Snaredrum wrote:Ricardo is a raver and these incedents/flaws or whatever you want to call them have always been a part of the Villalobos experience.
If you want flawless go see someone else.
Sorry, but this is a load of sh!t
Mistakes are fine every now and then but not being able to perform because of drink/drugs is completely unprofessional and stopped being 'cool' years ago.
i thought ricardo fans boasted that he landed all of his mixes and never trainwrecked like all of the other djs out there? hey, i don't mind some spotty mixing every now and then if you are mixing great tracks together. if you are mixing bongo minimal with bongo minimal, there really shouldn't be an excuse if this has been your job for the past decade +
ricardo wasnt really the problem and sometimes it takes a little extra to bring out some creativity in some people. SVEN SVEN SVEN was just on another level on the boat party. The security around him was preventing pictures with flash which would show that his jaw was wrapping around his neck. He trainwrecked countless times. He wasnt even tryin to do anything special, just play a record or cd, but that was some kind of impossible physical challenge. Im all for doing your thing and letting go but I dont think you understand just how fucked up this dude was. This wasnt no dancing in the parking lot youtube bullshit. I had a great time though, Stacey Pullen was killin it downstairs. Im sure someone here knows Chuck Flask from Paxahau, just ask him what he thought of Sven.
infernal.techno wrote:i thought ricardo fans boasted that he landed all of his mixes and never trainwrecked like all of the other djs out there? hey, i don't mind some spotty mixing every now and then if you are mixing great tracks together. if you are mixing bongo minimal with bongo minimal, there really shouldn't be an excuse if this has been your job for the past decade +
i was hanging with a close friend when ricardo started, and she's been a techno dj for longer than me, and is probably one of the best dj's i know, and she, perfectly stated, said "if you've been beatmatching for 15min, this mix better be so perfect i can't even notice it," and not three seconds later he trainwrecked.
doctor, doctor, this city's sick
a tired, tired heart, such shakey lips
Excuse my looooooong review, but someone asked for a review.
2011 was my 4th consecutive year travelling to Detroit for the annual Movement Electronic Music Festival. Whether you call it D.E.M.F., Techfest, DEMPH, or Movement, the festival seems to grow in talent and attendance every year, and 2011 was no exception. I was fortunate enough to only miss a few acts on my list, and was also able to discover some new artists. This festival can be very inspiring (and tiring) for a dance music connesseur, and I will try to share some opinions I formulated over the weekend.
Friday Night - Radio Skool @ 3rd Street Saloon, DTM @ Bookies Tavern, Some Like It Hot @ Taste Pizzabar
The Radio Skool event was planned from 3pm - 2am, and was one of the 2 daytime pre-parties the Friday before the festival. 3rd Street Saloon was a neat little bar about a $10 cab ride from the hotel, with a VERY big sound system in a small room. Catz n Dogz was on the bill, and due to another gig in LA that night, had to play an early slot from 4-5pm. There were no more than 20 people there for their set, but this was really cool, since most of them were there, like me, just for Catz n Dogz. The banged out a clean, yet uninspired set (likely due to no crowd). We left to go get dinner, and check out another day party, the Detroit Techno Militia annual party @ Bookies Tavern. This venue is really cool - by day it's a Detroit Tigers fan bar, due to its close proximity to the stadium. There were dozens of DTM dj's on the bill, with 3 small stages inside, and a VERY cool open air rooftop patio. I had no idea who was playing where, but the music seemed diverse and fun. I was able to get the name of one dj who's name was all over the front of his laptop, Dj Mo Reese. I can only describe his set as epic house; you will have to use your imagination. The clock was nearing 8pm, so we left Bookies and headed back to the Radio Skool party for a stacked lineup. Stacey Pullen was on deck when we arrived, and was really deep into a BANGING mix. The dance floor was already nearly half full, and Stacey had created a great vibe. This was a big surprise to me, I would have expected more 90's "Detroit Techno" from him, but he played a very modern tech house set, and one of the best sets I heard all weekend. Luca Baccetti followed Pullen, and I was pretty excited to hear him play. Baccetti is a hell of a producer, but played a flat, almost boring set. With Radio Slave's set slotted next, Luca's mix seemed to drag on forever. It did eventually end, and I relocated to a space about 6 feet from the main speaker stack. Radio Slave is actually Matt Edwards from the UK, has been producing techno tracks for 20 years, and is regarded as a"dj's dj'". He played 2 hours of DEEP throbbing minimal and tech house, layering different elements of percussion with seamless mixing. His experience and skill is obvious while watching him mix. He has an uncanny ability to create massive bass lines, without dropping either bass eq. Radio Skool was only scheduled to go until 2am, so we split for the "Some Like It Hot" event @ Taste Pizzabar (no pizza). There were a lot of artists on this bill as well, but the event was to end at 4am, so we were only able to see the headlining act, Benoit & Sergio. The venue had 3 different very small rooms, and ASSHOLE security. On a positive note, they had crammed WAY TOO MUCH sound into the small main room. Good Lord, the sound was making my spleen bleed. It was overbearing, but clean and definitely tolerable after a few drinks. Benoit & Sergio came on, and It was 2 guys, 1 laptop, and 1 mic. One guy triggered tracks on the laptop, and the other guy sang vocals, on a mic that had obviously not been checked yet. They played a very flat set consisting of all of their original tracks. The crowd seemed pretty into it, and getting to hear Walk & Talk on the huge sound system was a highlight. Hopefully now I never have to hear that track again.
