You could call it controversial. You could also call it a success. In some ways, you could even argue that it was a failure. One thing is for sure, though: with attendance up to 75,000 in 2008 (an increase of over 30,000 from last year), the DEMF has cemented its place as the largest and most important electronic music festival in America.

Because of this, however, the promoters of the festival, Paxahau, can never really win. On one hand, they're under pressure to make money—so that the festival can continue to go on each year. On the other, there are a whole host of Detroit locals and dance music fans that remember (and long for) the days when it used to be a free event. What’s more, Paxahau must deal with the inevitable line-up complaints. This year’s fest broadened its scope to include more mainstream acts such as Moby, Benny Benassi and Girl Talk, a move which drew heated debate, especially by those who came to see local Detroit stars and found themselves forced underground to a hot, sweaty stage with the poorest sound of the festival.

Me? I tend not to be a complainer. I can’t imagine the sorts of negotiations that go into making the festival run smoothly each year. It was also my first festival, so I don’t have much to compare it to. On a strictly logistical level, though, I’ve never seen a more well-put together five stages. Artists started on time. The sound was mostly good and sometimes excellent. There also seemed to be a distinct lack of drama about the whole thing. Of course, detractors would locate this as precisely the problem: no drama, no passion, no Detroit. But, as everyone who has read about the festival’s past doubtlessly knows, more drama is the last thing that DEMF needs.

So, the gripes come down to simple things: with 80% of fest attendees drawn by no particular name on the bill, why Benassi? With Richie Hawtin playing year after year, why can’t acts such as 3 Chairs play year-after-year as well? And why so few groups with real instruments on the stage? I’m not asking Paxahau to book Tortoise or anything, but a little variety in stage set-ups, tempo and sensibility would be appreciated. And, no, Girl Talk won’t suffice, no matter how much he respects the festival. Thanks.

But, hey, that’s just one man’s take. RA had a host of contributors furiously scribbling notes and snapping photos both in Hart Plaza and around the afterparties happening Detroit during Memorial Day weekend. So forget the hype, read on and find out what really happened at DEMF 2008. – Todd L. Burns

Friday - May 23

Grimace presents... 6th Annual Pre-Festival Bbq at Corktown Tavern
Line-up: Adam X, Dan Lucas, Dustin Zahn, Mike G, Nova and more

This party near Tiger Stadium has become a DEMF tradition. It was more like a family reunion than a night out at the club: the smell of grill wafted around, and folks milled around outside scarfing down burgers and Polish sausages. The lineup focused on Midwest talent, with attendees hailing mainly from Cincinnati, Chicago, Detroit, and Minneapolis in support of their hometown heroes. Musically, memorable sets came from the Detroit Techno Militia’s Dan Lucas, who got fists pumping with some classic acid, electro, and heavy techno joints, and Mike G, who got the steamy upstairs room screaming with some of his own edits of tracks like Heartthrob’s ‘Nasty Girl’. Between the friendly faces and the most affordable dinner we could find all weekend, this was a fine kick off to the weekend. - Elly Rifkin

reSOLUTE 08 at TV Bar
Line-up: Maetrik, Camea, Pheek, Miss Fitz, Ryan Crosson and more

The TV Bar is out of the way, but I’m glad we made the trip. In the shadowy back room, Montréal’s Pheek spun groovy microhouse and bubbly minimal, followed by Elon from Clink, who was lit up by a single laser that fractured green light around the room. The music? Big techno cuts that forced the otherwise sleepy crowd off the dangerously comfortable couches. Later the sound finally got set up on the back patio, and partygoers headed out into the sun – sadly, many therefore missing Maetrik’s delightful live techno set. Surprisingly, reSOLUTE was one of the only parties to prominently feature female DJs, something that was definitely lacking at the festival this year. Along with Miss Fitz, K.atou, and NYC’s Connie and Stefny, Berlin transplant Camea laid down a late afternoon set on the patio as the grill was cooking up lunch – it was all good, and worth fighting the urge to sleep for. - Elly Rifkin

