Techno Christmas Is Upon Us
And I'm so sad to miss it.
I’m heartbroken to miss Movement this year. Sometimes, life hits you fast, and you have to make difficult choices, even when it hurts.
I’ll get there one day.
For now, I’ll be an admirer from afar and pay homage however I can for folks in San Francisco: A Movement pre-party focused on all things Detroit and Chicago House and techno on Wednesday night. Come by and say hi.
I’ll let two legends—DJ Minx and DJ Holographic—explain what’s so special about Movement.
For me, Movement represents what has been special about dance music culture from its beginning: For a short time each year, it can transform a city long associated with the promises (and subsequent struggles) of industrialization into the global attraction it deserves to be.
It’s a reminder that the music that flowed out of Detroit, one undoubtedly influenced by the challenges of living in an ailing American city, remains influential even as House and techno continue to spread across the mainstream. It’s also a reminder that the investment needs to last longer than a week: The underground music culture that sustains Detroit remains alive and deserves enrichment—not just for artists today but for those in the future.
Just a few attractions I’ll miss: Exhibit 300, the world’s first Techno museum. The Underground Music Academy record shop pop-up. I can’t imagine the vinyl gems that will be there. The entire House of EFUNK spectacle.
Who Am I Missing?
While the festival itself may be the main attraction, the after-party culture during Movement is what keeps people going year after year. I’ll especially miss the stacked Detroit Love lineup featuring Carl Craig B2Bing with Dennis Ferrer, Ladymonix, Rimarkable, and Junior Sanchez, just to name a few.
And then there’s the Defected Records after party with MK, Coco & Breezy, and Dantiez Saunderson, with DJ Holographic taking over the patio.
Of course, there’s DJ Minx, who is a marvel to watch. She’s not only playing with Marcel Dettmann and Richie Hawtin. She’ll also be hosting a closing party with Seth Troxler and Ricardo Villalobos, with TSHA and DJ Tennis on the patio.
Whenever we get a chance, we have to pay homage to the Godmother of House Music, Stacey Hotwaxx Hale, who is doing a full-on Techno Brunch on Monday. She’s going B2B with Chicago’s DJ Lady D at Soul Clap’s House of EFUNK.
Then there’s the KMS Records takeover at Big Pink, along with an Inner City performance for House of EFUNK.
That doesn’t even scratch the surface of the actual festival lineup.
Go to Movement if you have the chance. I’ve mostly looked at it as a House head but the caliber of artists of all sorts of genres coming through Detroit this weekend is unmatched. Like, Jyoty B2B Zack Fox? Endzeit? DVS1 and the Wall of Sound? Repopulate Mars? The rare Mike Banks appearance? Jeff Mills?
One day.
A quick aside: I’d love for you to subscribe to this little meditative experience called a newsletter. If you’ve been to my shows as Black Panda, you know I love to stay connected to the people around me. Much love.
What’s Next?
We’re so close to the first-ever Paradise Found. It’ll be a night of soulful house music. It’ll be a night of dancing, of free expression, of love and pure enjoyment. It’ll be not only my birthday party but also celebrations for my friends Nikki and Ritvik during their birthday weekends.
It’s all love in this house, and I can’t wait to share that moment with you all. It’s a labor of love, so any support—a ticket buy, a social share, a message to your friend telling them to hit this up—helps. With that comes a little treat: If you buy a ticket now, you’ll get a second ticket for free to bring a homie with you.
May 21: Pandamonium Presents: Movement @ F8: An Ode to Detroit and Chicago with Strut SF. We’re properly preparing for Movement with all the sounds inspired by the birthplace of Techno, with a taste of Chicago in between. We’re bringing in vRok and Joey Trip. In the front room, our friends at Strut SF will be hosting Anthony Mansfield, Jason Peters, and Amatric. RSVP for free entry before 11 p,m.
Saturday, May 31: Pandamonium Presents: Paradise Found @ Bergerac (SF). This one’s massive. It’s my first ticketed event, and we’ve got a jam-packed lineup. We’ve got visuals from DJ Maculate, go-go dancing from Voluptuous Vibes, and dancing from the incredible drag queen, Amyl Westwood. We’ve also got a stellar lineup of dear friends who are doing amazing work in the San Francisco Bay Area dance scene from Charles Hawthorne (subscribe to their newsletter!) to Bay B Sol to GOMA to NISA. Get your tickets now for $10.
Let’s Not Forget
As a treat for making it to the end, here’s a pic of Nano.
Edwin “Eddie” Rios is a Brooklyn-born, Oakland-based freelance writer and DJ/producer (Black Panda). You can find his writing life here. You can follow his musical journey here. Here’s his SoundCloud and Spotify. Share this with your friends.