Photo by Joshua Hanford
While going through the stage lineup and set times for Movement Detroit last week, it occurred to me that this year the festival has booked a great selection of female artists. While there could and should be more, I remained pleased to see that at least when compared to 2015 the presence of women at Movement has grown.
Some of these artists are returning to Hart Plaza, see Nina Kraviz, tINI and J.Phlip, while others will be making illustrious debuts. Some even made our list of Top 15 acts not to miss at the festival.
Regardless, ensure you bear this pool of talent in mind when making your schedules for this coming Memorial Day Weekend!
Anja Schneider. Photo by Minimal Effort LA
Monday // 5-6:30PM, Main Stage
There’s a reason Anja made our Top 15 must-see Movement acts this year: her well crafted sets are always a blast of energy and musical goodness, incorporating powerful house and elements of dub techno that will make her late afternoon Monday slot at the Main Stage a treat to witness.
Big Freedia. Source: Big Freedia on Facebook
Monday // 5:30-6:30PM, Red Bull Music Academy
Big Freedie is the perfect representation of Movement’s more eclectic side, the small slice of an underground dance music-centric lineup that caters to an arguably more popular, mainstream and urban sound. Known to some as “Queen of Bounce,” this New Orleans-based rapper is set to perform at the Red Bull Music Academy on a day where bass is the name of the game. Come prepared.
Erika of Ectomorph. Photo by CK Nelson
Saturday // 8-9PM, Opportunity Detroit (Interdimensional Transmission)
The female half of Ectomorph goes by the solo stage name of Erika, and is one of the brains behind the increasingly popular Interdimensional Transmission label and party series. It is now known that the label is will be hosting an entire showcase on Saturday at the Opportunity Detroit stage, with Ectomorph set to play a one-hour evening set of live music.
Ellen Allien. Photo by Gaetan Tracqui
Sunday // 9-10:30PM, THUMP (Made in Detroit)
At this stage, it would be faster to make a list of venues that Ellen Allien hasn’t yet played. The Berlin born and based producer (except for when she is in full throttle Ibiza season) has done and seen it all, sharing the decks with the biggest names in the scene and becoming one herself in the process. A prolific producer, the label-head of BPitch Control packs a unique brand of effervescence into sets that blend various aspects of electronica into a signature underground sound that has turned countless of listeners into instant fans.
Heidi. Photo by Tasya Menaker
Sunday // 6-7:30PM, Beatport
If you’re game for that fiery, feisty, and jacking house music then don’t miss Heidi turning things up at the Beatport Stage on Sunday. Her BBC Radio 1 residency and the worldwide popularity of her Jackathon parties are but a testament to her devotion to music and passion for banging house music.
Hito. Photo by Igor Ribnik
Monday // 2-4PM, Beatport (PLAYdifferently presents PROTOTYPES Tour)
If you know Richie Hawtin’s ENTER brand then you’ve surely heard of Hito. The Japanese-born and Berlin-based DJ has been creating waves since becoming the symbol of ENTER’s entire Sake brand, thanks to energetic vinyl sets that blur the lines between techno, house and tech house. We had the pleasure of interviewing her recently to dive into her humble beginnings , and look forward to seeing her perform as part of Hawtin’s PLAYdifferently presents Prototype Showcase on Movement’s last day.
J.Phlip. Photo by Tim Evans
Monday // 7-8:30PM, Red Bull Music Academy
This isn’t going to be J.Phlip’s first appearance at Movement. In fact, two years ago she was a last-minute addition to the lineup when she got to close out the festival at the Beatport Stage as a replacement for Boys Noize who couldn’t make his set. She referred to it as “the best day thus far of my ridiculous little life,” indicating just how important playing the festival is to an artist of her sound. There’s no doubt that she will be bringing her a-game back to Hart Plaza, performing at the Red Bull stage alongside a few of her fellow Dirtybird artists.
La Fleur. Photo by Daniel Leinweber / Razberry Photography
Saturday // 3-4PM, THUMP (Made in Detroit)
If you needed a reason to get to the festival early enough on opening day, La Fleur is that reason. While hard to pinpoint her exact genre, anyone making their way to the Made in Detroit Thump stage will be welcomed by the type of performance that has seen her earn a Watergate residency as well as coveted gigs at Panorama Bar, Boiler Room and XOYO just to list a few.
Loren. Photo by The Pool House Chicago.
Sunday // 3:15-4:30PM, Opportunity Detroit
Lauren Vellucci moved to Detroit as an eighteen-year-old and has, in three short years, cemented her name as one of the city’s prominent up-and-coming techno acts. I caught her playing at Primary in Chicago and immediately knew she would be playing Movement – a true and solid representation of the city’s current thriving music scene.
Magda. Photo by Giulia Valentino.