Underground Anthems Live at Trenchtown
Line-up: Keith Worthy, Patrice Scott, E-Man, Omar-S

To a DEMF and Detroit virgin, it was hard to know what to expect from Trenchtown. Every single person that I talked to before the festival gave me a blank stare when I mentioned the venue. Turns out that’s because Trenchtown is normally a reggae/dub spot, known for its Saturday night danceathons and enormous bass-heavy speakers. The overkill of bass for E-Man’s set didn’t help much—but he kept the set varied enough that it didn’t matter much. He ended with an extended string of minimal cuts, which Keith Worthy quickly extinguished with an excellent set of melodic and deep techno, full of sweeping chords and very European-leaning touches. Starved for some alcohol to get myself in the proper mood to dance after a three-hour plane ride earlier that evening, I was met with something a New Yorker rarely encounters. Mountain Dew? Pepsi? Cheetos? Frito Lays? Yep, this was a dry party. So, back to my leaning perch and hoping that my newly caffeinated body could summon up some moves. No dice. Despite Omar-S coming on and blasting some of the hardest techno I ended up hearing all weekend, I was already too far gone, the crowd too sparse to urge me to stay. - Todd L. Burns

Bang-Tech 12-Year Anniversary at Bookies Tavern
Line-up: DJ Seoul, T.Linder, Bileebob and more

Bookies Tavern is not the kind of place you would expect to host techno parties. The walls are covered with Detroit sports jerseys, and the draft beer is proudly served in liter glasses alongside nachos and French fries. The music, however, was quality: DJ Bileebob’s vintage Detroit, including a particularly vicious airing of Dopplereffekt’s classic ‘Pornostar’, confirmed that I was indeed in the right place to party. The vibe was on point as well, with the mainly Detroit crowd jiving to the beats in between games of pool and tequila shots, and the Bang-Tech family hanging out in the booth high-fiving each other after every track choice. Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the festival hype and skip out on the smaller parties, but Bang Tech was a reminder of why sometimes it's worth skipping that particular Kool Aid. - Bernardo Arrospide

Photos: Start the Feedback

Ryan Elliott: DJ to breakdancers in the main room / Photo credit: Chris Thomarios

Start the Feedback at Bleu
Line-up: Efdemin, Ryan Elliott, K.atou and more

Not all Detroit afterparties revolved around local heroes: With Efdemin and Ryan Elliott spinning upstairs, and current minimal courtesy of Van Valen downstairs, the roster at Bleu on Friday read more like a night at T-Bar or Watergate than a party in Michigan. But the vibe was completely different, all laid-back Detroit attitude and a house party feel with circles of breakdancers battling each other in circles on the main floor. Now you wouldn’t see that at The Rex. The crowd were also breaking out into “D-Chants”, where groups would start shouting “Dee-Troit, Dee-Troit, Dee-Troit,” along to the beat. Downstairs the turntables and laptops were set so low and deep that it was sometimes hard to distinguish performers from bystanders. But what really stood out in the chaos was the monstrous sound system: In Ryan Elliott’s hands, it felt as though the plywood under our feet was about to shatter. Honestly, a fantastic evening and proof that DEMF now attracts the old-school heroes and new-school superstars in equally satisfying measures. – Bernardo Arrospide

Saturday - May 24

Photos: DEMF Red Bull Stage

Egyptian Lover: The Eddie Van Halen of the 808 / Photo credit: Matt Cohen

DEMF Red Bull Stage
Line-up: Jay Spliff, The Nick Speed Collection, Newcleus (live), Egyptian Lover (live), Peanut Butter Wolf, Pete Rock.

