There are only a few festivals that manage to take over their city and completely transform it into a magical wonderland. Movement Music Festival is the primordial example. The event has taken over Hart Plaza almost every year since 2006 to celebrate the heritage of Techno culture in the city of Detroit. The weekend serves as a celebration of Techno and its founders. Not only is it a party, but it is a remembrance of Resilience and Fortitude.
Techno as a Statement
The event doesn’t just take place in the venue. The entire downtown area becomes one with the music. Whether it’s the bars, vinyl shops, street artists, renegade parties, or cars blasting their speakers, Detroit turns into a movement. The energy was alive no matter where you were. If we got to get technical, the festival takes advantage of Hart Plaza. An architectural delight, the each stage makes use of the space very well. The fountain in the middle was fully functioning, compared to last year. And it illuminated our dance moves into the night. Now let’s talk about the sound system. Because the sound quality was so crispy we felt we were hearing the tracks on 4k Ultra HD. Detroit does not play when it comes to sound engineering.
Beyond the Festival
Movement focuses on Techno, House, and Drum and Bass. The lineups were pretty sick each day. From legends to newcomers, each day showcased very special artists. Standout sets include Richie Hawtin DEX EFX X0X, which is his newest audiovisual project, Indira Paganotto, LP Giobbi‘s funky and deep piano house. Moreover, each day had massive afterparties, including artists like I Hate Models, Ellen Allien, and Nicole Moudaber’s In The Mood 10 year celebration with an incredible b2b with Chris Liebing (check out our exclusive interview with Queen Moudaber moments before she got behind the decks). Honorable mentions go to Goldie, Partiboi69, and Dom Dolla. Favorite set goes to Hector Oaks. His mastery of the vinyls with penetrating basslines and acid textures, he blew us away.
More than a Movement
The people that continuosly claim that PLUR is dead, have never been to Detroit, and it shows. One would think an all-ages crowd would be filled with immature and annoying teenagers. But the crowd was by far one the most mature and adept energies.Security, police, staff, they were all respectful and amazing. They were enjoying the music as much as we were! Parents were responsible with their kids. People weren’t pushing or hurting each other. Above all, people were there for the music. Techno brought us all together into the underground. Even the rain couldn’t stop attendees from returning to the festival grounds once Movement announced on social media the festival was reopening after thunderstorms delayed it for several hours. They made it even more special when the city of Detroit allowed the festival to go 30 minutes past the sound ordinance. Take that Coachella.
If the lineup didn’t convince you, nor the incredible food options, or how affordable Detroit is, maybe you aren’t underground enough for Movement. While there are other smaller festivals with similar underground lineups such as Arc, CRSSD, Seismic, and Hocus Pocus, Movement focuses on respecting and shining the spotlight on Techno’s history and growth. The underground is after all, an act of resistance and resilience.
We give the festival our outmost gratitude for hosting us this past weekend. We will return, come rain or come shine. With more and more delicious Techno to experience.