Sunday // 7:30-9PM, Beatport
It’s practically certain that thousands will be making their way to the Beatport Stage for Magda’s hour-and-a-half set on Sunday evening. She is part of Detroit’s wave of techno artist of the 2000’s, first catapulted to international fame as Richie Hawtin’s opening DJ. She went on to use that as a mere launching pad, from which she has since built an in-demand sound of her own that far transcends the constraints of minimal techno.
Mija. Photo by Nicky Digital
Sunday // 4-5PM, Underground (OWSLA Showcase)
One of two female artists slated to play the OWSLA showcases at the Underground Stage, Mija saw her career kick off after winning a mix competition to play on the Black Butter Records stage at TomorrowWorld. The set was recorded, she began to release on Skrillex’s imprint and followed it all with international gigs from which she began to grow a large and solid fan base.
Nina Kraviz. Photo by Evie Williams
Monday // 8:30-10PM, Underground (Acid Showcase)
It would be an understatement to say that last year Nina’s acid-heavy set packed the Underground Stage. despite being sandwiched between a roster of artists that generally focused on a heavier techno sound. This year she returns to the very same stage but as part of the first ever Acid showcase at the festival, making hers one of the most anticipated performances of the entire weekend.
Rebecca Goldberg. Photo via Rebecca Goldberg’s Facebook Page
Sunday // 2-3:15PM, Opportunity Detroit
A Detroit local, Goldberg drew inspiration from Stacey “Hotwaxx” Hale, the Godmother of House Music – another female artist set to play Movement this year. A resident at Detroit’s Grasshopper Underground, Goldberg released her first EP “A Trip to the Moon” earlier this year, showcasing her rising talent not only as a DJ but also as a music producer in the city’s ever-growing house music scene.
Rezz. Photo via Rezz’s Facebook Page
Sunday // 2-3PM, Underground (OWSLA Showcase)
What more can be said of an artist who caught Deadmau5 and Skrillex’s attention at the mere age of 20? Her brand of eerie, atmospheric music has been a hit with the more mainstream following associated with OWSLA and Mau5trap, earning her a spot at the Underground Stage that is housing Skrillex’s label on Sunday.
Sonja Moonear. Photo by Phrank
Saturday // 3:30-5PM, Main Stage
One of the most anticipated acts of this year’s lineup, due both to her talent and rarity of US appearances, Sonja Moonear is scheduled as the second artist to play the Main Stage on opening day. Armed with an eclectic arsenal of house and techno, impressive crate digging skills and personal releases on labels such as Perlon and Karat, I hope to see Sonja bring the type of performance that has seen her become a mainstay of Cocoon Ibiza’s famous Monday night parties, even playing special b2b sets alongside Ricardo Villalobos.
Stacey “Hotwaxx” Hale. Photo by Zoo Project
Monday // 41:30-2:45PM, THUMP (Origins: Elevation Showcase)
Known as the “Godmother of House Music,” Stacey “Hotwaxx” Hale has made strong contributions to Detroit’s music scene thanks to her work with clubs, festivals, radio stations, production studios and even direct community projects. She will be playing Kevin Saunderson’s Origins Showcase on Monday, bringing house bangers to a stage usually associated with the city’s techno sound.
The Black Madonna. Photo by Aldo Paredes
Sunday // 6-8PM, Red Bull Music Academy
One of, if not the first names that caught my attention when Movement’s Phase I came out a few months ago was The Black Madonna. Later, when the schedule was released I immediately gravitated to her name once more to see how long her set was, and found myself satisfied that she was given a two-hour slot at the grassy Red Bull Music Academy stage. One of the strongest voice in today’s ample talent pool of female producers and DJs, Marea represents everything that is good with house music: creativity, innovation, hard work ethic and the ability to make anyone dance, anytime, anywhere.
tINI. Photo by Jeff at The BPM Festival
Monday // 4-6, Beatport (PLAYdifferently presents PROTOTYPES Tour)
A member of the Desolat family and head of a Gang that has been taking over party spots world over from Ibiza to BPM, Miami to Peru, and Egypt to London, tINI packs a blend of deep, micro-house and dub-techno into energetic sets that have made her a crowd favorite wherever she goes. This year she is returning to Movement for a two-hour performance at Hawtin’s PLAYdifferently presents Prototype stage on Monday afternoon.
Last, but not least, an honorary mention goes to one of the most recognized faces at Hart Plaza every Memorial Day Weekend:
Grandma Techno. Photo taken from Facebook
Better known to countless in and outside of Detroit as “Grandma Techno,” Patricia Lay-Dorsey has been attending Movement since 2005. She earned her nickname while making her way through the festival crowd on the scooter she has been riding since multiple sclerosis has made her unable to walk. This hasn’t stopped her from partying, becoming an iconic figure in the city’s techno scene and beyond when when videographer Clarence Johnson captured her Movement experience in the short documentary They Call Me Grandma Techno back in 2012. She is one cool woman and always a pleasure to see and talk to in Detroit, often citing John Digweed and Claude vonStroke amongst her favorite artists to catch during the weekend. And it so happens that they are both playing this year!
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