Paxahau’s controversial attempt to appeal to disparate crowds was mostly centered around the Red Bull Stage. Hip-hop, electro, ghettotech, mash-ups: throughout the weekend, you got almost everything except house and techno. The closest cousin to both of those traditional DEMF genres, of course, was electro, and that’s exactly what Newcleus and Egyptian Lover served up late in the afternoon on Saturday. After sound issues delayed Newcleus’ start by more than a half-hour, the quartet opened with ‘Jam On’s Revenge’ and stuck mostly to the hits, aside from a few lackluster hip-hop attempts that didn’t resonate with a crowd eager to hear the classics. Egyptian Lover, however, rightly didn’t bother to indulge in much of his newer material. As he climbed the pyramid to join an audience doing a staggering amount of real and sincere renditions of the robot, Jamie Jupiter—Lover’s hypeman—let out the refrain of the afternoon: “This is the old-school!” Lover’s 808 solo earlier during the performance proved that nothing was better for moving the crowd. -- Todd L. Burns

Photos: DEMF Beatport Stage

Mouse in the house: Hat came off after he got hot / Photo credit: Nicole Cussell

DEMF Beatport Stage
Line-up: Tycho (live), Eric Johnston (live), Alland Byallo, Brian Kage & Luke Hess, Justin Long, Joris Voorn (live), Deadmau5 (live), Alex Smoke (live), Alex Under (live).

Things started up slow on Saturday at the Beatport stage. Ghostly International’s Tycho eased the slowly building crowd into the afternoon sun with his trademark brand of bucolic IDM. Disappointingly, his note perfect recreations of tracks culled from his 2006 LP Past Is Prologue failed to coalesce into anything more compelling than sonic wallpaper, and many revelers took the opportunity to grab a beer and track down friends. D-town’s own Eric Johnston, however, was a different story, plunging headfirst into 4/4 territory. With slippery basslines and intricately layered percussion, Johnston’s live P.A. brought Villalobos and Onur Özer to mind and marks him as one to watch in 2008. The rest of the afternoon was a bit of a frenzy, as Reference, Justin Long and Joris Voorn all delivered crowd pleasing sets that kept the Beatport stage’s healthy audience moving well into the evening. Surprisingly, even Deadmau5—all gussied up in his ridiculous costume—managed to kick out the jams, churning out a set that was well received by the generally picky Movement crowd. To cap off an excellent kick off to the festival, Alex Smoke and Alex Under played back-to-back P.A.’s that sent the revelers off into the night ready primed for the afterparties. – Carl Ritger

Photos: DEMF Real Detroit Stage

Minx: Detroit's first lady of wax / Photo credit: Nicole Cussell

DEMF Real Detroit Stage
Line-up: Big Joe Hix, Reggie "Hotmix" Harrell, Minx, Mike Grant, Michael Geiger, Terrence Parker, Stacey Pullen

Located inside a concrete chamber and hosting all local talent, the first thing you notice about the Real Detroit Stage is the rawness of the sound: every hit from the kick drum rattles any and all surrounding objects with a satisfying metallic thunder clap. On the whole, the music was pretty excellent on the Saturday. Minx played a fine set of stomping techno and upbeat house, while Mike Grant read the crowd well and dialed up the tempo, delivering a set of big jazzy house build ups and pummeling techno comedowns. As a first time visitor to the DEMF, I was looking forward to a moment when a DJ I wasn’t too familiar with played a set which truly blew me away: You know, the kind of moment where you scream at the stranger next to you: “Who is this guy?! He’s killing it!” Grant gave me first ""moment" of the weekend— I had never heard him play before and he truly impressed. Later Terrence Parker took it slower, dropping funky house which disappointingly failed to connect with the audience. Luckily, there was more goodness later when Stacey Pullen banged out a vintage Detroit techno set, blowing away any regrets I had about missing out on the other stages. – Bernardo Arrospide

Photos: DEMF Vitamin Water Main Stage

DBX played the classics on vintage analogue gear / Photo credit: Stephen Boyle

DEMF Vitamin Water Stage
Line-up: nospectacle (live), DeepChord presents Echospace (live), Half Hawaii (live), Zip, DBX (live), Moby.

