Top 10 Most Anticipated Acts of Movement Festival 2018
Written by: Jessica & Phil Minnick
Movement Detroit prides itself as a festival featuring the best of international dance music artists and local rising stars. Every year the festival showcases a wider variety of artists: industry vets, hometown heroes, avant garde, fan favorites, up-and-coming acts as well as the tried and true performers. This year’s schedule is no different, as there is plenty to choose from in each time block. It’s always difficult to choose who to see, but we’re here to help you navigate. Here are our staff picks of top 10 most anticipated sets at Movement Detroit. Feel free to share your can’t miss acts in the comments section below!
Aurora Halal (live)
Sunday, May 27 from 5:30-6:30 PM
RA Underground Stage
Aurora Halal is one to watch in 2018. She brings a dynamic live set backed by quality productions. Her Ital & Halal project has 2 outstanding EP’s with Ital (a RP favorite!) She also collaborates with Jason Letkiewicz as Innergaze with releases on 100% Silk. The Booklyn based DJ originally came up as an artist and creator of New York’s Mutual Dreaming party series and Sustain-Release festival. She is playing all over the world, but this is her only scheduled US date for the summer. We’re looking forward to see what twists and turns she has in store for the Movement crowd.
BadBadNotGood
Monday, May 28 from 9:30-10:20 PM
RBMA Stage
Movement is all about the music and they prove that every year by throwing in a couple live acts that break the traditional mold of an electronic music festival. This year BADBADNOTGOOD steps up with their signature fusion of jazz, hip-hop and rock. While a band of classily trained musicians from Toronto’s prestigious Humber College jazz program may not sound appropriate for Movement, once you hear their high-energy funk, you’ll understand what Paxahau is doing. They collaborated with Wu-Tang’s Ghostface Killah to deliver one of our favorite albums of 2016 and have recently produced tracks for artists like Earl Sweatshirt, JJ DOOM (MF DOOM and Jneiro Jarel). Paula Mejia put it nicely in the Prefix review of BBNG2, “a jazz trio on paper — but often strange, forever imaginative, and ultimately revolutionary hip-hop and electronic beatmakers at heart.” Nothing official, but there are a fair amount of live acts that have projects with BBNG, you never know who might stroll onto the stage. We can’t wait to jam out to these 4 as they tear it up on the Red Bull Stage Monday.
Black Noi$e
Saturday, May 26 from 2:30-4 PM
RBMA Stage
A different sound in house music has been gaining popularity over the past year…that lo-fi sound where you can practically feel the dirt in the grooves as you listen to the tracks. Black Noi$e captures the heavy grooves in a lo-fi setting on his track, but with a quality that shows reverence for the Detroiters that came before him. Black Noi$e takes some techniques from the hip hop world applies them to his own dusty house grooves. His releases on Vanity Press and Portage Garage sounds are really fresh and highly regarded. He also has a hip hop album with Navy Blue, check it out!
Blake Baxter (live)
Sunday, May 27 from 5:30-6:30 PM
Star Gate / “Origins” Stage
Blake Baxter deserves the accolades of his Belleville counterparts (Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson, Juan Atkins and Eddie Fowlkes. He has been mixing house in the D since the mid 1980s and was one of the original movers and shakers on Chicago’s DJ International label. He also had a few of the first Underground Resistance label’s releases under his name including, the epic 1992 release, The Prince of Techno. Blake also released “Brothers Gonna Work it Out” on Logic Records, later inspiring the Chemical Brothers track. He’s worked with Eddie Fowlkes on “The Project” under Tresor Records, and most recently on a killer album with Eddie, Santonio Echols, and Thomas Barnett called Four 313. Blake’s discography spans the history of techno music and should be plenty of motivation to catch his live set on Sunday.
DJ Holographic
Sunday, May 27 from 3-4:30 PM
RBMA Stage
Detroit native and local rising star DJ Holographic is set to make her Movement debut this year. With a solid afternoon set on Sunday, Holographic is sure to play an eclectic blend of funky bass lines, disco beats, and soulful house melodies. Her infectious mixes keep listeners locked into the groove and wanting more. Festival goers will be kept on their toes as Holographic takes them through a rhythmic journey destined for funkytown.
Laurent Garnier
Sunday, May 27 from 9:30-11:30 PM
RBMA Stage
Party goers will be graced with the presence of a legend when veteran DJ & producer Laurent Garnier closes out the Red Bull Stage on Sunday night. Known for his epic productions and marvelous mixes, the French native is bound to light the dance floor on fire with a collection that spans over 30 years. Expect to get a history lesson in dance music as this pioneer takes listeners on a journey through dance music, time and space!
Luciano
Saturday, May 26 from 6-7:30 PM
Star Gate / “Detroit Love” Stage
It goes without saying that Luciano is synonymous with party. The Cadenza boss is set to bring his iconic sound to the “Detroit Love” stage on Saturday. Get ready for a wild DJ set full of exotic beats, latin-inspired grooves, and eclectic techno that will serve as a perfect primer for Stacey Pullen and Carl Craig. Considered one of the most influential DJs in the world, Luciano will delight festival goers with his charisma, effortless mixing and impeccable song selections.
Ø [PHASE]
Sunday, May 27 from 9:30-11 PM
RA Underground Stage
If you’re a techno head, you’re already ecstatic Phase is on this year’s Movement lineup. It’s wild to think this veteran of the UK techno scene has yet to grace the underground stage, but 2018 is the year that changes. He has a well-trained ear from time spent mastering at Sony Music Studios and working at Whitfield Studios London. That training and attention to detail comes through in his productions which feature unique sound pallets over tracks that manage to fill the speakers nicely. It’s rare to recommend full length studio albums of techno, but “Frames of Reference” (2013) and “Alone In Time?” don’t feel forced or exhausting and we recommend an uninterrupted full play . Seeing as this is only his 3rd appearance in the motor city, you’ll want to be soaking this set in.
Waajeed (live)
Saturday, May 26 from 3:30-4:30 PM
Star Gate/ “Detroit Love” Stage
Everyone is in for a real treat as Waajeed kicks of the festival with a live performance on Saturday. The genre-defying Detroit native will play his signature blend of hip-hop, soul, and house music that serves as a soundtrack of the Motor City in many ways. Expect a raw, realness to the set that will connect listeners to Detroit’s past, present and future.
Will Sessions & Amp Fiddler feat. Dames Brown
Sunday, May 27 from 7-8 PM
RBMA Stage
For those who missed their performance in 2016, an encore presentation of Will Sessions, Amp Fiddler & Dames Brown will be happening on Sunday on the Red Bull Stage. Get ready for funky renditions of classic Detroit tracks as well as original songs from their forthcoming collaborative LP, “The One.” Featuring hard-hitting percussion, synthesizers, classical guitar and a horn section, all accompanied by the vocal stylings of Amp Fiddler (Parliament/ Funkadelic, Was Not Was, Mahogani Music) and Dames Brown (a female vocal trio made up of LaRae Starr, Athena Johnson and Teresa Marbury), this performance will have everyone getting down.