Techno is dope.
If you didn’t know this already, perhaps it’s time to turn off SoundCloud and get to one of those after-hours clubs you hear about…The kind of place that’s so dark you can’t see your drink, and so loud you are physically lifted by bass frequencies. The kind of place that plays music which numbs and expands your mind simultaneously.
Or perhaps it’s time for a pilgrimage to the very birthplace of the genre: Detroit. Every year thousands of people descend upon the resilient Motor City for Movement Festival (previously DEMF, or Detroit Electronic Music Festival) – a vanguard and celebration of “the untz-untz.”
Five stages are spread out (or tucked away) over downtown’s Hart Plaza. With the city looming high all around and Canada perched calmly on the other side of the river, there couldn’t be a more central environment for booming 4×4 bass beats.
It was kind of surreal, actually, to see this type of music put on such public display. What really blew my mind was how freakin’ loud the music was – at every stage, but especially the main stage, you were fully immersed in the music by default. The speaker systems here definitely punch above their weight.
Far from being relegated to the underground, there is a city-wise sense of pride about the event. From Lyft drivers to coffee shop workers, event staff and even police officers, it feels like the entire population is ushering you into the festival grounds.
Sure, there are techno purists out there. People who say that if you don’t make music on a synthesizer, or listen to the stuff at night, or wear a black t-shirt, that you’re not doing it right. Take no heed of these haters – they are missing out on a hell of an experience. Also, these people were conspicuously absent from Movement; perhaps staying home to fiddle with their knobs and emerge in the night like pale vampires.
We purposely did very little research on the lineup before attending, knowing that if we followed our ears the right things would happen. Here we list the five artists that we discovered or loved already at Movement Detroit 2019.
**A WORD OF WARNING** If you’re not listening to this on big sub speakers, you’re going to have to use your imagination to add many layers of bass behind every kick. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, imagine that a small horse is hitting you in the chest with each thump. That’s techno.
And if this list doesn’t look very “techno” on paper, well… they sure went that way at Movement. Check our IG post for a taste of the real thing.
1. FISHER
Fisher’s become a big name in electronic music recently, and not without reason. This Aussie’s signature combination of splashy synths and bumping basslines makes for a catchy-yet-accessible dance experience.
2. VIRGIL ABLOH
Off-White. Louis Vuitton. Engineering. Architecture. Producing and DJing. Virgil Abloh is involved in some high-falutin’ activities and he’s a hell of a smart guy. How often does a YouTube search pull up a Boiler Room set alongside a speech at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design?
People give him shit as a DJ because his hip-hop sets are kind of janky, and I agree – though his house & techno selections were lush and well-curated.
3. ORBITAL (LIVE)
This English duo has been around since 1989, making computer music and rebuilding it live for audiences around the world. This was the least “techno” of the bunch (maybe more like “electronica”) but it was still enthralling and very worthwhile. They have an esoteric sound that really bumps on a soundsystem.
4. WAJATTA
While I’m usually not a fan of live vocals over electronic beats, this collab between Reggie Watts and John Tejada was totally different. Reggie’s bombastic voice fits perfectly over bouncy tech-house grooves and makes for a really dope party vibe.
5. AMELIE LENS
Pure, dark techno. That’s what this Belgium-based producer and DJ makes, and that’s what the people like – she was the most-requested artist for this year’s Movement based on attendee polls from last year. Another experience that’s sadly diluted by most speaker systems, but put on a proper one it’ll test your backbone.
