Humming Along: Movement 2003 Detroit Electronic Music Festival Mesmerizes Motown, May 24-26
It‘s uber-hip, it‘s one of Detroit‘s hottest cultural success stories, it‘s a guaranteed good time for music fans, and it‘s happening this Memorial Weekend in the Motor City. It‘s Movement 2003: The Detroit Electronic Music Festival, slated to be one of the largest electronic music events in the world.The DEMF - as it was known then - first kicked off in the year 2000, when 1.5 million people from around the world descended on Detroit‘s waterfront to view dozens of electronic music acts and check out what was new and fresh. Now in its 4th year, the show is no longer being produced by original producers Pop Culture Media, but has had its reins handed over to musician Derrick May, in his first year as producer. Due to name-rights issues, May has renamed the show Movement 2003; but the event‘s purpose and energy remain the same.
Cutting-edge artists will take over four stages throughout the three-day event (May 24, 25, and 26) to present a myriad of forms of electronic music to both fans and to a growing media presence; Movement 2003 is becoming well-known as one of those “important“ events in popular music that could, at any time, give birth to a new electronic superstar.
The four stages are being designated as follows: The High Tech Soul Stage, perhaps closest to the heart of Detroit music, fuses hip-hop, jazz, house, and techno with soul for a real urban experience. The Movement Stage performance platform is perhaps the most intimate of the four stages, primarily featuring Detroit artists and international guests. The Underground Stage, as at past DEMF events, will highlight more cerebral, experimental acts, and will also showcase some of New York City‘s underground electronic pioneers. And, new this year, the Music Institute Stage will feature an enclosed DJ platform and will bring out the best of house music and the new Detroit sound that‘s been dubbed Beatdown. Definitely something for every brand of electronica fan.
FOCUS ON VARIETY
If you think the stages themselves are something to get excited about, you‘ll find the roster of acts for this year even more impressive. Where last year‘s show brought together the likes of Dilated Peoples, George Clinton, Dennis Cox, Mad Professor, and Dave Clarke (remixer for the Chemical Brothers, Death In Vegas, Underworld, and New Order), this year‘s show pumps it up a notch with an even stronger focus on variety. There‘s Massive Attack‘s Milo... the exotic and eclectic Ectomorph... soulful Slum Village... poptronica guru Ayro... and even DJ Genesis, one of the few girls on the DJ scene.
So many different styles and stories of electronic music will be available at Movement 2003 that it would take pages and pages to properly describe them all. Detroit‘s own Jeff Mills is known for playing a whopping 30 to 50 discs an hour in his set, an unheard-of number in the DJ world. Carlos Souffront fuses funk and psychedelia into his own take on rave culture. And Princess Dragonmom brings performance art into electronica, having giant cupcake-suited people pass out “birthday“ gifts to the audience, sending other audience members to crawl through giant mazes of tubes, and transforming their performance space into a weird and noisy playground that‘ll keep you watching for sure.
If you want a break from all the performance action, there‘s always the rest of the event - the Music & Technology Forum spans all three days of Movement 2003, and will be chock-full of panels, workshops, demonstrations, and discussions, so that attendees can get a hands-on experience with the newest and most progressive artistry and technology. Participants in the Music & Technology Forum offer nearly as much to look forward to as the roster of live acts does; you‘ll find representatives there from Native Instruments, The Detroit Historical Museum, Remix Magazine, NARAS, and the Detroit Film Coalition. Works by artist Isamo Noguchi are also being planned for the site.
FREE? YES
So, just how much is this 3-day techno extravaganza going to set you back? Well, that‘s the really cool part - it‘s free. That‘s right, free. Movement 2003 isn‘t just one of the largest electronic music events in the world - it‘s one of the largest FREE electronic music events in the world.
Five full-time staffers and a crew of 300 volunteers are joining forces to bring you this event, for the pure love and promotion of electronic music. They‘re reportedly receiving no city funding, so that makes it even more impressive an effort. And all you‘ve got to do is show up at Detroit‘s Hart Plaza to be part of it all.
You can help, if you choose to, though, by purchasing official Movement 2003 buttons online - at $8 for two badges, all they ask is that you wear ‘em with pride to help promote and support the event. If you want to do even more, you can attend the event via VIP pass - also available for purchase on line, a mere $30 bucks gives you access to restricted lounge areas, free promo stuff, discounts on merchandise, and even some line cuts at Movement-sanctioned events. The point is to make Movement 2003 and its music accessible to everyone, and they‘re doing a great job doing just that.
*Get more info, check out the schedule, or purchase buttons/passes at www.demf.com* View On Our Website