Movement '08: Day Two

Posted Monday, May 26, 2008 @ 12:28 in Music by Noah Levine

Day two of Movement, Detroit’s Electronic Music Festival begins somewhat slowly and tenuously as the over partied crowds gradually come back into form and wander out to Hart Plaza, but by the end of the day, the place was packed and everyone seemed revived for the next party.

Word was a great live set from Hearthrob was missed, but the day ended up being about musical variety as The Cool Kids, Richie Hawtin, Kill Memory Crash and James Ruskin all delivered as promised in sets that stood out from among the crowded musical options for the day.

It was already almost evening as Paco Osuna was taking charge in the Beatport tent. A late replacement for Marco Corola, Osuna showed that he deserved his festival set in his own right. Minimal was the theme for the day at that stage and he fit right in with a mix of tracks the crowd recognized right off and plenty that they didn’t.

Next up at the riverfront stage Kill Memory Crash took things to dark and low places with their revved up industrial beats. Now a three-piece with a drummer in the mix, the band fit techno beats behind the blur of keyboard noise and heavily effected vocals until it’s all rhythmic whooshing and well-timed crashes. The crowd knew this was dance music and even got an extra song out of the band while Ectomorph were setting their gear at the front of the stage.

At the main stage Miles Maeda showcased his keen taste in deep house for a surprisingly small crowd and Magda got started building minimal progressions into complex arrangements but her crowd also seemed a bit tenuous even as they reacted to the occasional big moments she created. It seems the party had moved to the Pioneer DJ tent where Benny Benassi had the placed overflowing with an impenetrable crowd.

Of course another mob of people were packing over by the river as The Cool Kids got ready to take charge of the party. Strutting out on top of the table where most of the DJs and live acts had set up their gear, Mikey Rocks and Chuck Inglish got right into their block rocking set that matched their retro beat styles and good time rhymes with plenty of chatter and good natured fun. Arms in the air and heads bobbing to the beats, the crowd engulfed the stage and rhymed right along as the Kids worked through much of their Bake Sale EP and various tracks that have made it round the blog circuit. The set was an instant party and the fast-rising duo sure know what they’re doing in front of a crowd like that.

If it’s going to be a contest for the tightest-packed stage at Movement, Richie Hawtin should be the odds on favorite year in and year out. Making his fourth straight appearance, the minimal techno star is always one of the biggest draws and as expected he’s got the Beatport stage filled everywhere, including a shoulder-to-shoulder crowd hanging behind him on stage. Working from two laptops and looking as scruffy as he’s ever looked, Hawtin had command of the masses from the moment he started throwing noises around the tent. His beats bring a finely tuned thump and the drums always work on multiple rhythmic levels, but it’s the sometimes shocking blasts of tone and the surprise twists that keep the crowd in tune and make the passage of time seem distorted. Saving his biggest tricks for the close of his two-hour set, Hawtin built things up to a peak before sending the crowd home asking for more.

While the Hart Plaza portion of the day was over, the crowd scattered to find that extra music on the afterparty circuit. It probably wasn’t the most crowded in town, the always-reliable Substance party (number 5) brought an outlaw vibe to things in an unfinished upstairs where the techno beats were heavy and the dancefloor never ran out of gas. Upon arrival, Amsterdam-based duo Radial were pounding out some militant beats that shook the floor as wails and sirens twisted in and out of the endless procession of kick drums. As they finished up, London’s mixmaster James Ruskin stepped in for his first appearance in Detroit.

Working off a laptop and two tables, Ruskin showed off some flashing mixing styles and clever tricks throughout a jacking two-hour set. Working at a runaway pace, he played an inviting sort of hard-techno suckers you in with juke-style samples but hits you with beats that pound rather than bounce. Ruskin moved through a few styles, taking things deep and then back to the jack without ever straying from the same heavy feeling. If this was an audition, Ruskin most certainly passed. This man deserves a good slot at the festival proper next time around.

Things close out here in Detroit today with sets from Twonz, Derek Plaslaiko, Kevin Saunderson and Speedy J.

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