Saturday - Festival Day 1
After a long nights sleep, I was ready to get my DEMPH on. I arrived at about 1pm, and spent the next couple hours walking around Hart Plaza. The event promoters (Paxahau) try to change up the orientation of some of the stages each year, and I was interested in seeing the setups and sound rigs. This was my 1st year with a VIP pass, so I also checked out the VIP area (with air conditioned, clean bathrooms and a private bar). As usual, there were 5 stages total; the Vitamin Water main stage in the amphitheater, the Made in Detroit stage near Jefferson Ave, the Torino Stage in the concrete underground area, the Beatport stage near the river, and the Red Bull Stage, also near the river. The only real changes I saw were they swapped the locations of the Made in Detroit Stage and the Torino Stage, and the Beatport stage paralleled the river this year, instead of facing it. In my opinion, one of the greatest things about this festival is that they do not skimp on sound. Serious line arrays at each stage, with the exception being the underground Torino stage, where they just decided to stack speakers up a whole wall. The first artist (that I paid any attention to) was JPLS on the Beatport stage. I am a fan of some of his excessively minimal and simple productions, and as a live set, it worked quite well for the time of day. JPLS did an excellent job of making dance music out of almost nothing, and getting an increasingly big crowd warmed up. Ambivalent came on next, and played a smooth technical set, while occasionally glancing away from his laptop. About half way through Ambivalent, I went underground to check out Cio D'or from Cologne, Germany, after hearing a lot of hype about her. I was unimpressed, as she struggled to warm up in the hollow sounding concrete basement. The sound down there seems to get a little better every year, but the acoustics of a concrete box are only so good. Disappointed, I went back over to the Beatport stage to hear a surprisingly NOT trancy set from Heartthrob. I like a lot of his tracks over the last 4 or 5 years, but many of them get really synthey, and I was worried he would be making ears ring. This was not the case, and he kept it stripped down, yet worked the crowd well. Gaiser followed Heartthrob, and banged out his unique style of bassline techno. I must say, he physically moves his arms more than anyone I have ever seen, anytime he triggers another track with his controller. It was fun to watch, and gave him a good stage presence that the crowd seemed to really eat up. I went back underground to check out Venetian Snares, since his music is so crazy and disorganized. It was utter torture in the concrete room, and I was gone after about 10 minutes. His stuff sounded like a machine gun being operated by a drunk monkey. Thankfully, Visionquest was in the middle of a 4 hour set on the Made in Detroit Stage, and Seth Troxler, Lee Curtiss, Shaun Reeves, and Ryan Crosson were playing with a lot of energy, and obviously having fun. They had a great vibe and crowd reaction; it was difficult to find a place to stand and not get danced on. I wanted to spend more time here, but we had a long night of must see after parties planned, and I needed a short break.
