Detroit-based techno DJ and producer Carl Craig brings his immersive environment, Party/After-Party, to Los Angeles. Incepted in 2020, it is a unique sound and somatic experience constantly evolving. It draws on Craig’s 30-year career as an internationally touring DJ. The experience guides visitors sonically through a club night from the perspective of the DJ. First, you arrive with the crowd. The DJ spins alone, before reaching its crescendo with the party’s pulsing apex. Finally, it slips towards the melancholic embrace of the after-party. A collective ecstasy evokes desolation found only on a club dance floor.
You’ll find this exhibit at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA. From there, the architecture reclaims the former manufacturing site and police storage facility as a space for agency and radical experimentation. Upon entry, Craig’s soundscape envelops visitors, honoring the Black pioneers of techno and electronic music. Move through warehouse techno beats that fill the space. Neon strips break the darkness up, then skylights above flood everything with natural light, as “dawn” approaches.
“With Party/After-Party, Craig fuses the legacies of Detroit techno and minimalist sound art,” said Alex Sloane, MOCA Associate Curator and organizer of the exhibition. “Using MOCA’s WAREHOUSE itself as the inspiration for his composition, Craig has created a new chapter for the work.”
In addition, this event is brought to us by Insomniac and Secret Project. Moodymann, DJ Holographic, DJ Minx, and Kenny Larkin, and others will also be playing. What’s more, admission to Party/After-Party is free! The event is commissioned by Dia Art Foundation. Sound will average 86 decibels, with occasional peaks up to 97 decibels. Hearing protection is advised. Live performances, strobe lights, and a place for music fans and art enthusiasts to celebrate both await.
Check this out from April 16th to July 23rd. Plus, a sequence of three live concerts will take place on May 25th, June 17th, and July 22nd to accompany the event. For more information, find it here.
