My DEMF/ Movement Review with videos (2009)

I’m not witnessing stadium rock or stadium love, like pop band Metric’s new song depicts in their newest album. No – Instead I’m witnessing stadium techno. It’s Saturday night, May 24th 2009 in Detroit, and Carl Cox is playing some pounding techno anthems to a crowd of fans with their hands in the air, fists pumping, feet moving and heads bouncing.

It’s infectious and the crowd from the stage looks like a human mosaic, moving in synch, separately chaotic yet bodily as one. Dancing to Jeff Mills ‘The Bells’, and other now-classic tracks, was what electronic music fans were up to this past weekend at the annual Movement festival.

This year’s Movement marked the 9th year of the Memorial Day Weekend festival that started in 2000. Since 2006, after undergoing several incarnations, a local Detroit promotions company called Paxahau has produced the first-class event.

Paxahau announced last week that producer and DJ Carl Craig will be their Creative Director for the festival’s 10th year in 2010. Craig is to serve as an ambassador for the festival on his international tours.

Craig said he’s looking forward to taking the artistic vision of the festival to a new level. Paxahau’s president, Jason Huvaere said Craig is the perfect man for the job, since he has an understanding of the history of techno music in Detroit. “He understands its impact around the world because he lives it every day,” said Huvaere.

Other artists in the same boat as Carl Craig, being from Detroit, were techno rock-stars, Kevin Saunderson and Derrick May who closed out the festival on the main stage.

Other notable Detroit Djs were Kevin Reynolds, who DJed with a band of backing instrumentalists playing live, and Audion (Mathew Dear’s alter ego) who pounded out darker industrial techno on the Made In Detroit stage.

Aside from Detroit representing, some fantastic acts from Europe were also captivating crowds. Steve Bug’s set on the main stage on Saturday really started to warm things up and had people grooving into the early evening.

Loco Dice vs. Luciano closed the main stage on Sunday, and during their set there was quite a big party onstage as there was down below.

For most of the weekend Beatport’s stage also had a great intimate vibe going. Marco Carola’s set on Saturday was my personal favourite because of his impeccable timing and just the right amount of groove, with a danceable track selection.

Sunday night, Tiefschwarz were followed by the infamous Wighnomy Bros and Guy Gerber. They all had the crowd going. And one of the brothers was wearing very small gym shorts, which was funny but didn’t detract from their killer set filled with humorous samples and dance hooks.

Aside from the American and Europeans dominating the festival line-ups, there were a few Canadians who played well – Heidi and Kero, both originally from Windsor, and Tiga, from Montreal.
Heidi, who grew up across the river from Detroit, speculated that during the economic downturn Movement Festival brings some much-relied upon spending into the city. She said that Movement shines a light on Detroit – one that’s much needed during a time of mass lay-offs.

Detroit certainly is a special place. On one reprieve from the festival my friends and I took a drive to Mexican Town where we ate plenty for $6. Then we drove past the old abandoned train station, with its large columns, numerous smashed in windows and illustrious past. It was beautifully haunting to see.

On Sunday night we attended the sold-out ‘I’m On A Boat’ official afterparty. As the boat docked during the festival we saw its massive glowing lights high above. That night, Loco Dice and Luciano killed it and we really let loose.

Other after parties attended worth mentioning included Volatl’s The Other 9ine-to-5ive, and Adultnapper and Steve Bug at Oslo, which got shut down early. There’s always too much to do at festivals, but this year was another success for fans, DJs, and promoters alike. Another year of community and connections made…nearly 10 years on.

See this article on beatport too.