DEMF report from Sonic Net
Detroit Report #1: Techno Fans Arrive For Electronic Music Fest Organizers expect hundreds of thousands of people at free event. Staff Writer Brian Hiatt reports: DETROIT - This gritty, depopulated city is hardly known as a tourist mecca. But don't tell that to Otto Koppius, a 28-year-old techno fanatic who, along with a group of similarly inclined friends, flew nine hours from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, to attend the Detroit Electronic Music Festival, which begins Saturday (May 27). And Koppius and his friends aren't alone, he said Friday, standing in front of Hart Plaza, the waterfront park that will host the free festival. We met some people from Belgium, from Sweden, from Portland, Oregon, from New York, people from all over who are coming here, he said. This is the hometown [of techno] - this is where it all started. It's like techno is finally getting the respect it deserves. - Beniah Leuschke, festival attendee Another group of fans gathered at Hart Plaza said they could feel anticipation for the festival everywhere in the city. Everyone we've talked to here, every single human being, said they're going, said Beniah Leuschke, who sat with friends on the edge of the park's underground amphitheater, which will serve as one of the festival's stages. It's like techno is finally getting the respect it deserves here. Leuschke, 26, and five friends drove into town Friday from Kansas City, Mo. As of Friday evening, though, electronic-music fans hadn't yet stormed Detroit en masse. Unlike many multiday rock festivals, the three-day event hasn't attracted large numbers of fans camping outside its grounds. Paula Makar, a festival vendor setting up for the event at the park, looked aghast at the very idea of camping out. I don't think electronic-music types are camping types, she said, shaking her head. In fact, camping is prohibited at Hart Plaza. Out-of-town fans will be staying in hotels, not roughing it. But many visitors probably won't be sleeping much, anyway. In addition to the festival itself, which will run from noon until midnight each day, promoters will hold after-parties throughout the city each night, all night. We're gonna stay up the whole time. There's the official after-parties, the rave parties - it's gonna be sick, said Joe Jesus David, an 18-year-old from the Detroit suburb of Southville. David and his friends were among the few fans hanging out by a nearly empty Hart Plaza on Friday evening. The huge park, which beginning Saturday will be filled with thumping beats and, according to promoters' predictions, hundreds of thousands of fans, was silent, except for the gentle hiss of the artificial waterfall near its center. Dozens of white vending tents were already set up, and the festival's multiple stages were bursting with sound equipment. I think a lot of people don't have a clue how huge this is going to be, how important this is, David said. I think a lot of people who don't listen to this music will at least gain an appreciation for it. The festival's headliners include iconic Detroit DJs Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson, Richie Hawtin and Stacey Pullen, along with hip-hop acts the Roots and Mos Def. http://www.sonicnet.com/news/archive/story.jhtml?id=971423pid=859928
UR vs Sony (from dancesite.com)
Detroit techno warriors Underground Resistance have been vindicated for their decision to fight Sony when the major label tried to cover their underground anthem, Knights Of The The Jaguar last year, judging from the massive hype now accompanying the UR original. Carl Cox, Pete Tong and Jon Carter have all started tipping it as THE record of 2000, and even NME have jumped on the bandwagon, declaring it as this year's Ibiza anthem. UR themselves remain unaffected by the hype, writing on their website, For those who know, stay low, stay strong, stay ready, stay underground. For those who don't, learn. For those who stole the soul, live in fear as the spirits will track you into your next life and beyond. Nothing good will come to you.. . http://www.dancesite.com/news5.shtml
Rare Kraftwerk release (from nme.com)
