On the experimental electronic music scene of Pécs

Published December, 2024
by Easterndaze

A round-up of what is likely the last relevant electronic music-wise relevant rural town in Hungary. We spoke to Balázs Kovács, Roland Nagy and Tamás Hámori about the Electronic Music Media Arts BA/BSc course, new music experiments, club music, venues and organiser forces..

Unlike several other Central and Eastern European countries (e.g. clubs in Brno or Ostrava in the Czech Republic), Hungary’s contemporary electronic music scene is very much concentrated in its capital city. This is even more so the case when it comes to experimental efforts; while you might find something to do on a Friday night in places like Tatabánya or Székesfehérvár, the chances of stumbling into an event focused on new or experimental music are virtually non-existent.

This is why it’s refreshing to see that Pécs stands out as something of an exception in the imbalance between Budapest and rural Hungary (which is, of course, not only limited to this field). In Pécs, a local experimental electronic music scene has emerged, with its core centered around the Electronic Music and Media Art programme at the University of Pécs (PTE)—one that I myself am a third-year student in—and the growing community that has formed around it. Informally known as EZMBA, the programme is part of the Faculty of Arts and is based in the Zsolnay Quarter. Its history dates back to 2008, when Balázs Kovács (xrc, Eszelős Meszelős), the program’s director, laid the foundation for its launch in collaboration with László Vidovszky, Andrea Szigetvári, and Bálint Bolcsó.

Balázs recalls that by that time, the institution had already been through several unsuccessful attempts at similar initiatives despite having offered Music IT courses since 1996. Somehow, those programmes never managed to progress. Eventually, they found a solution by intertwining media art experimentation with other forms of electronic arts. “I noticed that, for example, in the Czech Republic, the electronic music subculture was able to survive and thrive because it managed to place roots in various other related art forms and research fields,” says Balázs.

143° on the University’s courtyard, October 22nd, 2024. (Zsolt Abonyi)

According to the University’s official website, the program is designed “for those interested in sound, noise, and silence, together with all of their electronic or digital forms. For those who see sound, image, and their mediums not as ready-made, finite constructions, but as experiments, improvisation, and possibilities. In other words, for those intrigued by sound art, interaction, network projects, and performance.”

Today in Hungary, electronic music media art can only be studied at the University of Pécs (PTE) and the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music (LFZE), but, the program offered by the Composition Department at LFZE requires applicants to have much more in-depth training prior to admittance. As a result, students enrolled to the Academy are typically well-versed in music theory and instrumental performance, with an interest in zene informatika, while those applying to Pécs are often self-taught individuals looking to develop their electronic music skills in a structured, professional framework. 

Students admitted to the EZMBA programme may have had no prior institutionalised music education, which results in a workshop-like teaching approach rather than the traditional academic setup. Without aiming for a complete list, in addition to basic acoustics, music theory, and music appreciation, we study Max/MSP, Supercollider, Ableton Live, the fundamentals of sound synthesis in a VCV Rack environment, game sound design, mixing and mastering, as well as group improvisation. We also build hardware synthesizers and translate musicological texts. There is some overlap between the instructors of the Budapest and Pécs programmes, and the students frequently collaborate as well: the Kipakolás series, held quarterly at Lumen, always features pairs of performers made up of LFZE and PTE students.

143° on the University’s courtyard, October 22nd, 2024. (Zsolt Abonyi)

The Pécs programme is taught exclusively by renowned artists and professionals who are active in their field. Alongside Balázs Kovács and Bálint Bolcsó, instructors include Zlatko Baracskai, Ergimen Djindji, Gida Labus, Nikolett Kardos, Mári Mákó, Péter Márton (Prell/Teleϟport), and András Simongáti – and in recent years, several nationally and internationally recognized artists have emerged from the EZMBA programme: take, for example, Alexandra Abigél Bánházi (swanasa), who performed as the opening act for Abul Mogard at Trafó in April; Gábor Lázár, who released his latest work at Raster following two albums at Planet Mu; or the entire Műhely crew, which also originated from Pécs. Additionally, Nagy Roland (Fausto Mercier), who was named a SHAPE artist in 2020, also began his career here. His albums have been released on Kaer’Uiks, Pointless Geometry, and the now-defunct Genot Centre (we wrote about his latest here). In 2024 alone, he performed in Rome, Parma, Berlin, and Dortmund as well outside his performances in Hungary.

