American musician Black Ice Cream joins the Alicante group FlyingPigMatanza for a second session this Thursday. M Festival is a festival organized by the Mediterráneo Foundation, hosted in October and November at the Alicante Cultural Chamber (Avda. Doctor Gadea, 1) since 2018. The event brings together artists with national or international reach and Alicante music groups. Tickets for the double concert, which begins at 20:30, are available at the box office or through the foundation’s site, currently noted for reference rather than as a direct link. The festival emphasizes accessibility and community engagement through live performances.
M Fest presents a fresh approach to programming. It steps away from the traditional star-and-openers model in favor of two equally matched acts sharing the stage. The aim is simple: fans of one band get a chance to discover the other, expanding audiences and supporting professional growth for local ensembles by bridging diverse musical backgrounds.
Audience anticipation surrounds the first meetup featuring Carlota Flâneur and Viscopaf on October 20. The evening promises an emotional blend from the Alicante trio FlyingPigMatanza, merged with Helado Negro’s contemporary fusion, offering a bilingual journey inspired by Ecuadorian heritage and avant-garde pop that engages with political undertones.
musical fusion
Roberto Carlos Lange, known professionally as Helado Negro, hails from Florida (born 1980). He has earned recognition including a 2019 United States Artist Foundation fellowship in music and the Foundation’s 2019 Grant to the Artist award for Contemporary Arts. A South Florida native with Ecuadorian immigrant roots and now a Brooklyn resident, his education informs his work, resulting in bilingual lyrics that weave English and Spanish.
Black Ice Cream released the 2019 album That’s how you laugh, a project that earned an 8.5 rating and was named Best New Music by a respected music publication. In 2021, the release Away and its subsequent projects continued to receive critical praise and audience enthusiasm.
Straight Pop
FlyingPigMatanza hails from Alicante and features Marcos Martínez, Hector Bardisa, and Miguel C. de la Fuente. Their self-titled debut EP showcases a sound that highlights the vocal and instrumental melodies crafted by Martínez, creating a vivid and inspirational sonic framework. The band draws on eighties influences from acts like The Cure, Golpes Bajos, and Tears for Fears.
Their first record, Beautiful Moments, was captured in a cabin living room setting in Sierra de Aitana, staying true to the band’s no-frills, direct pop ethos while nodding to eighties aesthetics.
Expand the cultural offer
Alejandro Tévar and Miguel Carratalá guide the festival’s coordination, maintaining a concert-cycle format that centers on three key dates. The program promises an immersive experience, with a careful selection process to ensure acts are active, releasing new material, and presenting their own repertoires.
Luis Boyer, president of Mediterráneo Foundation, stresses the organization’s commitment to Alicante’s music scene. The aim is to complement the city’s cultural offerings, attract younger audiences, and strengthen ties with existing fans. Through M Fest, the foundation seeks wider connections with emerging artists, focusing on the Alicante province and serving as a bridge between performers and audiences.