Spastik- Plastikman (Dubfire Rework)

Richie Hawtin’s reign as one of the world’s best DJs dates back to the year 1990. Over the last twenty years, he has won numerous awards: Greatest DJ of All Time, Best International DJ, Best Techno DJ, Best Live Act (Plastikman), Best DJ Innovator, and Best New Media Work. In the early 90’s he was an influential part of Detriot techno’s second wave of artists. By the mid-90’s, he was the leading figure of Minimal Techno and was best known for his abstract, minimal works under the alias Plastikman, a pseudonym he still uses today. Hawtin was at the forefront of incorporating laptops and digital mixing equipment into his live sets.

At the age of nine, Richie’s family moved across the pond, from England to LaSalle, Ontario (right across the river from Detroit). His father was a robotics technician and a knowledgeable fan of electronic music. Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream were often played in the Hawtin household. Richie began DJing in the Detroit clubs at the ripe age of 17 with a young palate that mixed house and techno.

With Canadian DJ John Acquaviva, he formed the label Plus 8 in 1990 to release his own tracks under the name F.U.S.E. He spent part of 2002 and 2003 living in New York City, and has since moved to Berlin, Germany. He said,

“I’d always wanted to move to Europe. I needed somewhere that was inspiring and where there were like-minded musicians and artists, somewhere you could still experiment with music and with life. Berlin is so liberal in so many different ways; there’s an amazing club scene, there’s a great development software tech scene, there are so many resources here.”

Since then, Hawtin has released music under aliases: Plastikman, F.U.S.E., Concept 1, Forcept 1, Circuit Breaker, Robotman, Chrome, Spark, Xenon, R.H.X., Jack Master, Richard Michaels, and UP!.

In 2010, Hawtin decided to bring Plastikman back into the public.

“I’ve watched a lot of live electronic shows recently and was really uninspired. Like any genre, techno has become quite commercial now that it’s got so huge. I felt it needed something heavier, darker and more intense [so I resurrected Plastikman].”

Though many of Plastikman’s tunes are 15+ years old, there is still a timelessness to them. Spastik and Helikopter still sound far ahead of today’s mire of minimal techno.

“I think I occupy this weird position between being popular and underground,” Richie continues. “I didn’t want this to be just some underground thing because what I want to achieve needs to work on a larger scale. This is why I’ve had a so called “schizophrenic year”. I’ve been alternating between the two personae of Plastikman and DJing as Richie Hawtin.”

Richie Hawtin has gone on step further to enhance his live set by created a new (free) iPhone/iPod app called SYNK. This is an experiment in audience-performer interaction, blurring the lines of perception and participation. SYNK users will participate in an experiment in audience-performer interaction aiming to blur the lines of perception and participation. They will connect to the PLASTIKMAN Wi-Fi network available at each show, and after being notified by a vibration triggered by certain moments in the performance, be able to contribute and interact by reorganizing word samples, viewing the venue from the Plastikman perspective, and seeing the realtime programming of the drum and percussive elements and effects. Be sure to download this app before hitting the Zoo Plastikman will be playing at the Zoo on Friday and Richie Hawtin will be performing on Sunday. Get excited! And Click here for more info about the iPhone/iPod app.

Festival season is officially upon us, and lot’s of events this year are looking to expand. This includes Made Event’s annual celebration of all things dance music, Electric Zoo, which has added a third day to their weekend extravaganza that will take Labor Day weekend, September 2-4, 2011. The line-up is as follows:

Friday, September 2

☛ Main Stage: Moby (DJ set), Benny Benassi, Rusko, Tiga, AN21 & Ma Vangeli

☛ Hilltop Arena: Richie Hawtin Presents Plastikman (Live), MSTRKRFT, Felguk, Gareth Emery, Markus Schultz, Robbie Rivera

☛ Carl Cox & Friends Take Over Sunday School: Carl Cox, Loco Dice, Joris Voorn & Nic Fanciulli (B2B), Victor Calderone

☛ Red Bull Music Academy Riverside: Crookers, Martin Solveig, Bart B More, Busy P, Feed Me, SebastiAn

