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If you love dance music, Detroit on Memorial Day weekend is like Christmas, Thanksgiving and July 4th rolled into one.  This year was no exception, both for what happened and what didn’t at the Detroit Electronic Music Festival, or Movement 09.

Of the numerous firsts: Carl Cox and Derrick May’s festival debuts. Although both had been scheduled to play in previous years, Cox cancelled because of stomach problems (caused, some speculate, by the news that Carl Craig, his long-time friend, had just been fired). And May, the last of the original techno trio and only one to never play the festival, got rained out by a thunderstorm. To sweeten the pie, Carl Craig was named creative director of Movement 2010. On this last year of the festival’s first decade, history was well served.

Hip-hop was better represented than it has been. Rising talents like Flying Lotus, top-of-their-game superstars like RJD2 and Z-Trip, and a visit by no less than Afrika Bambaataa, one of the men who started it all, kept the Red Bull Music Academy stage packed both day and night. The reception proved that the festival can easily accomodate diversity, especially when the genres share the same roots.

That stage’s success points out one thing that didn’t happen: drum and bass.  Lots of out-of-towners were missing as well. Most of the people who come regularly from places like California, New  York and even Chicago didn’t make it this year. When people have to give up something so close to their hearts like the festival, you realize how bad things really are.

But mostly what didn’t happen this year was the array of all night parties the festival was famous for. This time, the blame goes straight to the city of Detroit, for refusing to let the bars close at four. While there were plenty of private and underground parties, much of that  action took place behind closed or suburban doors, and the 24/7 freak show was conspicuous by its absence.

Finally, there was no Richie Hawtin, who was wrapped up in the launch of his fancy fashion line. A genuine Detroit hero, in spite of his triggering a mass exodus to Berlin, his year off was taken in stride, with the tacit understanding that he would be back bigger, better and, presumably better dressed next year.

But those a quibbles in an otherwise perfect universe. The level of talent, the quality of the music, and the intelligence of the audience has made Detroit a juggernaut. A feather in any DJ’s cap, its survival assured, there’s no surprise that talk is already turning to next year’s tenth anniversary edition. Here’s what they are saying in four words: Make your reservation now.

Words by Neil Feineman, photos by Dustin Downing

 

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