With a few exceptions, these artists no longer live in Pécs; typically, they’re based in Budapest and/or abroad. Not only do they move away, but performers originating from the PTE programme rarely even return to play in the city. This strongly reinforces the suspicion that the programme functions more as a springboard rather than an entity that ensures the long-term replenishment of the electronic music scene in Pécs. Roland shares this view despite sort of being an exception: he moved to the city in 2013, when he was admitted to the EZMBA programme, and has lived there ever since, teaching in the programme for several years now. He believes the course and its community played a huge role in launching his career, and he draws from the mindset he developed there to this day: “Anything can happen, that’s a truth I picked up here.”

Despite this, apart from his student years, he hasn’t become a regular performer in the local scene of Pécs; his last performance was six months ago as a part of a zaj+ showcase at Nádor Gallery during the first BPM Festival (Binary Pécs Movement). This two-day mini-festival spanning six venues was made possible thanks to the collective efforts of the programme’s students. Examining the venues that hosted the event gives a relatively clear picture of where in Pécs there’s at least a chance to break away from the mainstream every now and then.

BPM Festival at Nappali (Andrej Romić)

Amper Klub is currently the only venue in the city dedicated to electronic music (primarily techno). During BPM, both aforementioned collectives linked to the programme, Műhely and Klang — self-described as operating within the underground techno scene—hosted events here. Many EZMBA students tend to explore both experimental and club-oriented music, but it’s important to highlight that despite their experimental roots, at Amper, these collectives played with a clear goal of making people dance.
In addition to Amper, BPM events also took place at Nappali, Made in Pécs Café, and the Ti-ti-tá pub. However, these venues can largely be considered fortunate anomalies—aside from a handful of Nappali events, very little has happened in recent years at these locations concerning experimental electronic music.

Tamás Hámori played a key role in coordinating the project. He operates between the club scene and the experimental music community associated with the programme. He is also a drum and bass producer and DJ under the name brane., and creates experimental music as haiori. Between 2020 and 2023, he organised bass music events in the city with as much regularity as often as circumstances allowed.

Hyperpop Hungary at BPM, in Szabadkikö (Andrej Romić)

Alongside Roland and Balázs, Tamás also sees Szabadkikötő (where Family Fast and Hyperpop Hungary hosted events during BPM) and Nádor Gallery (the venue of the aforementioned zaj+ showcase) as the most accessible locations that have formed around the programme. The latter is co-operated by the Faculty of Arts and the Medical School, aiming, as stated on their website, “to create a communal space that allows (…) for the exhibition of artworks created by university students (…) and provides opportunities for the city’s residents to become more familiar with the two institutions through the events held here.”

This effort is primarily focused on visual arts, meaning that EZMBA typically engages with the concept through multimedia installations (a great example being the BPM event, where works by Roland’s students took over the space during the zaj+ showcase). However, standalone experimental music concerts are quite a rare occurrence.

BPM Festival at Nádor Gallery (Gábor Horváth)

Which leaves us with Szabadkikötő as the central venue and one of the key locations of 143° and the host of exam festivals, making it a vital part of the program’s life. The 143° series is the most significant musical initiative tied to EZMBA, originally launched in the university courtyard with the goal of giving any student the opportunity to showcase the progress of their musical projects to their peers.