The main stage on Saturday kicked off with Echospace and Half Hawaii – acts which would seem more suited to a smaller stage, but nevertheless provided a lovely soundtrack to an afternoon of chilling in the sunshine. Evening brought a live set from Daniel Bell as DBX, who performed on the original analogue hardware, including a turn on live vocoder-warped vocals for ‘Baby Judy’. Classic DBX tracks such as ‘Phreak’ and ‘Squirrel Bait’ sounded wonderfully nostalgic, while ‘Losing Control’ was used as a teaser, before Bell finished with a rework of his early '90s classic ‘Electric Shock’. In characteristic humble style, Bell took a dignified little bow and then quickly hurried off stage, the end of an outstanding set which managed to sound both retro and futuristic all at once. Later the crowd seemed eager to see how Moby would fare, and he started on a high note—Inner City’s local classic ‘Good Life’—before moving onto commercial fare, big room techno, and house anthems. Each track was tweaked the living daylights out of instead of mixed, and the end result seemed like a very odd choice to close the main stage. Lots of energetic stage antics, but all rather dated really. – Elly Rifkin

Richie Hawtin: Phoning the cube? / Photo credit: Christopher Soltis

Contakt at St. Andrew’s Hall
Line-up: Richie Hawtin, Magda, Troy Pierce, Marc Houle, Heartthrob, Gaiser, Paco Osuna and more

M_nus’ Contakt party was one of the most anticipated events of the DEMF, not least because it give the curious a first chance to look at The Cube. The official end to their self-imposed “ten weeks of silence”, the event featured label mainstays Magda, Troy Pierce and Heartthrob performing with Richie Hawtin at the helm. First off, let me just say that The Cube—which is little more than a clear plastic box with some Christmas lights stuck inside, however well designed it may be—was among the most underwhelming things I’ve seen in quite some time. Hawtin must have been aware of this, however, as the thing was shoved off into a remote corner of the club far removed from the center of attention. Unfortunately, the rest of the night followed suit, with all of the performers delivering less-than-stellar sets that were marred by technical problems and a sub-par sound system (seriously, the place was a Hip Hop club…an ill-suited venue for a M_nus party if ever there were one). Even the crowd lacked that certain spark, with nary a soul in sight dancing the entire night. Bottom line: Contakt failed to live up to the hype. – Carl Ritger

Photos: Soul Skate ’08

Moodymann spun the rollerskating jams / Photo credit: Matt Cohen

Soul Skate ’08
Line-up: Kenny Dixon Jr.

It’s not often you see Carl Craig on roller skates. A friend told me that Craig mentioned it had been more than a decade, in fact. But, then again, Soul Skate is just that kind of party. You name the Detroit techno luminary (Craig, Theo Parrish, Mike Banks, Amp Fiddler) and they were probably there on Saturday night at the Northland Roller Rink. Not all of them showed up to skate, me included, but it was understandable considering the talent on show. A $1000 prize was on the line during the competition portion of the evening—and those who were strutting their stuff during the free skate were busting moves that I had never seen done on skates before. All of this, of course, was soundtracked by Moodymann, who spun a skate-appropriate set that saw him pulling out the sorts of gems that had just about everyone there singing along. Classic. -- Todd L. Burns

Hi-Tek Soul at 1515 Broadway
Line-up: Quentin Harris, Derrick May

With this being my first DEMF experience, I went in with the idea of seeing as many Detroit artists as possible throughout the weekend. Of course, that unfortunately meant coming home from Soul Skate at 4 AM and dragging myself six long—and nervously traversed—city blocks in Detroit in the middle of the night. Once at what was formerly known as The Music Institute, though, it immediately became clear that the walk was worth it. Derrick May was already on the decks and the sweatbox of a dancefloor was packed—but not too full that it was impossible to get down. I mentally kept setting moments to leave in my head. 5:00. 5:15. 6:00, but each time that the appointed moment rolled around, May put on another classic. By 6:00, it was Cerrone’s ‘Supernature’ and I had already decided to stop making promises to myself that I couldn’t keep. At 6:25, when I made my way back to the hotel with the light shining in my face, I couldn’t help but smile—even as I crossed the street so that I wouldn’t have to potentially have an altercation with any sketchy characters. Ah, Detroit. -- Todd L. Burns

