Marie Davidson is one of those rare artists that's as comfortable on a mainstream label like Bonsound —for her '80s synth and psych project Marie Davidson & L'Œil Nu — as on indie label DFA Records for her experimental electroclash duo Essaie Pas. She's also made a name for herself as a punishing DJ in the Berlin nightlife scene, packing her sets with a disorienting collage of styles. All that to say, you never really know what type of Marie Davidson experience you're in for until you get there. Presented in partnership with Montreal electronic festival MUTEK, the Saturday night programming at the Petit Théâtre du Vieux Noranda, featuring Kaya Hoax and Marie Davidson, was the only block of electronic music booked at FME this year — by the end of day three of the festival, people were ready to let off a little steam.
Opening the late night set was recent Exclaim! New Fave and new rising star at Bonsound, Kaya Hoax. Performing a blend of UK grime and M.I.A.-tinged hip hop, alongside her DJ Christian Sean and hypnotic visuals by zachnf, she deftly played through her limited but compelling material, mostly taken from her debut EP Baby Gear. Including singles "Kicker" and the Magi Merlin-featuring "Hot Girls with ADD," her set was fully fleshed out and filled with bravura. The dark room and heightened visual production was a far better setting for the alternative pop singer's material than an earlier performance at the Bonsound BBQ, where she still managed to impress a group of industry people poolside in the blaring sun.
The table was very effectively set for the main attraction. Kicking off with an abrasive wall of sound and basking in ominous red lights, Marie Davidson's set oscillated between hard techno and material from across her discography, sprinkled in with some inspirational messaging delivered like a very unserious spin class instructor. Her performance highlighted the strengths of some of her more recent material, including single "Y.A.A.M.," her first release for Soulwax record label DEEWEE. Songs like "Weird Ride," which samples the movie The Fog by John Carpenter, managed to bridge the gap between the straightforward techno cuts and her more cheeky electro-pop compositions.
Early hit "Work It," off her breakthrough album Working Class Woman, prompted a wave of recognition in the room, as many clued in to the fact they were already familiar with Davidson. The ubiquitous dancefloor filler hits as hard as it did when it was first released in 2018. A dancefloor-ready version of Marie Davidson & L'Oeil nu song "Renegade Breakdown" acted as a perfect closing statement from an artist that shows no signs of creative fatigue. So, which iteration of the Marie Davidson experience did we get at the FME? All the best bits.