Movement 09 Monday Review

May 262009
 

Monday is always the most chiller day at the festival for me, every year it seems like the least populated day down at Hart Plaza. With everyone getting silly all weekend, I guess by Monday some can’t make it up. But honestly, with all the ridiculous after parties on Sunday, is it really any surprise. It’s one weekend out of the year, and that’s the way it has to go down sometimes. Sleep is overrated anyway.
I found myself all over checking in at different stages all day. Carl Craig was the first act we peeped out at the Main stage. Lots of great techno tracks, with his usual seamless mixing. Big ups to Mr. Craig being named creative director for next years festival, his absence has been too long. Next we made our way over to the Red Bull stage for Afrika Bambaataa. This dude needs to play in Detroit more often. The last time I saw him was a rave like maybe 5 years ago, and it was an awesome performance. After a bit of technical difficulties delaying the beginning of his set, he got things poppin off with bassy dance hits and strange edits of non-dance music. The crowd was going fucking crazy the whole time. The guys (and girls) dancing to the right of the stage were awesome. Oh, and the hype man that was keeping things going at the delayed start of the set was great.
It was a quick dash back to the main stage next to catch Los Hermanos. I have been a big fan for awhile, so I really looked forward to this performance. Talk about a setup! Totally seamless instrumentation the whole time. This is the type of stuff techno is all about, taking it past the drum machine and synth to the next level of what’s deemed “live performance”.
I got to catch a few minutes of Buzz Goree downstairs. He was banging some really driving techno like that shit was a warehouse. Right on.
After a quick “refueling”, we came back down in time to spend time between Bassnectar and Kevin Saunderson. I think I got spoiled on Kevin Saunderson a couple years ago when he was doing a weekly at the Works. I give the guy mad respect. He keeps his techno straight, and he has mad Detroit love. I didn’t catch much of his set, but what I heard did not disappoint. I was kind of excited to hear Bassnectar for the first time, a few people have repped this guy and I wanted to see what the noise is all about. Holy fucking bassed out, low end dance music!

This guy tested those subs like what. I can’t really pin down his music to a specific electronic genre, so I’ll just say, he lives up to his name, and he really knows how to get a crowd sweating. I was very impressed. The night finished out with Derrick May back at the main stage. Good solid Detroit techno from one of the true masters. I think the lineup for the main stage for all of Monday evening was a great way to finish off a great weekend.

Overall, this was a fantastic weekend. I was glad to see so many heads made it down to Hart plaza to enjoy a true Detroit natural resource, techno. I’m really glad to see a new generation of kids getting excited about electronic music, and realizing there’s a vibrant accessible music scene right in their own community. It’s also amazing to see so many folks come from so far away just to foray into Detroit for a weekend of electronic bliss. I also have to say, it’s also great to share this weekend with so many good friends who keep me motivated and inspired with all things musical. I’m glad I got to talk to so many people, and tell them about this blog, I met some great folks. If you talked to me or Art Martial this weekend, or got one of our flyers, check back every couple days, we always got something new to say on here. Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend, and I’ll see y’all in the D!

 May 26, 2009  Posted by Alex Calhoun Event Reviews No Responses »

Movement 09 Sunday Review

May 252009
 
Sunday, another glorious day of banging techno all day and night. Made it down to Hart Plaza a little later which was fine, there was nothing I was really jumping up and down about earlier in the day. On the convenience tip, Cobo roof is the parking spot of choice. It’s a short jaunt to Hart Plaza, and you can tailgate some drinks. For $10, it was definetly on point. The first thing we checked out was Tiefschwarz on the Beatport stage. Tight set, but the breakdowns were getting a little minimal for my taste, you gotta bang those speakers! Made my way down to the Real Detroit stage next and caught the end of Jay Denham’s set while catching up with an old friend. Dude was droppin some hot, bassy techno. I gotta say I really like how they had the stage set up down there this year.

The most anticipated for me by far was Dennis Ferrer, and he did not disappoint. I was front and center on the main stage for his set, and I don’t think it was possible for someone not to dance down there, his mix was just that jumpin‘. Hot New York style house, dripping with soulful vocal hooks, and that track that he played with the ragtime breakdown was ridiculous. I noticed his boys, the Martinez brothers shared the stage, and hyped Mr. Ferrer the whole time. I really wish there had been an afterparty with Dennis Ferrer and the Martinez brothers, but oh well, wishful thinking.
I tried to make it over to the Redbull stage for RJD2′s set, but it was crowded to the point that I didn’t feel like muscling my way through, so I only caught a sliver of his set from a distance, but it sounded like some atypical hot ass RJ beats.
Loco Dice vs. Luciano took over the main stage next, and they had a very hard performance to follow, but them boys brought the heat, and had the crowd going crazy. Their music was all over the place as far as genre’s are concerned, but they kept it to the more techno side of the spectrum.(yes, electronic music has a spectrum)

In between the hotness at the main stage, I did get the opportunity to check out Anthony Rother at underground. Awesome analog sickness, with vocorded vocals, I really wish I could have caught more of it, but that’s Movement, there’s always

multiple great things going on simultaneously.