Saturday, September 3

☛ Main Stage: David Guetta, Above & Beyond, Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77, John Digweed, Sander Can Doorn, Sub Focus

☛ Hilltop Arena: Ferry Corsten, ATB, Andy Moor, Dirty South Joachim Garraud, Mat Zo, Sean Tyas & Simon Patterson (B2B), Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano

☛ Sunday School Grove: Luciano, Danny Tenaglia, Carl Craig, Chris Liebing, James Holden, Steve Bug

☛ Red Bull Music Academy Riverside: Skrillex, Super Smash Bros, 12th Planet, Beardyman, Kid Sister, Porter Robinson, Tommy Lee & DJ Aero

Sunday, September 4

☛ Main Stage: Armin Van Buuren, Afrojack, Chromeo, DJ Snoopadelic, Calvin Harris

☛ Hilltop Arena: Boys Noize, Diplo, Big Gigantic, Carte Blanche, Excision & Datsik, Fake Blood, Jack Beats, MiMOSA

☛ Sunday School Grove: Richie Hawtin, Dubfire, Gui Boratto, Guy Gerber, Ida Engberg, Nicolas Jaar (Live)

☛ Red Bull Music Academy Riverside: Infected Mushroom, Gabriel & Dresden, Arty, EDX, Hardwell, Kyau & Albert, Mark Knight

More artists TBA!

Payment Plans

Passes to the festival can be purchased HERE. This year, Electric Zoo is also offering a payment plan for those who would prefer to not pay the full sum all at once. This payment plan contains two options. The first payment option allows you to pay a 50% deposit of your order total upon purchase of the pass, plus service fees, with the remaining 50% automatically deducted from your card on August 1, 2011. The second option allows you to pay 30% of your order total plus service fees as your first payment, with the remaining total automatically deducted in equal payments on July 1st and August 1st 2011.

Dust Reduction

Electric Zoo will also be making efforts to reduce dust this year, as the dancing and frolicking of 25,000 pairs of feet coupled with the unusually dry summer took a toll last year, and by the end of the day, the grass had been trampled and a lot of dirt had been kicked up into the air.

Here’s a list of things they’ve put in place to reduce the dust:

• Flooring will be used in all of the tents. This means that where all that dancing is going on, the grass will be protected and dirt won’t be kicked up.
• Dirt service roads will be covered with flooring. As our crew travels in golf carts and other vehicles to get from place to place around the perimeter of the festival grounds, there’ll be far less dirt stirred up.
• Making use of existing pavement for high traffic areas, including the area directly in front of the main stage. The main stage will be moved back this year in order to create more space. This will mean that a large area directly in front of the main stage will now be situated on pavement rather than grass. So when you “tear up the dancefloor” in front of the main stage, you’ll no longer be tearing up grass and kicking up dirt at the same time

They’ve also hired lawn specialists to consult with and work with Randall’s Island Park to improve on the maintenance of the field and to get it as healthy as possible before Electric Zoo.

Check out our coverage of last year’s Electric Zoo HERE, and stay tuned for more information and updates from us as the event draws closer!

Paxahau, producers of the Movement Electronic Music Festival in Detroit have announced the 105 acts scheduled to perform May 28, 29, and 30 in downtown Detroit’s Hart Plaza. Discounted presale $60 weekend passes are now available HERE. The full line-up is as follows:

Ever since electronic music first began to take hold of ears, hearts, and feet all over the United States, Europe, and beyond in the 1980’s, the practice of experiencing electronic music as a collective as often been viewed as akin to a religious experience. The club is a church, the DJ a priest, the dancing masses the worshippers, and the beat the sermon. It is therefore only appropriate that Made Event’s 36-hour event during Miami Music Week be entitled Sunday School; a place where children go to learn the ways of religion in an informal setting. And aren’t we all just that – children refusing to grow up, coming together to worship the gospel of house and techno in the safe haven of like-minded revelers.

