Movement 2004: Detroit - center of electronic music universe

[Kamikaze1414779018]

I think the article is very well written with good insight ;D

Detroit will be center of electronic music universe

Movement 2004 expected to draw over 1 million

By RHONDA B. SEWELL

BLADE STAFF WRITER

DETROIT - It's an annual Memorial Day weekend event that calls for electronic music fans and artists to converge on the epicenter of techno music.

For the fifth year, what is now titled Movement 2004, Detroit's Electronic Music Festival, will pack downtown's Hart Plaza May 29-31 with techno heads, aspiring DJs, funk followers, and loyal electronic music fans for what is billed as the world's largest free electronic music festival. Organizers are even attempting this year to make the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest free electronic music festival ever. Guinness counters will be on hand to tally the size of the crowd; it has been at more than 1 million since its inception in 2000. Fest organizers must also supply aerial shots of the crowd to assist in counting for the record book.

Movement will kick off at noon on Saturday, May 29, and run until midnight, with the same hours on Sunday, May 30, and on Monday, Memorial Day.

Next weekend's lineup of over 70 Detroit, national, and European acts includes Francois K, Amp Fiddler, Ellen Allien, Kevin Saunderson, Marques Wyatt, Rolando, Reel People, Rockid, Ron Trent, Traxx, and Tortured Soul to name a few. Detroit's own Rolando will close out Movement 2004 with a finale performance on the evening of Memorial Day.

Last year's heavy emphasis on Detroit as the birthplace of techno and longtime supporter of electronica will continue this year as organizers promote local talent and national acts, Derrick Ortencio, festival director, told The Blade.

Detroit's long-standing electronic music reputation played heavily into the organizing of last year's Movement fest, which combined techno pioneers as consultants and organizers of the event, along with a pioneering historical exhibition of electronic music featured at the Detroit Historical Museum.

That same spirit will be enhanced at next weekend's festival, said Ortencio, with new features such as a designated area of Hart Plaza called Techno Boulevard for the exclusive use of independent music vendors.

The walkway "Boulevard" parallel to Jefferson Avenue will allow independent talent to showcase their work, and representatives of local, national, and international labels to meet and talk with each other.

"Movement, it's a labor of love. Based on the success last year, we've created a buzz around the world, and the creation of Techno Boulevard points to the hard economic times in music right now. Everyone is really struggling and this will serve as a thank you and encouragement for labels to continue to put out good music - it's a showcase and a platform for this," said Ortencio.

One unchanged feature from last year's fest is the naming of the event's four stages, which will again be the Music Institute Stage, named for the Detroit club that help launch the Detroit electronic and techno sound with artists such as Derrick May, Juan Atkins, and Richie Hawtin; the Movement Stage, featuring Detroit talent and international guest artists; the High Tech Soul Stage, with hip-hop, jazz, neosoul, house, and techno sounds, and the Underground Stage, with Detroit and Dutch experimental electronic music and minimal sounds of techno, hosted by the European Movement partner, The Generator.

Acts on all four stages will play simultaneously with very brief intermissions to change equipment and instruments for new acts.

Despite some bumps along the way in the festival's early years, Ortencio said he believes Movement's success will be long-lasting, based on the intrinsic values of electronica and the loyalty of the genre's following.

"I got into this music because the community vibe of electronic music is so positive. It drew me to it and I realized that the industry was based on a faceless, non glamorous component," he said.

"When I first started buying the music it didn't matter what the person looked like when I dropped the needle. It was just real in all its raw musical purity."

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[Guest web_norah]

i bet Ramon is counting down the hours for this