Kate Simko: Next big thing on Spectral Sound? / Photo credit: Chris Thomarios

The Other 9-5 at Bert's on Broadway
Line-up: Adultnapper, Miss Fitz v. K.atou B2B, Kate Simko (live), [a]pendics Shuffle (live) and more

I had only been in Detroit for a few hours and my introduction was Bert's On Broadway – the first thing you realize is that the DEMF is certainly not the WMC. Bert's reminded me of a NYC loft party – the stairs were steep, there was no interior décor at all, and the decks sat on a collapsible table with speaker stacks specially wheeled in for the event. Very makeshift, but pleasant. Attendance was at first sparse, but the space started to fill as Kate Simko laid down a very strong live set on the top floor. I dashed downstairs to hear a bit of Camea, but her minimal stylings at that hour were not quite doing it for me. By the end of Simko’s set, the area in front of the decks was moving and the atmosphere spirited. Adultnapper followed, spinning a unique brand of dark, brooding techno. Overall, it was decent, and proved that you don’t need all the amenities of a club to throw a fun party. – Chris Thomarios

Sunday - May 25

Photos: DEMF Red Bull Stage

Kill Memory Crash: Industrial beats on the Red Bull Stage / Photo credit: Stephen Boyle

DEMF Red Bull Stage
Line-up: Patrick Russell, Carlos Souffront, Jared Wilson (live), Kill Memory Crash (live), Ectomorph (live), The Cool Kids (live), Girl Talk (live)

Despite Sunday’s overcast skies, the crowd thickened later in the day under the Red Bull canopy for dark, industrial act Kill Memory Crash. The music came hard and brooding but in the distance, we saw a mess of neon pink hair twirling about. Moving closer, we could see it was a young girl with her parents, rocking out. Couldn’t find a babysitter, eh? Next up was Ectomorph, who invited their dancing buds from Hardcore Detroit on stage, which provided a good segue into the performance of The Cool Kids. A sea of bodies pulsated with shrieks loud enough to burst an eardrum as they rocked to the beat. When it was time for a little Girl Talk, everyone was told to get on the stage; they obeyed. Partying Detroit style may leave some weary, but after a set like that, it’s doubtful that anyone was ready to hit the sheets. – Treasure Groh

Photos: DEMF Beatport Stage

Konrad Black: Reliable as ever / Photo credit: Nicole Cussell

DEMF Beatport Stage
Line-up: Matthew Hawtin, Konrad Black, Heartthrob (live), Paco Osuna, Magda, Richie Hawtin

The Beatport stage was dominated by minimal on Sunday with the M_nus crew heavily featured on the bill. Even Richie Hawtin’s younger brother, Matthew, got a slot, starting the day off on a downtempo tip with a gorgeous set of vintage ambient and IDM. Next up Konrad Black chose to ease into the harder stuff on the back of a healthy dose of Plastikman, but the rest of his set was surprisingly melodic, eschewing the darker and atmospheric sounds with which he is usually associated. The rest of the afternoon saw Hawtin and his cohorts redeeming themselves after the previous night’s fumble, with Heartthrob leading the pack. His live P.A. was not only a shining return to form from the previous night; it was also one of the festival’s true highlights. Magda and Hawtin closed the stage out for the day, turning in crowdpleasing sets that saw them exploring familiar territory, though neither quite topped Heartthrob’s performance. – Carl Ritger

Photos: DEMF Real Detroit Stage

Yes, this sweetie's name is DJ Punisher / Photo credit: Matt Cohen

DEMF Real Detroit Stage
Line-up: Gabe Real, T Linder, Darkcube (live), Aaron-Carl feat. Veronique & DJ E.Dubb, Punisher, Mr. De (live/DJ), Kenny Larkin