Saturday Night / Sunday Morning - CLR @ Elysium, I ♥ You But I've Chosen Techno @ The Works, Circo Loco @ TV Bar
The CLR after party was probably the most anticipated event of the whole weekend for our crew. There were only 5 dj's on the bill, but absolutely no need for more! The main room of the venue reminded me a lot of the defunct Club 151 in the West Bottoms; very high ceilings and a huge dance floor area. Drumcell was just finishing his opening set as we arrived, and it might have been the hardest opening set I have ever heard. That being said, he was opening for Collabs (Speedy J and Chris Liebing). The Collabs set was intense, yet somewhat predictable. They do a great job of deconstructing tracks and loops for their breakdowns, but it can get a bit repetitive. Long buildups, LOUD SPRAYCAN / WHITE NOISE, then bassdrop. The crowd was loving it, as was I, but I couldn't keep myself in this room for long, since Marcel Dettmann and Radio Slave were tagging in the basement. The lower level of this venue was a very small, intimate space, with room for no more than 100 people. Dettmann and Edwards traded a couple tracks back and fourth, progressing through some of the most forward-thinking and abstract techno I have heard yet. The 2 hours I was able to soak in from these two was some of the most enjoyable music I have ever heard! The walls and ceiling were sweating, and there were smiles everywhere! The flyer billed the event as going until 5am, but it was shut down by 4, so we headed out to the annual I ♥ You But I've Chosen Techno event at The Works. The Works is a notoriously shitty venue, with 3 areas of sound; a dirty outside patio (that was already closed when we got there), a front room with barely adequate sound and no lights or decor, and a larger main room with impressive sound and an even more impressive LED light rig. Tanner Ross was in the main room when I got there, and played a boring techy set, right on par with my expectations of him. Justin Martin followed Tanner, and I was hoping for more out of Justin as well, as there is a lot of "hype" surrounding him. I was less than impressed, so wandered into the front room to check out Matt Tolfrey. He was playing his brand of "feel good" tech house, and it wasn't bad - I was able to hear the Waifs & Strays track that blew apart the "Get Lost" party in Miami this year, but it was met with less enthusiasm here. Maybe it was because almost everyone at this event was clearly out of their minds, and grown-up tech house was not the flavor of the moment. Robag Wruhme followed Martin in the main room, and played an excellent set of new and old tracks. He kept the room moving for the entirety of his 2 hour set, and showed why he is one the most "in demand" dj's in the world. With the clock nearing 6am, it was time to head out.......to another after party! The final destination for us was the TV Bar for the Circo Loco party. TV Bar is one of my favorite venues in Detroit, with just 2 rooms - a nice open main room, and an outside patio. The bartenders here ROCK - serving all night / morning, with reasonable priced drinks. When we arrived, Cassy was just getting into her 3 hour set, slotted from 5-8am. What a treat this was - with an unbelievably energetic crowd, no doubt filled with "stay up helpers", Cassy was crushing skulls with some harder techno, and EVERYONE was dancing! No mercy from Cassy, and I was ALL ABOUT IT! She played one of the very best sets I was able to hear all weekend. It was hard to pry myself away from this madness, but with the sun coming up and music starting on the patio, I had to venture into the light and see what was going on out there. The patio was PACKED like sardines, and Tale of Us was opening up the morning out there on what sounded like a boombox - maybe the sound was turned down, or maybe just insufficient; it was hard to hear them over all of the folks talking (or was it screaming) out there. There were way too many people on the patio, so we decided to call it a night and head back to the room for a couple hours of sleep before day 2 of the festival began.
Sunday - Festival Day 2
With about 3 hours of sleep (on the floor), I headed down to the festival about 2pm. It was my intent to sleep until 5 or 6 in the evening, but the floor just wasn't that comfortable. The first thing I did upon arrival was head to the Slow's BBQ trailer. I told them I was from Kansas City, and they needed to hook me up. The cook presented me with 2 of the most delicious pulled pork sliders (slaw ON them), and the BEST mac n cheese on the planet!! With a full belly, I wandered over to the Red Bull stage to check out Space Dimension Controller, based on a friends recommendation. It was very tough to get into his set - not because of the music - but because of the underage raver scum PACKED into the Red Bull area. Where did these kids learn to dance? Oh, they DIDN'T, that's right... Moshing to techno is lame, but whatever.. That's why there is a Beatport stage, and that's where I went. It was Desolat day on the