A renewed initiative co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union, the SHAPE platform reunites 16 European non-profit organisations active within the ICAS – International Cities of Advanced Sound network to create a platform that aims to support, promote and exchange innovative and aspiring emergent musicians and interdisciplinary artists with an interest in sound. The organisation supported a total of 144 artists for three years from 2015 to 2017 and was been renewed for another four years starting in 2018.

SHAPE presents its sixth year at CTM 2020. They support the Network Speed Dating event, the MusicMakers Hacklab, and a series of SHAPE artist performances and talks within the festival programme.

SHAPE Artists at CTM 2020

CTM 2020 will feature performances by a wealth of different SHAPE-supported artists over its ten-day schedule of events. Since releasing her debut LP, Break Before Make, Afrodeutsche has rapidly risen through techno’s ranks; Aquarian, also known as half of AQXDM, ventures through sinister breaks, feverish jungle, and grimey drum and bass; in Frédéric Gies' practice, somatics meets dance, transcendance, and altered states; sound artist Hugo Esquinca works across music, installation, and sonic interventions as Dekj and half of MNNNKJDE; winding autotuned vocals collide with gadjicore, hip hop, gabber, and even metal in Moesha 13's output; Virgen María is the captivating artist straddling a fine line between anxiety and ecstasy; VTSS is the rising techno star with releases on Intrepid Skin and Repitch Recordings under her belt; xin's debut album MELTS INTO LOVE mangles and strangles degraded rave sounds. 

This edition of the festival also welcomes performances from SHAPE alumni, such as punk techno stars Giant Swan; award-winning composer, cellist, and vocalist Hildur Guðnadóttir; futurist folk music composer and vocalist Lyra Pramuk; classically trained techno artist Nene H; and techno-twisting trailblazer Zamilska.

The SHAPE platform is co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.