The sound at the Real Detroit stage was greatly improved this year – Paxahau finally got the stage and sound set up so that the echoing was kept to a minimum and the bass was thunderous. First up, Aaron Carl, and then the standout set on Sunday from local techno DJ Punisher, who spun a nice balance between aggressive harder techno and more danceable sounds. One of just five female performers at the festival this year, Punisher did Detroit proud, riling up the crowd, and punching her fist in the air with every bass drop. Another pleasant surprise came later from Detroit techno pioneer Kenny Larkin, who kept the house to a minimum and played a more banging techno set than we originally expected. – Elly Rifkin

Photos: DEMF Vitamin Water Stage

Carl Craig's live improvisations were Saturday's highlight / Photo credit: Matt Cohen

DEMF Vitamin Water Stage
Line-up: Keith Worthy, Alton Miller, Lawnchair Generals, Miles Maeda, Mark Farina, Carl Craig (live)

Early on, both Keith Worthy and Alton Miller’s sets were marred by the lack of monitors, leading to some uneven mixes in both beat-matching and volume, but the night belonged to the closing act: Detroit legend Carl Craig. The previous night, Moby had closed with a set of crowdpleasing hits in front of a massive audience – I wondered whether C2’s live show would satisfy a throng of 20,000? And if he didn’t, did that mean Paxahau would book Armin Van Buuren next year? Sure, the Paris Live EP is beautiful music, but would it work for such a large audience? Of course, Craig did not disappoint, coaxing out live renditions of ‘At Les’, ‘Darkness’ and his ‘In the Trees’ remix accompanied by live players Niko Marks, Kelvin Sholar and Wendell Harrison. The live improvisations were brief enough that the audience never seemed bored or tired, and towards the end of the show energy was rising, with teens crowd surfing and even a girl flashing her breasts at the cameras. Craig then walked out on stage and yelled: "I love Detroit!" and a heaving mass of ravers roared with approval, clearly happy to just be there for what will likely go down as one of the highlights of Movement 2008. Just beautiful. – Bernardo Arrospide

Photos:
DEMF Pioneer Stage <br />DEMF Pioneer Stage

James Zabiela: One of the fest's more unusual picks / Photo credit: Patty Hyun

DEMF Pioneer Stage
Line-up: Yos, Shawn Michaels, Kenneth Thomas, James Zabiela, Benny Benassi

By the time I got to the Pioneer Stage on Sunday, the entire place was absolutely rocking. I ducked in to hear a bit of Kenneth Thomas, but quickly shot back out. If you haven't had the opportunity to hear him – think Paul Oakenfold Light. Nevertheless, the kids were lapping it up. I returned a bit later for James Zabiela, whose booking at the DEMF I first assumed was a mistake—but when I realized it was in conjunction with Pioneer, who he does a fair bit for—it made sense. Just like his set in Miami, it turned out to be an absolute rave from beginning to end. Everyone's hands were in the air, pogoing, and just going wild. The wannabe Storm Trooper didn't vary from his usual brand of looping, effecting, and scratching, and really didn't need to do so. His performance, and mastery of all things Pioneer, must have had the company reps smiling from Detroit to Tokyo. – Chris Thomarios

Beretta Music Revolution at The Works
Line-up: Troy Pierce, Reference, Ryan Crosson, Lee Curtiss, Seth Troxler, Marko Furstenberg and more

For me, the DEMF is all about the afterparties, and no one seemed to have a better handle on them than the Beretta crew. Spread across two rooms, their party at the Works was the place to be on Sunday night. The front room was a mess as partygoers crowded the bar, but the back room was pure techno heaven. When we arrived, Michigan ex-pats Ryan Crosson, Lee Curtiss and Seth Troxler were treating the crowd to a three-way tag-team that moved from house to minimal and back again before giving way to Troy Pierce’s excellent headlining set. It may have been a sweatbox in there, but the crowd didn’t seem to mind. Pierce plowed through a mind-bending selection of tracks that had us all wrapped firmly around his finger, thirsty for more as we stumbled out the door into the wee hours of the morning. – Carl Ritger