Beaport stage, and Pulshar was opening up there. I was not familiar with Pulshar, but the 2 guys threw down an ultra smooth blend of afternoon house with some nice live vocals. Bravo, I will be seeking out more info on Pulshar for sure. Tini followed Pulshar, which initially was a bummer, as Livio & Roby were supposed to play that spot, but were MIA. Tini did more than "fill in", and played an hour and a half of high quality deep sexy techno. PERFECT for the moment. I can see why Tini is in such high demand in Europe. Trasversable Wormhole has been on a TEAR this year with his releases, and I had to see what all the hype was about. He was playing live in the Torino concrete basement, and although the music seemed interesting, I just couldn't get into. It was likely because of where I was in the middle of the floor, but the low end seemed to be lacking. Remembering the acoustic properties of this room, I moved to the back - and sure enough - it was slamming back there. Ryan Elliott followed him, and opened with a very interesting track - but I couldn't stay - Soul Clap was on my DO NOT MISS list, and was starting at the same time on the Red Bull stage. I wandered back over to the raver scum stage, and was pleasantly surprised with an older, fancier crowd this time. Soul Clap played a very fun, eclectic set, and after about 30 minutes, I moved again, over to the main stage to meet up with the crew and get a good spot for Ricardo Villalobos (the "secret" artist). Margaret Dygas was playing on the main stage, hammering out a great set of banging tech house. I was able to hear the last 30 minutes of her set, and I wont ever miss a Margaret Dygas set again! Ricardo Villalobos was on deck to play a 2 hour set following Dygas. I have been looking forward to seeing Ricardo for YEARS, and after being overwhelmingly disappointed with his Visa fiasco last year, I was REALLY looking forward to this. With Ricardo being voted the #1 dj of 2010 and 2011 on RA, and with my personal collection of Villalobos tracks reaching 50, its safe to say this was my MOST anticipated set of the weekend. The 1st 15 minutes of his set were plagued with sound problems (I swear he forgot to turn off the high pass filter on the A&H mixer), but thankfully, one of his less-wasted cheerleaders was able to reach over and fix the issue with the push of a button. Ricardo went on to play a rather flat, tired set. I was pretty bummed, as I have heard better sets from local dj's in my hometown. He just seemed downright unprofessional - letting tracks run out, socializing with his friends while playing, and just acting like a jackass. I still have faith in Ricardo - every dj has a bad day, but this was a let down, to say the least. I actually left his set about an hour in to go hear some QUALITY music from Desolat all-stars Martin Buttrich & Guti. Buttrich played one of my favorite tracks (Livio & Roby - Sunday Offend), and this lured me in for the duration of his set. His mixing style (albeit on a laptop), is ultra smooth and deeply layered. I enjoyed every track he played, and it set the stage nicely for a much anticipated live Guti set. Guti went on to play all of the tracks from his new album, seamlessly flowing from one to the next, and driving the packed crowd into a frenzy. Guti finished his set with another favorite track of mine "All the Girls". This was met with an eruption of positive energy from the crowd, priming the floor perfectly for Loco Dice, who followed. I only stayed for the 1st 5 minutes of Dice's set, partly because I have seen him several times, but manly because Berghain residents Ben Klock and Marcel Dettmann were starting their 3 hour techno onslaught at the Torino stage. On the way over there, I peeked in on Sven Vath's headlining set on the main stage, and over the 30,000+ people packed at the main stage, I was able to catch a few techno anthems played with a lot of energy. Sven was yelling into the mic and working the kids over well, but I had to get into the basement. Ben Klock was absolutely CRUSHING people in the basement, with what can only be described as "uncompromising" techno. With very hard bass lines and smooth transitions, Klock showed why he has earned a residency at the most exclusive techno club in Europe (possibly the world). Big Ben played on for 90 minutes, and I loved every second of it. Marcel Dettman followed Klock, and opened with a really cool, spacey ambient track, followed by a wobbly bass line that took the breath from everyone there. Dettmann is also a resident at Berghain, and arguably has some of the best technical mixing skills on earth, not to mention one of the largest techno record collections. Dettmann melted faces for the next 90 minutes, with a set that did not include one single track I recognized.. My legs and feet were KILLING me when I first got down there for Klock, and by the end of Dettmann's set, I had sunk into a chair I found in a dark corner. It was lovely to just relax, close my eyes, and rest to some of the highest qualify techno there is.