From the very beginning, it has been a self-organised collective; while one student will occasionally take the lead for a period of time, its operations are far more democratic than of a traditional crew of event organisers. Although Szabadkikötő has absolutely become 143°’s second home alongside the courtyard, audience numbers suggest that despite the extra location, the series remains more of a platform for internal presentation rather than attracting people beyond the university and its circle.

According to Tamás, attendance at EZMBA-related events ranges from 20 to 60 people, Balázs estimates it to be between 10 and 50. Roland, with a more pessimistic view, puts the average at 2 to 20 attendees. Balázs adds that if many students show up, a few external friends are enough to fill up Szabadkikötő quite quickly; however, as we’ve seen, larger venues generally aren’t receptive to this kind of programme.

It remains a peculiar and hard-to-explain phenomenon that the country’s largest experimental music community tied to an institution lacks partnerships with venues where this group could regularly present itself to a wider audience.

143° on the University’s courtyard, October 22nd, 2024. (Zsolt Abonyi)

Balázs believes it is beneficial to have closed, inward-facing events organised by and for the students, but he also emphasises the importance of creating opportunities “for those who don’t know much about electronic music, or don’t have a positive association with it.”
He sees this largely as a matter of marketing, arguing that if the importance of an event can be communicated clearly and accessibly in local media—as was successfully done with BPM Festival—then we’re no longer only seeing familiar faces on the dancefloor. At the same time, he points out the simple fact that the city currently lacks enough relevant venues to support these events.

“In the past, we organised experimental music events all over town—not only in arts venues, but also in pubs and public squares. Compared to other cities, the squares and streets of the downtown area are particularly suitable for hosting such events. Recently though, for various reasons, these spaces have somewhat diminished, leaving us primarily with Szabadkikötő and perhaps Nádor Gallery as viable locations for similar programs. However, the House of Arts and Literature also remains an excellent and welcoming venue.” — Kovács Balázs.

Regarding what these reasons might be, the Pécs Aktuál news magazine published an article in 2020 titled “How Electronic Music Died in Pécs Over Ten Years” in which they listed each iconic venue that has closed since the “golden era” of the 1990s and 2000s.

There have been three separate 143° parties at the Gólya in Budapest in the past two years. These do not replace the significance of local gigs, but it’s true that they served as exciting opportunities for the students to showcase their work in front of a larger, more diverse audience. The new situation also came with an unspoken expectation weighing on the performers: at the two events I attended, the experimental spirit got pushed into the background, the focus shifting more towards getting people to dance. Of course, in keeping with the 143° ethos, this shift only happened with live sets, but it was still noticeable that the setup wasn’t fully authentic, especially when a few louder members of the audience threw in unwarranted advice like, “Come on man, speed it up a lil!” to someone playing experimental ambient instead of techno or drum and bass.

Persze ez a 143° szellemiségének jegyében kizárólag live-szettekkel történt, de azért így is feltűnő volt, hogy nem egy teljesen önazonos felállásról van szó, főleg akkor, amikor a közönség egy-két hangosabb tagja „kicsit pörgesd fel, öreg” jellegű tanácsokkal látta el azt, aki techno vagy dnb helyett inkább kísérleti ambientet játszott. 

143° at Gólya, February 25th, 2024. (Csilla Fodor)

It is entirely possible that something similar would happen if this group, originally representing the students – which, although overlapping with former and current students’ dance music collectives, does not aim to represent the same thing – were somehow to make its way to a venue like the Amper Klub. The strength of 143° lies in the fact that it is hard to categorise, and consequently, difficult to build a brand around it – as Balázs points out, “at 143° events, there is no big PR effort; its advantage is precisely that members of our community can show each other their work.” 

Based on experiences like those at Gólya, I don’t believe the collective’s goal should be to open up to a wider audience, because in doing so, its essence might get lost along the way. It’s much more authentic if 143° remains a pressure-free environment for showcasing our work – many of us owe our first ever performance to it. As a taster of this, I recommend checking out the latest 143° recording held in the university courtyard.