Radio Skool DEMF Edition at The Shelter
Line-up: Stacey Pullen, Mike Brown, Dennis Ferrer and Mr. V

Dennis Ferrer and Mr. V playing The Shelter? You’d think you were in NYC, but no, this party was at another Shelter, the one in Detroit. But the party vibe was similar: Mr. V spun jacking Chicago preacher cuts and funky house, interspersed with the occasional exhortation to the crowd: “it’s time to get wasted!” Later Ferrer moved in a more techy direction, although he also spun classic US vocal anthems such as Armand Van Helden’s ‘You Don’t Even Know Me’, Ralphi Rosario’s ‘You Used to Hold Me’ and his own ‘Touched the Sky’. The packed room danced (and sang along) ecstatically – the man was pretty much on fire all night. The downside to all this was the room got hot, and the raised temperature combined with a closed bar started weighing down on the vibe past 3 a.m, after which the party wound down early. – Bernardo Arrospide

Metroplex in Juan Atkin's Basement
Line-up: Juan Atkins, Terrence Dixon and more

You know what the funniest thing about all the fawning praise heaped upon the originators of techno is? They fuck up just as much as the rest of us. That was my take, at least, on the (mostly) empty semi-abandoned basement party headlined by Juan Atkins. Announced seemingly only on Facebook, the party was a technical mess—featuring a backroom helmed by a DJ forced to play tracks on one turntable and a slightly hissing amp. Deepchord, who were announced as playing live, showed up early but then left when the organizers seemed to be unaware that they were playing live. To top it all off, Atkins played records in the main room for about 45 minutes and was pretty much amazing, brandishing ‘The Bells’, among other classic tracks. Despite the interesting space (exposed wires and all) and awesome proposed line-up (Atkins, Echospace and Egyptian Lover (another no-show?)), this one was a dud. -- Todd L. Burns

Monday - May 26

Photos: DEMF Red Bull Stage <br />DEMF Red Bull Stage

Databass DJs: Ghetto tech by the river / Photo credit: Stephen Boyle

DEMF Red Bull Stage
Line-up: Electrobounce.com Presents DATABASS Ghetto Tech, Mr. Mixx "Tha 808 King", Soundmurderer.

Movement was slow to start on Monday—we were so worn out from the previous two days that it was nice to ease into the non-stop party. The Red Bull facility started warming up with ElectroBounce.com DJs Databass on stage, and Detroit dance team the X-Menn huddled in a circle in front practicing for the big dance off later in the evening. Soon the ghetto tech began to pour the club anthems thru the speakers, a crowd formed, and it started going off. The Databass set was surprisingly long, but never boring, with the group switching DJs regularly. Except for the sun shining off the river, it was just like a sweaty night in any hip Detroit club. -- Shannon DeVries

Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts: Just one person actually / Photo credit: ChewerDub

DEMF Beatport Stage
Line-up: Jerry Abstract, Guillaume & the Coutu Dumonts (live), Mathias Kaden (live), Davide Squillace, Lee Burridge, Josh Wink, Dubfire

If you told me that the best set at the festival was going to include a sample from ‘Brick House’, I probably would have laughed you out of the room pre-DEMF. Now, because of Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts’ amazing performance, I have to go around convincing others that it’s true. Such is life. Guillaume’s lead-in to the disco classic was tribal percussion and an impassioned pastor, preaching in time with the beat, which got the weary 2 PM crowd dancing in spite of itself. Playing hand percussion throughout on a drum controller, Guill wowed an audience of all ages—including a grandmother rolling around on a Rascal Scooter. It was that kind of set. Trust me. -- Todd L. Burns