Sunday Night / Monday Morning - Deteksupport @ The Works, Need I say More 6 @ Old Miami
Admittedly, I wasn't too excited about spending another night at The Works, but the lineup for the Deteksupport party was stacked with my personal flavor of music, and too many artists I could not miss. We got there about 2am after a short rest, and Tim Xavier and Cesare vs Disorder were tagging some deep techno to warm up the main room. They were soon finished, and Ambivalent stepped up for another live set. This set didn't seem as good as his Beatport set the day before, but he was keeping it interesting with smooth transitions. He did a good job of building tension, which in my opinion, is the single biggest indicator of a proper dj. I love it when they are still warming up the room at 3am, it lets you know the party is still on the incline. Maetrik was on in the front room, so I wandered up there, and was happy to walk into an ass kicking session. He was not holding back at all, and had tweaked the sound system to get the most out of it without clipping. The 50 or so people in there were going nuts! Top notch performance, with a lot of energy and a great vibe from the dancefloor. Sammy Dee, Perlon Records boss came on after Maetrik, and proceeded to smash whatever bones Maetrik left in tact. Sammy may have had the best stage presence of anyone all weekend, violently moving back and fourth, and screaming and freaking out at the zombie kids unfortunate enough to be within 20 feet of him. Sammy's mixing was on point, and his track selection was very fresh and interesting. He played my favorite track of the festival - Caribou/Fout Tet - Ye Ye. Kink followed Sammy with a live (laptop) set, but it seemed a bit too light and synthey for me, so I pulled myslef back into the main room to check out the headlining act, Heartthrob vs Butane. Their set started interesting, but I was just too tired at this point to enjoy it. I found myself getting critical, and it seemed like they just hadn't practiced playing together like this before. It felt disorganized and a bit tossed together. Maybe this was just because it was 5am, and their legs felt like mine. Alexi Delano and Camea were to follow them, but I had nothing left in me, and had to save my remaining unit of energy for the epic Old Miami day party that kicked off at 7am. After a quick pit stop at the hotel for a shower and a change, we headed out to the Old Miami for Seth Troxler's annual "Need I say More" open air party. Mention "Old Miami" to anyone that has ever been to DEMF, and they will reply with an ear to ear smile. It is quite possibly the best party of the year, every year, and this year was no exception. This party is for the hardcore partier - starts at 7am and goes all day. The Old Miami has a large green grass back yard, with ample places to relax, and a nice 4 corner sound system. The bartenders were great, with excellent "Ghettoblaster" ale, and delicious strawberry sangria's. Need I Say More feels like a "dj's" party - its not uncommon to find yourself dancing next to some of the biggest names in techno, or chilling on a blanket in the grass with like minded folks from all over the world. Craig Richards opened the day with 3 hour set of old school jams and funk, creating a rich vibe that stuck through the whole party. Tale of Us followed Richards, with a warm deep set of their original tracks, and other popular tunes of the moment. Benoit & Sergio played next, and frankly, weren't too impressive. It sounded like the same set from Friday night, only with more technical difficulties and mistakes - not than anyone was sober enough to notice. I just wasn't able to hang, and headed back to the hotel and passed out for a full 12 hours. I came to find out that I missed a remarkable tag set from Cassy, Ryan Elliott, and Craig Richards later in the afternoon, which apparently lifted to vibe there to epic levels. I also slept through the entire 3rd day of the festival, but the lineup on that day wasn't too much to my liking. I regret missing Art Department and Paul Kaulkbrenner, but I wouldn't have wanted to sleep through Old Miami just to be awake for them.
Monday Night / Tuesday Morning - Hot Natured @ Flat 151
I woke up at about 2am Tuesday morning, and although the sleep was refreshing for my poor legs / soul, I wasn't about to miss the Hot Natured after party. I headed that way, and waited in line for a hour with a 1 in 1 out policy. Once the elevator doors opened, I was slammed in the face with a sweaty blast of 120 degree heat. The party was on the top floor of a loft building, in what looked like a penthouse suite. They had a TON of sound crammed in there, and the dance floor was packed with beautiful people. Everyone seemed to be dressed in their best 80's gear, and the vibe was super positive. Magda was on the decks, playing a VERY interesting tech-disco set, with just a dark enough edge to it. The entire place was going nuts, even though they had ran out of bottled water and people had to resort to Red Bull or soda to keep the kids alive. Hot Natured (Lee Foss & Jamie Jones) played next, with a super fun set filled with filtered house / disco / funk, which fit the moment perfect. About an hour in, they turned on the lights, and everyone made a bee line for the elevators. I suspect this early closure was due to the extreme heat and lack of water. It was downright unsafe in there, but no one seemed to care. Dubfire was playing a closing set across the street at the Elysium lounge, but I decided to take it easy and go watch the sun come up on the riverfront, before going back to the room for some more sleep prior to the trip back to KC.
I feel lucky to be able to make the annual pilgrimage to Detroit for the festival and of course, after parties. I highly recommend this event to anyone who is even remotely interested in techno, as it is as good as it gets in the US.
Until next year,
-Josh C
Last edited by joshchrans on Thu Jun 09, 2011 1:41 am, edited 2 times in total.
