As the 13th annual Movement Electronic Music Festival approaches, with a global techno fan base poised to descend upon Detroit, the Dancing Astronaut editors prepare for their own stint of techno tourism. For followers of techno, house, and other deeper genres in dance music, Movement’s lineup is quite certainly a dizzying opportunity to take on the finest talent on the scene right now in arguably one of the most culturally significant cities in the music’s history. There are five stages in total that’ll be bumping the bass in downtown Detroit’s Hart Plaza this Saturday May 25th through Memorial Day Monday. We’ll be on the ground covering the event produced by the hometown favorite Paxahau (as well as several of its afterparties), but in case you’ll be joining us, read on to hear some of our must-listen picks for the festival itself.
“I felt like I had found what I was searching for without even knowing I was searching for it,” Huvaere says of discovering Detroit’s underground techno scene in the early 90s. “There was something about the transparency, the randomness, the frequency range, the math, the lack of language, the futuristic feeling, and the kind of no end in sight. You kind of knew right away, there’s no end in sight. This could just grow and grow and grow. I was just sucked in like a tractor beam. It just changed my life.”
British producer Ant Brooks has teamed up with Hungarian hotshot Paul Strive on a groove-driven tech house tune that sounds well suited for the impending summer. Recently released on Cristian Varela‘s Pornographic Recordings imprint, “Destrukt” features a light layer of percussion over an undeniably danceable mid-bass progression, with sprinkled vocal samples and subtle effect splashes thrown in the mix for good measure. If this track conjures up images of Balearic beaches and summer sunlight for you, then you’re in good company.
Gesaffelstein has a way of taking dark songs and plunging them deeper into the shadows. On his latest remix release, the French producer strips Depeche Mode‘s latest single of its bluesy instrumentation and replaces it with a plodding industrial beat and minimal atmospheric flourishes. Gesaffelstein leaves his trademark in the thoughtful phased synthesizers that accentuate the impact of key vocal phrases. The overall effect transforms the track from a straightforward lament by singer Dave Gahan into something significantly more desperate and ominous in tone, perfectly complementing the desolate candor of the lyrics.
Now that Daft Punk have introduced him to a new generation of electronic music fans, Giorgio Moroder has decided to stay awhile. The legendary Italian producer today unveiled the first track he produced in partnership with Google’s Racer mobile experiment, immediately validating the faith that everyone’s favorite French robots showed in essentially dedicating a Random Access Memories track to him.
“Racer” conveys an immediate sense of movement by layering an instant classic analog synth line over a stomping throwback bass, navigating through a distant vocoded interlude to an infectiously melodic main progression. Perhaps most compelling is Moroder’s ability to immediately achieve a timeless feel on a track that could have no less than four different generations bobbing their heads to its energetic beat. This exemplary track sounds like the kind of well-seasoned but viscerally validating driving music that Kavinsky might make in a few decades’ time, which is no wonder as the undead Frenchman is a known Moroder adherent. Buy the ticket, take the ride with a free download courtesy of Google.
Continuing to build on a year of enviable momentum, North London duo Gorgon City have wasted no time in releasing their much-anticipated follow-up to February’s acclaimed Real EP on Black Butter Records. Their new Intentions EP is firmly situated along the creative frontline of the current deep house movement, utilizing familiar and fringe sounds alike in thoughtful arrangements that allow each element to maximize its impact.
The title track features sultry vocals from Nikki B atop crisp rhythms and a submerged bass line lurking beneath and occasionally rising in well-timed wobbles. The duo utilize minimal percussion very effectively on this track, punctuating changes in tension without disrupting the track’s hypnotic flow. “Cycles” is a brilliantly brooding number with a repeated vocal that drones through an extended breakdown over mournful atmospherics before a minimal bass-driven drop that testifies to Gorgon City’s well-advised restraint.
With an eye on the forthcoming festival season, Italian trio Daddy’s Groove have released their Spinnin’ Records follow-up to “Stellar” in a high energy collaboration with Dino. “Walking on Air” opens with a Boys Noize-esque electro line beneath breathless vocals before escalating into a massive build on the backs of soaring trance synths. While the synth lead sounds eerily similar to “Aerodynamic” by our favorite French robots, the airy vocals lend the track a decidedly distinct vibe. Already sporting support from some of the biggest names in the business, this track appears destined to make a splash this summer.
Craig Williams has certainly taken an unconventional career route to reach Dim Mak Records. After spending nine years as a Blackhawk helicopter crewman for the Australian Defence Force in such far-flung locales as Pakistan and East Timor, the Los Angeles transplant has made his debut on Steve Aoki‘s imprint with a thumping electro house original. “So Shake” is driven by an eponymous vocal sample stuttered and contorted over a tight electro bass through an organ-heavy breakdown into a throbbing build. The track is a good example of doing more with less, as Williams employs a relatively limited number of elements in a dynamic manner.
Going deep seems to be in vogue for tech house artists as of late, but few pull it off as well as Miami duo Cocodrills. Their latest release, “You’ll Never Know,” represents a full-fledged dive into the deep house end, sporting a bone-rattling phased bass and spaced out voices rounding out nicely swung percussion. The track builds into a lush vocal break with refreshingly thoughtful lyrics in a genre that could use some more conceptual ambition. Kudos to Cocodrills for a well-executed stylistic leap that smacks of genuine artistry rather than opportunism.
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German wunderkind Zedd has been sitting pretty since the release of his chart-topping debut albumClarity, and who can blame him? Putting out ten tracks of that caliber must have felt like giving birth to decuplets, and the producer deserved to revel in his success with a post-partem break.
A listen to the preview of his forthcoming remix for Empire of the Sun is a swift reminder of exactly why it’s so good to have him back. No one strikes the delicate balance between lead synth noodling, stabby complextro and big room builds like the 23-year-old prodigy, and all are on display in this multifaceted remix. Zedd channels “Stars Come Out” on the high-octane electro introduction before building into Empire of the Sun’s pre-drop chorus. The lead synth line recalls Alesso a bit, but Zedd throws in enough trademark melodic flourishes to make it his own. Expect plenty of play for this remix on the summer festival circuit.