Rare and previously unreleased material by KRAFTWERK is to feature on a new compilation album. The package will be a CD and book called 'A Short Introduction To Kraftwerk', and will feature new versions of seven Kraftwerk tracks, 'It's More Fun To Compute', 'Kristallo', 'Autobahn', 'Hall Of Mirrors', 'Radioactivity', 'Uranium' and 'Das Model'. All of the songs were recorded during the original sessions, but have remained unreleased until now. The CD is an official release, even though it is not coming out through the band's label EMI. All the tracks are now over 20 years old, so the copyright on the tracks have shifted from EMI back to Ralf Hutter and Florian Schneider. Instead, the package will be released by Sonic Books, and will be available through mail order over the Internet, from www.music-non-stop.co.uk and www.amazon.co.uk. In addition to the CD, the package comes with an 88-page CD size booklet, which features a history of the band, excerpts from previous interviews and a full discography. Last December Kraftwerk released their first new material since 1986, a single titled 'Expo 2000', which coincided with the beginning of the Expo 2000 European Business Conference in Hanover, Germany. A spokesperson for Kraftwerk told nme.com there were no plans for the band to release any more new material in the near future. http://www.nme.com/newsdesk/2511154551.html
Detroit Special on Cnd TV
Those is the Southern Ontario region may have caught The New Music on CityTV on Saturday night. A full half-hour show on the history of Detroit Techno! Lots of Interviews from Atkins, May, Saunderson, Hawtin, Craig, Parker, Huckaby etc. Talked about the early productions, the Music Institute, UR vs Sony, Mills etc. Those in Southern Ontario can catch the repeat this Thursday April 13 at midnight and other who have MuchMusic can see it next Tuesday April 18. It was REALLY GOOD and I urged ALL of you try so to see it if you can.
Juan Atkins interview from dancesite.com
Juan Atkins- Techno An Evolution Process Not A Fad (Interview) DS:- How do you feel about being described as techno's inventor? Juan Atkins:- It's good to be known for something, y'know? I'm glad that I was able to be one of the first people probably to coin that term ['techno'], and I know, for sure, that I was one of the first people to play with electronic sounds in the USA. So, yeah, it's good to be designated as that, and it's a good position to be in, but..., DS:- Do such plaudits add undue extra pressure? Juan Atkins:- To a certain degree, yes, but I tend to work best under pressure. I tend to be one of those people who needs a bit of a kick in the pants to get going, anyway! DS:- Since almost all the key Detroit names now live elsewhere, Is there any definitive 'Detroit' sound left? Juan Atkins:- You can take a guy out of Detroit, but you can't take Detroit out of the guy. I think that no matter where we live, we're always going have within us the things that got us to where we are. It's just like riding a bike or learning to tie your shoelace - you learn a certain way, and you go through life doing it that same particular way. It's the same thing with music. We all learned a certain way of production in Detroit that's always going to stay true. DS:- Do you get irritated by America's slow progress in embracing electronic music? Juan Atkins:- Yeah, it is somewhat frustrating because it's still at a very young stage - but the scene is progressing a lot faster than I thought, and I'm very impressed with its development and evolution. I'm going to a lot of places now, and I'm getting the same kind of attention that I was in Europe four or five years ago. DS:- Why do you think US interest is finally increasing? Juan Atkins:- I think a lot of it has to do with the internet - now that the information's flowing through to people a lot quicker, there's more of a tendency to know who I am. I was in Kansas City about a month ago and I was surprised at the number of people coming up to ask for autographs, shaking my hand and congratulating me for the music - in Kansas City! DS:- How healthy is the worldwide techno scene right now? Juan Atkins:- I think it's had its ups and downs. You take a city like London, which goes through phases every six months where it swings between techno, house and garage. But in other places, like Germany, it seems to be a little bit steadier and they've embraced it to the point where it's taken on almost pop status - and that's okay. I can live with that. The fact is that we're evolving into a technology-based age, so electronic music is the way things are being done now. It's an evolution process rather than a fad, just as the electric guitar was when it was introduced. - By Andrez Bergen, Inpress Magazine, Australia. http://www.dancesite.com/news6.shtml
Subject: a spastic, plastic dream...
Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2000 18:23:35 -0700 To: 313 313@hyperreal.org From: The [Quad] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: a spastic, plastic dream... Message-Id: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ... my eyes are _still_spinning from trying to see this movie this afternoon... all the while spottin' records, adverts and the myriad of stickers decorating the walls of Championship Vinyl - the best record shoppee on film since... um, since... well, hell- since Pretty In Pink! Vinylmania in NYC was in The Pallbearer
Re: (313) Fwd: How To Rock a Show 101
Date: Sat, 1 Apr 2000 22:32:19 EST To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] CC: 313@hyperreal.org Subject: Re: (313) Fwd: How To Rock a Show 101 In a message dated 3/30/00 11:06:06 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Carl Cox came into Detroit and rocked shit, 'nuff said I thought Detroit DJs didn't like Carl Cox...
RE: (313) I miss Colin Dales Abstrakt Dance
Date: Wed, 15 Mar 2000 12:38:01 - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: (313) I miss Colin Dales Abstrakt Dance Superb techno compilation. How did Outer Limits 2 compare to this? (there was an Outer Limits 2 wasn't there?) The Carl Craig track also later appeared on the More Songs album, I think it's the track called Suspiria there. Love that track - so moody! I have #2 . Good tracks but the mixing isn't that great. 1. Ravers Suck Our Sound (Carl Craig mix)-La Funk Mob (MoWax) 2. Visine-Motorbass (Motorbass) 3. Outernational Wah-Airgoose (DNG) 4. Jam the Box-Carl Craig (RS) 5. Probe One (Medic Vibe mix)-The Vibe (Subwoofer) 6. Jerome-Norma G (Urban Sound of Amsterdam) 7. Midnight Express-Boo Williams (Relief) 8. Enter the Dragon-Tim Harper (Relief) 9. Greengirl-Dan Curtain (Sublime) 10. Losing Control (Carl Craig mix)-DBX (Peacefrog) 11. Clear-Cybotron (Fantasy) 12. Subsonic Sounscape-Shiver (Dance Arena) Anyone have Abstract Funk Theory (Logic) that he just released?
Subject: Re: Sv: (313) Jaguar: The Detroit Connection.
Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2000 01:40:27 -0500 (EST) From: Nathan John de Yonker [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Sv: (313) Jaguar: The Detroit Connection. Happy to report the BMG/Sony release seems to have disappeared from the stores here in NY...I've heard tell there was someone buying them all up, presumably to burn them. Whomever he/she is...Thank You!! Mark* Wouldn't it be better to go into the store, get a bunch of the BMG/Sony versions, take them to a personal listening station and then scratch them up with a pin when shopkeeper isn't looking and then place them back in the racks...
Subject: (313) jeopardy theme techno?
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2000 03:20:10 EST From: detroit science [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: (313) jeopardy theme techno? anyone know of a techno track from a while back that samples the jeopardy game show theme song? need to find if possible... thanks in advance, linda g Sorry.. but speaking of Jeopardy, I remember being pleasantly surprised about a year ago when when Techno was the answer to the question This electronic style of music originated in Detroit (or something like that). However, I don't recall any contestants getting it right. Anyone else see this? VL
(313) Mills in Toronto...
Saw this posted on a BB...I wonder if its confirmed... RENEGADES AND DAYBREAKS presents MACH 2 a 2x2 yr anniversary Sat March 11 2000 doors open @ 8pm Jungle / Drum n Bass Lemon D Dillinja MC Skibadee Everfresh (london), Mystical Influence, Sniper, Marcus, Lush, Unknown Souljah, Kinetic, MC L Natural, MC Caddy Cad Techno / House Jeff Mills Sneak Harm On E Tim Patrick, Clayton Steele, Paul Walker, Myka, Rich Bailey, Stretch Hooker, D-monic, Jelo Venue: TBA on infolines Price: $25 adv more @ door if available Free shuttle service from Nathan Phillip's Square Renegades : 416-760-3305 Daybreaks : 416-280-6499