We left the festival a little early in hopes of making it to the Tangent Gallery to take advantage of the “before midnight” price break. When we got there, the line out the door told a different story. We all said fuck it, and made tracks over to Bookies for some delicious house music. It was great that they had the party upstairs, with the roof terrace, I love dance music outdoors. I was a little miffed that we hadn’t checked the set times, and completely missed Gene Farris. I mean really, a 9:30 timeslot? I thought this was an afterparty. But all my bitching aside, I really enjoyed seeing Roy Davis Jr, with the live drummer. Good house music just always creates such a great vibe, especially when you can look around the room, and even the people who aren’t dancing have a grin on their face, and can’t help but to bob their head or tap their feet to the beat. Big ups to the bar staff at Bookies, they hooked it up all night.
The night ended up at the Bohemian National house again, I love this venue, ravey as hell and pulsating music that shakes the soul of the building. The people who run things are super cool, and the place has an overall great vibe. The house was pounding strong in the dark, and it was a great way to end the night.

 May 25, 2009  Posted by Alex Calhoun Event Reviews No Responses »

Movement '09 Saturday Review

May 242009
 

We have the first day of the festival here and gone, and it was a good kick off indeed. I was a little pissed at first when I had to wait in the VIP line to get my “credentials” for an hour. The Paxahau staff at the table checking people in seemed very overwhelmed and misinformed causing frustration. The VIP in general is not worth the $150. The private bathrooms are not private, the water was not working, and no trash can to throw your diseased filled paper towel in. The free drinks at the bar were weak as fuck. I am a bartender and know how to pour drinks. They filled big dixie’s with a half an inch of alcohol and about 6 inches of mixer. The massage area is nice but hardly worth $150. The only good thing about VIP is that you can hear what is going on at the main stage wherever you are at within the VIP area.

After my poor experience in VIP, I wandered out in front of the main stage to see Steve Bug. He was ripping it apart. I love how this dude crosses the lines between techno, tech house, and minimal. Sometimes minimal is not enough for me, but the tracks “The Bug” plays are on the hyper side of the genre for sure. The crowd was loving it and my attitude was definitely changed by his electric performance. For being the first music I had heard at the festival, I was very pleased and exicted to see what will come from the rest.

After “The Bug” I headed to the Beatport stage to check out Adam Beyer. Adam Beyer is one of my favorite DJs and I play some of the same tracks he uses also. Drumcode is boss when it comes to techno in my humble opinion. Of course Adam was tearing it up with his signature sound, but it was too predictable of a set. Being “DEMF” and all I like to see things that are not familiar. Francois K was playing at the same time on the main stage so I was going back between the two and loving both. Francois K was banging some techno and provided something a bit different to stimulate my Detroit influenced brain.

I was very excited when I heard Carl Cox would be performing this year. I have not seen him in Detroit for ever. I know Carl Cox is a superstar european DJ and his tracks can be borderline “trancy”, so I was slightly scared about what he would be playing. The whole time though he was just banging some hard techno, with occasional catchy melodies coming in and out. For being in Detroit for the first time in while, he did us proper. I love how he is always bouncing and smiling while he is spinning. His energy and explosiveness is unmatched. One of my friends had not heard much from him. After words he told me Carl Cox destroyed his brain. No drugs present.

There could not have been a better act then the Glitch Mob to end off an almost perfect first day of the Movement festival. After hearing some techno being banged for the last 6 hours or so, it was nice for a change up. Glitch Mob’s using of micro chopped samples, superb mixing, and phat ass bass riffs was simply amazing. As an avid hip-hop fan also, I was very motivated. There “glitch” sound makes you feel like your brain is being reprogrammed with a software update, that will change the way you look at electronic based hip-hop like music.

After the festival we hit up the Bohemian National Home for a Blank Artist’s party. Osborn was mixing it up nicely with his original techno style fusing Acid, House, Funk, and old-school Pop. The dark atmosphere in the room made it for a classically nostalgic Detroit party. The Bells beer and $10 cover was also nice. Over all the first day was a blast, and I cannot wait for the rest of the weekend. The quote of day goes to wilderness, “There’s nothing like weed butter to make you feel like your wearing a hat when your not wearing a hat”.

 May 24, 2009  Posted by Chris Macom Event Reviews No Responses »

Kevin Saunderson Podcast

May 232009
 
detroit-house3

Ahh…Movement weekend. Looking like it’s gonna be a wicked good time. Thought this podcast seemed appropriate.A little Kevin Saunderson bangin that shit. See you all down at Hart Plaza.

 May 23, 2009  Posted by Alex Calhoun DJ Mixes No Responses »
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