It is also important to mention the Zsolnay Light Festival, where the department has its own venue every year. This is where the opportunity is most likely to arise, as Balázs mentioned, for people who typically work in completely different fields to encounter the department, even if they don’t have much interest in the scene. Tamás highlights that every July, thousands of visitors come into contact with the fusion of experimental music and visual arts, but as Balázs notes, it is more of a tourist attraction than a traditional festival. According to the event’s website, it is clear that the focus is on projection mapping on public buildings, with “street art productions, concerts, theater, and new circus performances” being considered accompanying programs.

Zsolnay Light Festival, 2024 (Andrej Romić)

Once or twice a year, there is also an opportunity for relevant electronic music acts coming from other cities – typically from Budapest – to invite students from the department as local support through Balázs. Much like the true 143° parties, these gigs are typically claimed on a first come, first served basis through the EZMBA Facebook group. For instance, this is what led to Peter Adam performing before iamyank, or myself getting given the chance to perform before Sándor Vály and the late Attila Kalóczkai at an event organized by blindblindblind.

The two concerts mentioned perfectly illustrate the prospects for acts that arrive in Pécs as niche performers, not entirely unknown, but still very much off the mainstream radar. Both the Vály-Kalóczkai and iamyank concerts drew around 20 people, with Balázs even covering half the cost of the first ten tickets for students (2000 HUF each) for the Vály-Kalóczkai event. In the Autumn of 2018 and Spring of 2019, even the two joint parties of EXILES and 143° didn’t attract large crowds despite the label being quite active at the time, including throwing a sold out night at Gólya in late 2019 right before the COVID pandemic hit.

It seems to be a general trend that when non-mainstream, non-danceable electronic music acts make it to the city, the turnout is typically low – and those who do attend are almost always somehow connected to the department. This then affects both the organisers’ mindset and the performers’ enthusiasm. As Roland points out, “a performer is happier going to where they’re looked forward to, where there is room and enthusiasm for what they do. In Pécs, it seems that there aren’t many open ears for new music concerts.” And while there is little chance for profit from organising noise music events in Budapest as well, in Pécs, these chances are practically zero.

Tamás observes, “In Pécs, an experimental electronic music event basically only happens if we put it together ourselves, but even then, it’ll only attract a handful of friends. It’s a total bubble.” But then, what music do locals want to hear today? According to Tamás, “Techno and drum and bass have a solid, healthy community in the city. There are, of course, other genres present in the night life, but much less frequently. Young people are most likely to attend a Latin/R&B or mainstream party at Pécsi Est or Sörház.”

Tamás’ experience as an organiser also reflects the challenge of finding appropriate venues for electronic music in Pécs. “There is no place in the city that gives space to all styles of electronic music. The current venues are very selective about who and what genres they’re willing to host.” This lack of suitable venues led him to suspend his bass music collective, Slip ’n Drip, which he started in 2020 in the Szabadkikötő basement just before the lockdowns. Below is a detailed description of this struggle, which I felt was important to share in its entirety as it provides a clear picture of the situation one finds themselves in when attempting to break away from the mainstream in Pécs.