Sunday School: The Lost Weekend took place at the Ice Palace in downtown Miami, otherwise known as the middle of what seemed to be abandoned warehouse buildings, deserted train tracks, and the occasional highly suspicious looking figure hustling the street corners. But no matter, for once inside the outside walls of the event space that consisted of an outdoor area and two stages, all memory of the outside world simply melted away. Seven or so hours disappeared in the blink of an eye on Friday night, as bodies, minds, and hearts all moved in sync to the rhythm of the thundering basslines emanating from the stacks of Funktion One’s guarding the corners of the rooms.

At Stage 1, D.I.M., Tiga and Spank Rock all gave exhilarating performances, catering to those more interested in the electro and house end of the spectrum. It was however Boys Noize that truly stole the show, mixing old favorites from his Oi Oi Oi and Power albums with some of the seriously wicked acid that he’s been displaying a preference for lately. Next door at The Lobby, those more inclined toward straight techno were spoiled by an incredible live set from Gaiser, who reacted perfectly and intuitively to every shift in the audience, which at this point in the night was little more than a heaving, grinning, beat driving organism. Friday night peaked at around 4:30am, when Richie Hawtin stepped in and pushed it just that extra inch, carrying every single person in the place with him to the absolute brink of the human-meets-techno experience. His set was hard and loud, but the crowd was more than prepared for it, meeting his every manipulation of sound with one of the body. And that was only the first night.

It quickly became apparent that Sunday was best taken on as a marathon, not a sprint, given that the majority of the attendees had barely slept, eaten, or sat down for that matter, in a good three or four days. It was therefore incredibly well played on the part of Made Event to have both Victor Calderone and Luciano playing extended sets during the wee hours of the morning, allowing merrymakers who had not been home for quite some time (and who had no intention of going there) to take breaks in the cool morning grass without missing anything heartbreakingly crucial. That is not to say that these artists were anything less than extraordinary, with Luciano in particular delivering one hell of a set, packing the dancefloor of Stage 1 as night slowly began to turn into day.

With the hot Miami sun rising higher and higher, the music began to diversify a bit, moving away from the steady pace of the night’s techno toward more melody driven artists, some of whom even incorporated live instruments and vocals. Benoit & Sergio, tINI, and No Regular Play all delivered the perfect blend of deep house on the outdoor Terrance, providing an ideal soundtrack for the adjustment to the rays of the sun after the cool, dark night. Inside, Nicolas Jaar performed with a full live band, which provided just the right brief respite from the consistent 4×4 beat that otherwise permeated the space. Although focusing primarily on album material, Jaar and his band still kept the sound fresh, experimenting with live manipulations and synching the electronics with the live drum patterns. For those still on the techno train, Steve Bug and Better Lost Than Stupid kept the energy going well into the day, with The Lobby area in particular never emptying, despite the levels of heat and physical exertion.

In retrospect, the entire experience seems a bit unreal, in the way that such incredible and special events centered around the experience of one moment in time always do. After a good night’s sleep, a full meal, and reversion to regular life these experiences can begin to seem very far away. However, until we can return to Sunday School and lose another weekend in Miami next year, we can study the teachings of our musical priests in our own private lives. I know I for one never cease to worship the temple of electronic beats, even for one single day.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL PHOTO GALLERY.

I personally can’t imagine anything better than dancing under the hot Miami sun to beats from some of the greatest DJs and producers in the world. Add to this my never-ending desire to keep the party going, and I can’t imagine anything better than Made Event’s Sunday School. This 36 hour party at the Ice Palace will take place from this Friday March 25 through Sunday the 27. The line-up is beyond incredible, featuring some of the best house, techno, and electro artists of the moment from all over the world (see flyer below).

This is sure to be the party of the week, so don’t miss out on this incredible event. Tickets can be purchased HERE for either the entire 36 hours, the first 12 hours, or the last 24 hours, depending on your stamina. Check out shots from last year’s Sunday School HERE, and we’ll see you in Miami!

