Motor City Frequencies

One of the things that strikes me about the revolution in electronic music which occurred at the end of the 1970s is that it was as much a product of changing technology as it was of changing taste. Today, production techniques improve, processing power increases, and old-school synthesizers get reproduced as VST plugins for digital production software, but these are incremental changes. There was a much more fundamental shift back then – the use of digital sampling and drum machines – and it marks the beginning of a new musical epoch altogether.

When talking about the beginnings of this new epoch, it is hard to stress enough the importance of the music that came out of Detroit. Artists such as Juan Atkins, Carl Craig, and Ritchie Hawtin have had a profound impact on the music we enjoy today, and that’s why this weekend I’m going to be travelling to the Motor City.

In a nutshell, the Red Bull Music Academy has created a “museum-level installation of music production and studio equipment” centering roughly around a feature series we ran last year called The History of Electro. Over each of the five days at the Red Bull Music Academy Detroit, they’ll explore different music fields, through studios, lectures, and hands-on workshops with some of the finest musicians to come out of this city. In addition, two night time events will put the theory into action, with heavy dancefloor excursions courtesy of 3 Chairs and a special Tribe Records showcase. I’ve wanted to participate in a Red Bull Music Academy event for a while – you can see their archive of academy lectures here or read about their World Tour.

So as if the caliber of the event isn’t enough, admission to all the workshops and events is free.

The opportunity to engage with artists that changed the game and geek out the installation I’ve read about is is a no-brainer for me, so I’m going to be heading down and both participating in and covering the events. The Red Bull Music Academy has more information on the Detroit event here.

The Events

12 September, 2011
Workshop: Theo Parrish, Carl Craig
Flat 151
151.W Congress, Suite 600, Detroit, MI 48226