The Everyseeker festival has just about everything you could classify as music, and that’s no exaggeration.
Formerly known as the Obey Convention, Everyseeker will see performances throughout Halifax from some of the most creative, genre-bending acts across the country, with half of their lineup being local artists.
There is guaranteed to be something for everyone. Nostalgic for a bygone era? Check out DJ DIAL UP, who fuses disco, ’90s EDM, and Y2K pop into a blend worth bopping to.
Do you like a pinch of science fiction with your tunes? Maybe SlowPitchSound is the right artist for you with his eclectic blend of music he labels as “sci-fi turntablism.”
Looking for death metal inspired in part by tennis matches and graphic novels? Watch Defensive Player perform a 17-minute instrumental where you can attempt to figure out how those inspirations intersect with the band’s music.
Determining whether or not these sounds and ideas work together is half the fun of Everyseeker—discovering and celebrating the artists who deliver music on the fringes of our widely accepted genre canon. Everyseeker is proving that it’s cool to be weird.
“Everyseeker is an experimental music festival located in Kjipuktuk that really works to platform and elevate voices that have been historically and presently marginalized within the canon of music presentation, local and beyond,” said co-director Carmel Farahbakhsh.
“A huge part of our work is thinking about whose sonic stories are not being told, and how we can shine a light to those stories. And also just celebrate in the weird, the wild.”
Accessibility and inclusion
One of their top priorities with the festival is accessibility so everyone will feel welcome to come to any performance they choose.
“We’re also very committed to creating multiple entry points and have access to our festival through supporting, emerging artists, first-time noisemakers, through a free/by donation ticketing and a pay-what-you-can membership,” said co-director Nik Basset.
With both co-directors having been involved in the local music scene for several years, they feel they know how it can be used, as Farahbakhsh puts it, as a “vehicle for change.”
“The scene itself can actually feel really exclusionary and so I think a huge part of that comes from our personal experiences in the music scene and music industry, and wanting to carve space where there hasn’t been space,” said Farahbakhsh, adding they owe much to the folks formerly running the organization for creating a foundation they continue to build on.
To aid in accessibility, Everyseeker is requiring masks for their events so that anyone can go without fear of risking their health.
Endless diversity
Saying Everyseeker is a platform for experimental music is almost putting it lightly. Amongst their diverse lineup are Zambia-born rapper and producer Backxwash, who delivers striking verses over varied instrumentation; the DJs who make up the Nectar Collective, who create “dance floors by queer people for queer people”; Many Worlds, an ensemble from Andrew MacKelvie which pairs improvisation with the Many Worlds theory of quantum mechanics.
“Are you looking to get lost on another planet? Are you looking to mosh? Are you looking to dance and sweat? Are you looking to witness improvised jazz? Every show is different,” said Basset.
There will also be children’s programming to keep the little ones entertained and included. Dubbed Everystinker and managed by the Khyber Centre for the Arts in a collaboration with YouthNet, this year’s theme is one every Nickelodeon fan will get a kick out of—slime.
“The series is going to be a slime race, so they wanted it to kind of be like our making dance space, and the art they chose is slime, which will be so fun to clean up after the party. I’m really excited for them,” said Farahbakhsh.
Also held during the festival is the Creative Music Workshop on June 16. The three-hour session will cover the fundamentals of spontaneous composition—a form of improvisation accepting of all musical ideas. All skill and experience levels are welcome.
For more on the Everyseeker music festival, including lineups, schedules, and to claim tickets, check out their website, and stay up-to-date with their Instagram page for updates.
This article appears in Jun 1-30, 2024.