“In 2020, Szabadkikötő had a small notebook with every event written down in it. All you had to do was find an empty slot with the bartender on duty. The only questions that came up were whether it would be an electronic or live music event; they didn’t ask about the genre or how many people you expected to come. We put on two events that each brought in about 80-120 people, and then came COVID. In 2021, the venue underwent a rebranding and began to be stricter about who they would host, so we started looking for alternative venues. This is how we ended up at one of the city’s dorm event spaces, Studió, which was still privately owned at the time – we threw a 100-120 head party there, and then the venue got passed back to the University, and we could no longer use it.
Meanwhile, I kept trying to coordinate with several other venues in Pécs; in better cases, they outright told me that bass music was too extreme for them, and in the worse cases, they simply didn’t reply at all. Then, as a surprising turn of events, when I asked Szabadkikötő in the Summer of 2022 if we could organise a lighter event on an empty Thursday, they said yes, and 70-80 people showed up, even though it was the off-season. It seemed like they were happy with it, and they even said we should do something like it again, but then later on, we heard that they weren’t planning on doing more of these events.
At this point, I started growing more certain that our audience absolutely existed, it was just that no venue in Pécs really wanted to accommodate this genre.
After that, we had a few more events at Szenes Klub – for which we are very grateful to them – but they could only guarantee one event every six months, and we had to realise that just two parties a year weren’t going to be enough to build an entire community. I got tired of running around, so now I’m just waiting to see if something changes. It was mainly due to these kinds of experiences that we organised BPM Festival in the first place – the concept was that if we gather enough people from the electronic music scene to show the venues how many people the Pécs underground actually moves, they might be a little more open to less popular electronic music genres.”

BPM Festival at Nádor Gallery (Gábor Horváth)

Balázs highlights the popularity of local danceable electronic music genres too, but adds: “Pécs is fundamentally a rock/blues city, with a bit of an alternative vibe, and without radical forms.” A prime example of this is the annual Made in Pécs festival, where more than two hundred local bands perform at various venues across the city in a single day. And of course, the mainstream scene is thriving: in the last two months of 2024, bands like Esti Kornél, Pogány Induló, Analog Balaton, Elefánt, Sub Bass Monster, Halott Pénz, and 30Y are all performing in the city.

Due to the factors mentioned, Pécs has a distinctive and undeniable role in the domestic experimental music scene. Balázs sees the local trends in comparison to the Budapest context as follows:

“If you organise a small but interesting event in Budapest, it doesn’t really get noticed, but if you do it in Pécs, it does. There aren’t any big-budget events in this sector in Pécs (except for the Light Festival, but even that’s mostly a visual festival anyway), so it kind of feels like a continuation of ’90s rave culture with different musical styles and young people.”

Roland’s experiences are similar to this, as he believes, “in Budapest, there is so much more support for noise music: labels, organisers, collectives who aren’t only keeping the scene alive but are also shaping it. It’s also a bit like there’s a community there instead of just an audience, which I think is very cute. In Pécs, this doesn’t exist outside the department.”
Indeed, the only recognised experimental label in Pécs is linked to Balázs too, who founded the now well-known DIY label dióbél under the name diaspóra in 2001. “The main goal was to release the music of myself and my friends in physical format, hand-made and limited to 10-20 copies (mostly CDs at the time, then USB drives, floppy disks, and later vinyl).”

The activity of dióbél is closely tied to the department: their record cutting machine lives in one of the classrooms, and students can use it as part of a record-making course. Additionally, in 2020, a department compilation album titled EZMBA 10 v/a was released, and if all goes well, another one is coming next year. Balázs also plans to focus on debut albums in the future. If this comes to fruition, it could be a great opportunity for many local electronic musicians to get started, though it remains to be seen how they will fare in the local scene under current circumstances.

Despite all these factors, the scene in Pécs has its own identity, and its role in the experimental music scene of Hungary is unquestionable, not least because it is the only Hungarian city, aside from Budapest, where such efforts are meaningfully present. To improve the less-than-ideal circumstances presented in this article, an array of factors would have to get fortunately aligned. However, it is an encouraging sign that, based on my experience (which Roland also confirms), more and more young people are getting tired of the capital-centric nature of the Hungarian scene and are journeying down to Pécs, even if only for a 143° party or the semi-annual exam concerts.

Originally written by @Dávid Gerlei for MMN Mag.
Translated from Hungarian by Gabriella Gal.
Lead photo: Zsolt Abonyi 

This article is brought to you as part of the EM GUIDE project – an initiative dedicated to empowering independent music magazines and strengthen the underground music scene in Europe. Read more about the project at emgui.de.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.