Photos: DEMF Real Detroit Stage <br />DEMF Real Detroit Stage

Kevin Saunderson played the classics / Photo credit: Patty Hyun

DEMF Real Detroit Stage
Line-up: Drew Pompa, Josh Dahlberg (live), Derrick Thompson aka Drivetrain, Twonz, Rich Korach, Derek Plaslaiko, Kevin Saunderson

From Twonz (hard techno) to Paxahau resident Rich Korach (deep house/minimal), The Real Detroit stage on Monday was diverse. Detroit techno pioneer Kevin Saunderson played a predictable but nonetheless fun set full of house and classics, but he was outshone by Detroit ex-pat Derek Plaslaiko, whose mix of techno and acid dragged people from all over Hart Plaza down to the underground stage. I wore my legs out dancing. His set finished on a hometown note: Smokey Robinson’s ‘You Really Got a Hold On Me’, which made for a poignant homage to the Motown era of Detroit and a suitable introduction to Saunderson. -- Elly Rifkin

Photos: DEMF Vitamin Water Stage <br />DEMF Vitamin Water Stage

Cassy sneaks in a spot of Hardwax-approved record filing / Photo credit: Nicole Cussell

DEMF Vitamin Water Stage
Line-up: Rex Sepulveda (live), Cassy, Par Grindvik (live), Cobblestone Jazz (live), Paul Ritch (live), Oscar Mulero, Speedy J (live)

There seemed no better DJ to soundtrack the tired souls gathered around the main stage than Cassy on Monday. Stragglers coming in from the Old Miami party heard a flawless set that flowed from minimal to deep house and back again. Par Grindvik’s melodic laptop performance was up next, but I can’t say much: I found myself bored by his sound palette of pings and pongs and thises, thats and the other things. As such, it was a relief to see Cobblestone Jazz taking over the main stage, whose live show was consistently impressive. Performing without beat maestro Tyger Dhula, the duo was more restrained than usual, but ended with a slow coda that made for an odd, but welcome break from almost everything at the festival—a tempo that went under 100 BPM. -- Todd L. Burns

Accelerate at The Works
Lineup: Zip, Sammy Dee, Daniel Bell, Jan Kruger

Blame it on post-festival exhaustion, but we arrived an hour after the Accelerate party began only to find out that we missed Daniel Bell. Sets by Zip, Sammy Dee and surprise guest Jän Krueger, however, materialized into some of the finest music we heard all weekend. The dark and sweaty back room of The Works was packed to the gills with dancers looking for one last hurrah to end the weekend, while the front room was filled with tired partiers and festival performers scattered all over the floor as if they were at a family picnic. From the inspiring performances to the die-hard fans there (kudos to those of you who were smart enough to miss your flights home for this), the Accelerate party was pure class. Simply put: I fell in love with Perlon all over again. -- Elly Rifkin

Photos: Need I Say More Pt. 3 at Old Miami

Troy Pierce and Ryan Elliott: Their future's so bright, they've got to wear shades / Photo credit: Nicole Cussell

Need I Say More Pt. 3 at Old Miami
Line-up: Jan Krueger, Ryan Crosson, Seth Troxler, Troy Pierce

The Old Miami is a converted VFW Hall with fixtures straight out of Animal House (pool table, bikes, sofas, patches tacked to every conceivable portion of the wall). We finished off the DEMF 2008 out back in a pleasant backyard that looked like it'd had a sordid past, Ghettoblaster beer in hand. In amongst the swings, trees, stone gargoyles (adorned with raver paraphernalia) and what looked like a 1000 pound bomb from the seventies, the crowd warmed to a solid set by Jan Krueger of Hello?Repeat as the sun finally broke though the overcast skies, lifting the dreary cold. Amid 'Nam memorabilia pointing out distances to Saigon and Hanoi, Troy Pierce and Ryan Elliott signposted the way musically with a three-hour back-to-back set of top notch Detroit techno before Krueger and Seth Troxler also joined in on the round robin. Add to that a friendly crowd of party people and NISM was the perfect way to round out the bank holiday weekend. – – Chris Thomarios

Top photo credit: Matt Cohen