How do we even begin to describe the magical technoverse that was Electric Zoo’s take over of Randall’s Island this past weekend? How do we communicate the incredible vibe of unity, spirits so high everyone seemed to be floating, and the general sensation that the 50,000 or so people who flocked to the festival grounds were part of one big organism bonded by their common mission to dance and laugh and then dance some more? I suppose we should start at the beginning, when both Saturday and Sunday dawned warm and clear, and thousands of brightly colored revelers donned their face paint, grabbed their dancing shoes, and boarded the bus or ferry to the island, which had been transformed throughout the past week into something akin to Alice’s Wonderland – had she been a raver child. Four massive tents were strategically placed across a field of lush grass, making up the four different stages of the festival: the Main Stage, Redbull Music Academy Riverside Stage, Hilltop Arena, and Sunday School Grove.  In addition to these were the VIP and Media tent, as well as multiple bars, food outlets, and art installations, all set against the magnificent backdrop of the skyline in the distance. Over the span of two days, the festival featured over 60 DJs and producers from all corners of the globe, each of whom brought something unique and extraordinary when they stepped behind the DJ booth. Due to this overabundance of talent, we’ve pulled out our favorites from the bunch, as well as provided you with a glimpse into the minds of a few select artists that The HiFi Cartel was lucky enough to chat with during the course of the festival.

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With Electric Zoo Festival only a few days away, we over at The HiFi Cartel are prepping ourselves in every way possible for what promises to be a truly epic weekend brimming with colorful adventures into the world of electronic music – our favorite kind. While constructing outrageous outfits and buying lot’s of sunscreen are definitely high on our list of to-dos, there is nothing more important than ensuring that the most is made of the incredible array of talent that the good people over at Made Event have blessed us with. With the festival featuring two full days of the best DJs and producers from around the world, navigating your way through this delightful beat driven wonderland can be a bit daunting to say the least, and if you’re anything like us, fear of missing out can quickly become crippling paranoia without a little organization. With that in mind, we’ve put together a brief guide featuring our favorite must-see artists to help you maneuver through the madness. Take a deep breath, here we go…

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You have roughly six hours left to purchase discounted Electric Zoo tickets at $107, and given the most recent additions to the line-up, you’d have to be out of town, out of cash, or out of your mind to miss New York City’s biggest annual music event.

While last year’s line-up was almost all house, this year, Made Event is expanding the festival to include more sectors of electronic music, adding dubstep, electro, experimental, and more. In addition to the previously announced headliners, Flying Lotus, Bassnectar, Boys Noize, A-Trak, Major Lazer, Rusko, Wolfgang Gartner, Diplo, Steve Aoki, Aeroplane and Afrojack are among those that will grace Randall’s Island with their musical touch this Labor Day Weekend. Keep checking the official website (and The HiFi Cartel, of course) for the latest updates on the line-up – and trust us, there is plenty more to come.

CLICK HERE to purchase your early bird passes, and don’t forget, the prices will go up TONIGHT at midnight. Check out photos of Day 1 and Day 2 of the inaugural Electric Zoo by Oliver Correa and Kenroy George, and check in with us later this summer for your chance to win tickets to this massive blow-out.

If you’re looking for one last hurrah this summer, look no further than the Electric Zoo, New York’s biggest electronic music festival happening this labor day weekend. The massive line-up of over 50 artists includes Armin Van Buuren, Steve Aoki, Danny Tenaglia, Ben Watt and Deadmau5 on Saturday; David Guetta, Richie Hawtin, ATB, Steve Bug and Markus Schulz are playing on Sunday.

The festival, which will take place at NYC’s own Randall’s Island Park, is easily accessible by public transportation. Tickets are still available, $70 for single day passes and $130 for both days. For more information or to view the set times, visit the Electric Zoo’s official website.

Two phenomenal & unique back to back performances celebrating 10 years of the Exit Festival, featuring four of the world’s biggest DJs. Hour one features Richie Hawtin & Dubfire going ‘click to click’ on a vast array of laptops and samplers and mixers. And hour two brings together Locodice with Cocoon regular Magda.

Be sure to catch Richie Hawtin at the Electric Zoo Festival September 6th.

Richie Hawtin & Dubfire, Magda & Locodice – Essential Mix

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