As the predominant sound of clubland has become somewhat trend-chasing, Detroit’s techno-focused Movement Electronic Music Festival has opened up its bill to artists across the BPM and bass-line spectrums.
Sometimes the best show at Movement isn’t onstage, but down Vendor’s Row, where thousands of attendees parade down the slope dressed in their finest Movement outfits. Spending the weekend in a booth gives the Movement vendors a special view of the fans not found elsewhere. So we asked them:
What’s the coolest, funniest or strangest thing you’ve seen at Movement?
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KRYSTA & ASHLEY
(TriniT)
"I saw a chick with a mustache. A painted on one."
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BRENDAN
(Detroit Hustles Harder)
"Bottom of booties."
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MAIA
(Mahogani Music)
"DBX's live set!"
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SHAUN
(Ibiza Love Child)
"A big guy dressed like Fred Flintstone, putting on one of our girl’s tank top and said 'Yabba-Dabba-Doo!'"
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GREG
(No Bad Ideas)
"I’ve seen people drop wads of money and other people chase them down to return it."
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DAVE
(Made In Detroit)
"Someone asked how the mediums ran. I said bigger than a small, smaller than a large."
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HEATHER
(Vagrants and Valentines)
"A girl with a bag of rocks around her neck."
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ALEX
(Fibonacci Helix)
"Two empty pairs of shoes and one pair of empty boxers."
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BEN
(Outerspaceways)
"I saw someone so misdressed, she was like a twisted mushroom freakout."
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CURTIS
(Modern Tribe Communications)
"The girl with the bikini made of beads."
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JASON
(Defend Detroit)
"The aliens who came straight from the moon."
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JASON
(Ponder)
"The guy who came straight from the hospital to the festival. He still had his hospital ID band."
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LARRY
(Detroit Makes)
"Camel toe!!!"
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NATALIE
(DJ Mag)
"A guy said Basssnectar was too high on our Top 100 DJ sign. He didn't realize it’s in alphabetical order."
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NATE
(God's DJs)
"Too much to pick one."
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SHIONNE & EVET
(Detroit Snob)
"The guys running around with giant teddybears."
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TANTE
(Detroit Dog Rescue)
"Sex in the porta-potty."
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ROBERT
(Grassroots California)
"The guy who keeps walking up the incline. I’ve never seen him go down. Maybe it’s exercise?"
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TOMINO
(Detroit Modular)
"It’s all great!"
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YASMIN
(Planet E)
"The guy flicking his cigarette while flipping through records. Not cool!"
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ERIC
(NightLifeUnite.com)
"A couple dressed completely in beer boxes."
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EVAN
(FyouNK)
"That dude wearing an outfit made out of beer boxes."
Freep Entertainment visited "Ghostly 15 Detroit" at St, Andrew's Hall and "Vibes" at the Tangent Gallery/Hastings Street Ballroom to check out the action.
Matthew Collin: Once a symbol of the American dream, Detroit has become a byword for urban decay. But now things are changing. Electronic music legends including Kevin Saunderson, Derrick May and Carl Craig explain how creative young people are colonising the city's derelict spaces and striving for a better future
This is what makes Movement feel special—rather than just a techno festival, it's an ode to techno and the city where it was born. It connects a local scene to the global community it helped create, and an older generation to the younger ones it inspired, directly or indirectly. And despite having all the hallmarks of a big, international event, Movement is a local tradition and a family affair. If techno really means something to you, it's hard not to get caught up in it.
Missing the amazing beats of Movement? This Spotify playlist features a number of Detroit and Detroit-connected artists who will be playing the electronic music festival at Detroit's Hart Plaza over Memorial Day weekend.
Volunteer's View :: Pitching In To Produce Movement
Take the behind-the-scenes tour of a day in the life of a Movement Volunteer.
Since it’s earliest incarnations, Detroit’s annual techno festival has been a family affair, with the local techno community coming together to create an event the entire city can be proud of. Movement might be a professionally-run function nowadays, but we still couldn’t do it with the tireless contributions of the Volunteers who come out every year to help the festival run smoothly.
2014 marked Frederick Luchko’s eighth year as a Movement Volunteer, giving him a special view of the festival, one not experienced by the attendees, performers or even the producers themselves.
“I love the vibe of it. I love the energy,” say Frederick when asked why he keeps contributing his valuable time and energy, year after year. “I’m a techno junky. I grew up with it—Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson, all the godfathers. This is continuing their vision of techno. I just love being a part of it.”
We asked Frederick to give us a tour of Movement from the Volunteers point of view.
Passing out programs means putting a smile on the face of every attendee as they walk in the door. You can really experience the diversity of the Movement crowd.
Helping the stage hands to keep the music moving.
Introducing the silent disco to the curious and colorful crowd.
Getting to know some of your favorite DJs is an added bonus.
Helping VIPs find the perfect after party.
Caring for the creative art installations throughout the festival.
And, of course, taking time to dance to the techno beats that bring us all together.
To get more information on volunteering for Movement 2015, send us an email.
It’s with sore legs and full hearts that we say goodbye to the 2014 edition of Movement, Detroit’s annual Memorial Day weekend dance-music marathon. Beatport News correspondent Emma Robertson wraps up Day three in "The D."
Day two of Detroit’s annual Movement Festival downtown at Hart Plaza was full of freaks, techno geeks, and Richie Hawtin. We sent Beatport News correspondent Emma Robertson back to join in all the Sunday randomness.
Welcome to the first day of Movement 2014, an annual three-day outdoor event held over the Memorial Day weekend that celebrates Detroit’s rich electronic music legacy, and draws hundreds of thousands. We sent Beatport News correspondent Emma Robertson into the belly of the Motor City's dance-
Of all the amazing looks to feast your eyes upon at movement, nothing captures our curiosity more than the masked mysteries moving amongst the crowd. Come face to face with these dancers in disguise.
turnnoffyourmind
origamiaround
yousharknotpass
