The Dos and Don’ts of Movement

re you a Movement newbie? Don't know the difference between Jersey Club and Jersey Shore? We asked Adriel Thorton, a fixture on the Detroit dance music scene, to help guide the uninitiated into the techno waters.

DO…

know that Detroit techno is its own genre. “If you go to a record store in the UK, there’s a Detroit techno section,” Thornton says. “This is the place where the sound originated.”

DON’T…

confuse it with other genres. Detroit techno is specific. “There’s a clear difference between house and techno. House’s roots are in disco and soul, but techno’s roots are in synthesized sounds-like Kraftwerk-mixed with soul and funk,” Thornton says.

DON’T…

call it EDM. EDM-elec- tronic dance music-is the kind of upbeat music played on Top 40 radio: Think Zedd, Calvin Har- ris and the like. Thornton says. “Within the scene, real technoheads define EDM as more cheesy, more mainstream.”

DON’T…

ask the DJ for requests. Electronic DJs create moods and music, but they’re not the kind of DJs who play songs back- to-back at your wedding. Thornton says. “You’re not going to hear a Ri- hanna song.”

DO…

wear comfortable shoes and clothing. “And per- sonally, girls-don’t wear those stupid fuzzy boots. Don’t come all too candied out, with all the candy necklaces everywhere. Oh, and glow sticks-they’re just really tired.” 

DO…

get plenty of sleep between the days of the festival. “There’s nothing worse than pooping out each day. Come with a good attitude, and get ready to have some fun.”

DON’T…

be cheap. “Don’t try to sneak in, and don’t try to sneak in your own beverages and food. It’s im- portant you support the event,” Thornton says.

DO…

check out Detroit techno at places that play the genre. TV Lounge, Whiskey Disco and Bleu in Detroit, and Grasshopper in Ferndale, are where electronic music fans congregate if you need an intro to the genre.