The greatest things about Movement Detroit

For many underground music lovers, Movement Detroit is the best North American event of the year. Every Memorial Day weekend at Hart Plaza the techno elite congregate at the genre's birthplace, bringing a special energy that is completely exclusive to the city. The rich history and appreciation for the festival is palpable in the air, where attendees walk across the same exact grounds that hosted the first Detroit Electronic Music Festival 17 years ago.

Carl Craig once proudly proclaimed on stage: “Detroit, it fulfills your spirit, it fulfills your musical needs. Movement Detroit... this is paradise!" The wise words from the city’s icon hold an undeniable truth, something every attendee has felt while dancing amidst the crowd, blissfully immersed in Detroit’s essence. From the atmosphere to the line-ups to the people you meet, there's a lot to look forward to. Here are some of the greatest things about Movement Detroit.

One of the most beautiful things about music festivals are the eclectic crowds they bring. But there's only one true city of techno, and accordingly, Detroit's three-day event carries a special type of spirit that attracts a highly seasoned, more passionate demographic. While many other events host a large percentage of people attending for the prospect of partying and exploring what’s on trend, Movement's haven draws a clean flow of purists that plays more like a religious gathering.

These super-fans come from all corners of the world: from every era, every age, every profession and every style. It's where newcomers eagerly absorb the stories of rave veterans and people from opposite sides of the globe revel together in the legacy of techno, where fans two decades apart can discuss their favorite artists in mutual respect. Detroit is where someone decked out in kandi can high five someone in full-sleek techno black knowing confidently that they’re on the same page.

Between the incredible festival line-up and countless artists who love to pay homage to Detroit, about everyone in underground royalty is present for the duration of Movement. The pre- and afterparty scene during the city’s Memorial Day weekend is just as big as the festival itself and the artist rosters bring events that are otherwise unheard of. There’s the world famous Old Miami, which more often than not has Seth Troxler at the door every year collecting cover fees. Paradigm’s annual events have brought the likes of Damian Lazarus, Skream, Maceo Plex, Thugfucker, DJ Three and Francesca Lombardo all on one night, while Soul Clap’s anniversary House of Efunk will have Josh Wink, Kyle Hall, Stacey Pullen and Jay Daniel sharing the decks this year.

For 2017, some of Movement’s standout parties will be an after-event with Richie Hawtin and The Belleville Three, another with DVS1, Ø and Tommy Four Seven and a classic Detroit Love celebration with Carl Craig and Moodymann.

She may not be a part of the official itinerary, but Grandma Techno is as much a part of Movement Detroit’s culture as the individuals heading the Main Stage. More than just a typical festival-goer, she's a concrete symbol of music's unifying, completely non-discriminating magic. Patricia Lay-Dorsey is the 73-year old techno lover who has been attending the seminal event for over a decade. The stalwart fan has been a professional photographer for years, but at Movement you’ll most likely see her dancing beside her mobile scooter with an ear-to-ear smile on across her face.

Detroit is home to the no-smoke-and-mirror type locations that are perfectly fitting for the underground culture in celebration. Hot and sweaty and beautifully gritty, housing deafening sounds between shaking walls, the Movement crowd knows there's little need for luxury embellishments and over-the-top add-ons.

There's Assemble Sound, an abandoned German church build in the 1800s that now acts as a music studio exclusively reserved for special events. The Detroit Masonic Temple, the largest temple of its kind since the 1900s with a 16-story ritual building, has hosted Dubfire, Tale Of Us, Richie Hawtin and Kraftwerk at its nearly pitch-black basement space. The historic Leland Ballroom, once an extravagant social space has morphed into a haunting underground venue where the walls literally drip with heat.

At the core of Movement Detroit is the best music in the world, played by the best artists in the world. As the birthplace of the techno genre, there is a moral responsibility to bring nothing less than 100 per cent to Detroit. This year, deadmau5 will be bringing his techno alter-ego testpilot to the stage for the first time since he performed alongside Richie Hawtin in 2014. Carl Craig plans to showcase his Versus Synthesizer Ensemble, an orchestral techno adaption he's been developing for the last nine years.

Every performer knows they have to be on their A-game, there is no room for any lack of spirit or force and it’s completely evident. Think of the best set you’ve ever heard, multiply it by ten and span it across the duration of an entire weekend - that’s Movement.

[Photos: Bryan Mitchell / Tanya Moutzalias / Mark Hicks / Dean Paul / Christopher Soltis / Amin KO Beydoun]

Sydney is Mixmag's US Digital Content Editor. Follow her on Twitter here