festival’s development, which has proven profitable for both parties.

For Ralph Christoph (also from c/o pop) as well as Sandy Boutin (Festival de musique émergente en Abitibi-Témiscamingue), investing in public space and rejuvinating derelict neighborhoods is a great way to give back to the city and its people, celebrating cultural diversity, and supporting local artists to boot.

Festivals have always been a place to share ideas and opportunities for agents, managers, promoters, labels, medias and trendsetters. Now, as a complement to our daily work, they are also about reinventing oneself and, most perhaps most importantly, have hands-on knowledge of what really works and what doesn’t.

All photos: Susan Moss

Because we know what it’s like to run from band to band, we invited you to relax and bask in the sun to hear a set from Parlovr, drink some Bud and Smirnoff cocktails, and eat some grilled goodies.

Thanks again to Pop Montréal as well as their sponsor McAuslan. See you next year!

Photos: Susan Moss

You better be prepared to take risks when starting up a festival these days – but offering something unique to the public is also essential. At least, that’s what this year’s MMOI conference participants think.

In 2010, the leaders of both Osheaga and MEG decided to unite. Their goal: offer professionals of the music industry from all around the world a forum to discuss major issues within their industry.

Named MEG Montreal Osheaga International (MMOI), the event takes place yearly in the midst of summer (July 27th to 31^st for this second edition) and gives the participants the opportunity to attend both festivals simultaneously, thus facilitating professional and artistic discoveries.

“Similar to what is done by South By Southwest, or more widely all around Europe, festivals must give their professional guests a space to gather and discuss after concerts”, explains Evelyne Côté, promoter for evenko, the entertainment group behind Osheaga.

Engaging Discussion

In addition to offering numerous opportunities to network as well as more than a hundred artist performances, MMOI is a place to debate different topics within the international music community.

After exploring the theme of networking with last year’s conference, MMOI opted to discuss elements that are key to the success of various festivals during Thursday’s conference.

Divided into two panels led by Steve Jordan, founder of the Polaris Prize, the discussion covered various topics such as festival financing, the social and artistic repercussions of such events and the importance of site location, relationships with sponsors and line-up.

Political Action

Six panelists took part in the conference including Sandy Boutin, President and Founder of Festival de musique émergente en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (FME), David O’Connor, artistic director and business development at Live Nation and Ralph H. Christoph, co-founder of c/o pop festival in Cologne. In fact, those were the people who had to illustrate the importance of the path chosen by an event and its instigators.

“I believe my festival is, in a way, a political action, explained Sandy Boutin. Our artistic direction is clear and sends a specific message: we do not support commercial music. Through FME, I support emerging artists and try to carry this influence in the local music industry.’’

Europe/Amérique: Quels liens cimentent les festivals?

Europe/America: What holds festivals together?

1:00PM@2:15PM

1er panel: Identité, structures, réseaux

1st panel: Identity, Structure, Networks

Avec / With

Andrew Ellis, Bamboozle + Paradigm (USA)

Arnaud Monnier, EMB Paris (France)

Jutta Unger, Europareise + c/o pop (Deutschland)

2.45PM@4:00PM

2e panel: Rôle, impact et valeur des festivals

2nd panel: Role, Impact, Value of Festivals

Avec / With

Sandy Boutin, FME + management (Canada)

Ralph Christoph, c/o pop (Deutschland)

David O’Connor, Live Nation (USA)

MMOI Cocktail présenté par la SOCAN

Osheaga Kick-Off Party

MEG presents Propofol, Boogers, GIRL