Event Reviews | The Detroit Techno House

I made it out in the depths of the night this weekend to enjoy Detroit’s electronic hey day re-visited. I am speaking of the PKU reunion party (Dec. 3, 2011). Let me tell you, it didn’t disappoint. With the spirit of where it started, PKU stood tall and showed its beautiful silhouette, if only for a night… It was fun to see people pack out the often-maligned “Works” for a better cause than it has seen in a while.

The place packed out quite early, I can’t remember the last time I saw a line at 10:45 on a Saturday night. Slammin’ music, mostly from Detroit, played with an old-school passion that needs to be infused in this new school era. Wow, I almost forgot Jungle existed! The positive and unique attitude of the night was so obvious it was shocking. It was amazing to see so many old school heads back together again. Smiles replaced blank stares, dancing replaced staring at the floor, and soul replaced machine on this special night. Not that there wasn’t a fair share of stumbling aimlessly going on, but most of it was followed with a polite “sorry” if you were bumped into. It was awesome.

I caught the end of Lori Hi Fi, and all I can say is… bangin’! She set the stage off with some hard techno, and even threw in some old school epic breakdowns to make the crowd go crazy. After Lori came Woodward vs CDX. It was a sight to behold, and Woodward dropped some old tracks that took me back. Lastly I saw a man named Harley from Detroit spin one of the more proper sets of the night. He wove real Detroit Techno in and out on the Technics, and he did it with precision and passion. I also found out that he does an electronic music radio show on Sundays called “Burst Radio”, and apparently they stream electronic music 24/7. I actually visited the studio and it is a legit set-up with some real professional work going on there…Check them out at BurstRadio.net.

All in all it was an impressive night. I saw Detroit come together in a way that I haven’t seen in quite some time, and it made me proud to see that there was still some good left in the electronic music community. My hat is off to the PKU kids, and all the people involved with this show. Well done, I hope to see more events with this old-school vibe in the future. In fact, I hope that some of the values that once infused the Detroit scene can once again be brought back to the forefront of this artistic endeavor.

Here’s a mix just for the PKU party by Detroit’s own Whistleboi, hope you enjoy:
Whistle-Boi PKU Reunion by whistle-boi

Saturday was an awesome day to be down in the city. Between the art fair, music popping off all over town, and the perfect nighttime weather, I was aching to get out and see what was going down. We started our night off at the Russell Industrial Center for the 4th annual Peoples Art Fair. This event has grown into one of my new favorite summer rituals in Detroit. So many amazing artists that bring that total DIY/outsider vibe, plus a chance to explore the cavernous insides of the Russell always make for a good time. Saw some cool stuff, and got to talk to some awesome people, but soon the draw and promise of electronic music became too strong, so we moved on with our night. House music seemed to be the call of the wild on Saturday, and after some careful decision making, we shot over to The Works to check out Christian Martin. Just as a side note, when we were going through the round-about at Campus Martius, I swear I heard an old school Plastikman track bumping from within the park, oh well. Anyway, the Works filled up quickly after midnight, and there were a lot of people who brought their dancing shoes. For the first part of the evening, I was really digging Matt Vaught in the front room spinning some House gems that tended to stray toward the funky side. It was refreshing to see a local DJ under 30 who doesn’t play dubstep/electrohouse or any of the really tacky forms of electronica that have had such a resurgence over the last several years. Christian Martin went on around 1:30 and had the crowd feeling it off the bat. He brought that laid back, West coast style house music, complete with lots of micro samples and dark synth stabs. Those who are familiar with the Dirtybird label should know what I’m talking about. The back of room took on a very sweatbox vibe for most of his set, lots of shameless dancing in the dark to sultry house music. I really enjoyed myself, and I haven’t danced like that at the Works in some time. Summer’s winding down, but if you’re from Detroit, you know all the hotness that tends to go down in the Fall season, so stay tuned. Peace.

I love hearing good music. But, I love hearing good music even more when it’s being played for a good cause. As was the case this past Saturday down in Roosevelt park on Saturday. For those that don’t know, Roosevelt Park is an amazing greenspace in Corktown directly in front of the infamous Train Station (even out-of towners know this iconic landmark of decay). As of the last few years or so, some heads in Corktown have been revitalizing the park, and R. Parkfest ’11 was a proper way to get people involved. The late afternoon rain on Saturday didn’t seem to dampen any spirits, and the music was chugging right along when we made it down to the fest. The schedule was a bit fucked up but we got to check out Nick Speed early in the evening which is always a treat. After some indie rock/shoegaze and some delicious craft beer, we were treated to a rare DJ set from the illustrious Dabyre. All I can say is awesome. Amazing tracks (including some unreleased joints) and flawless mixing left everybody wanting more. I wish he could have played a bit longer, but such is life. Next up was Andre Williams. Now this dude was about as far away from electronic music as can be, but goddamn, I loved his set. Dude was like a a blues/folk mashup with some of the dirtiest lyrics I’ve heard in sometime. Finally, a straight up DJ set by the legendary Juan Atkins. Despite some sound issues in the beginning, Mr. Atkins was bringing that old school techno flavor that Detroit heads love. We didn’t catch all of his set, as we were pre-occupied with trying to take a last minute tour of the Train Station (damn you razor wire!). Overall, had a great time, caught up with some amazing people, and in general, enjoyed an evening, outdoors in Detroit. Summer is almost over ya’ll, check out as many outdoor events as you can. Peace.

It was Sunday July 3rd around 12:37 am, fireworks had slowed for the evening, and I was feeling antsy. It was then that I decided myself and my significant other would venture out into the depths of the West Side for a little bit of Detroit House Music. Word was Delano Smith (A Detroit underground pioneer) would be spinning an outdoor venue in Detroit, and the party was gonna be hot! I decided to test the waters and was not disappointed. The place was easy enough to find, and the venue was strikingly well put together for what it was. As an added bonus Minx was added to the event lineup, and we walked in during her set. If you don’t know Minx, she is a house legend in the D, and she is amazing behind the decks! What I saw of her set was pretty slammin’. She kept the mixed BBQ-esque crowd dancing despite the unsure footing. She glided in and out of mixes and used the Xone 92 mixer nicely. She had a class about her that was both grown-up and still very fresh. I have to say it was nice to hear some real house music played in Detroit.

Delano Smith jumped right on the decks after Minx and he had a lot of energy. One of the great things about Delano is that he is a producer, so most of the tracks from his set actually came from his own hand… He also sprinkled in some well known anthems and even a few new joints that had the kids at the party going bonkers. It seemed like he might have been having trouble with one of CDJ decks, but he handled it like a professional, and most of the crowd didn’t have a clue. All together it was a very successful night for Detroit house music, and the fans were the true winners. A new outdoor/indoor venue, great music, and a vibe that made you feel comfortable and welcome. The people at Proper Modulation and Random Reason have a lot to be proud of, and I can only say that I hope to see more events like this in the future. Thanks to all that came out and especially to everyone who had a hand in creating this event, it was a banger! Check out the video of the party getting down to Minx and Delano Smith below, they were tearing up the backyard!

The Detroit Techno House

Detroit Re-lives ‘Old’ Days (PKU Reunion)

Event Review: The Peoples Art Fair and Christian Martin @ The Works

Event Review: R. Parkfest ’11

Event Review (Delano Smith and Minx @ outdoor venue)

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