As if the festival weren’t enough, Memorial Day weekend in Detroit plays host to a slew of back-to-back-to-back afterparties, drawing even more artists than the festival lineup can hold. Though our feet throbbed and our backs ached, we made our way through the lot of them – some staples like Circoloco and Need I Say More at Old Miami, and some that are just establishing Detroit traditions like Life and Death. We’ll admit some parts are blurry, but here are our picks for top six (from what we remember) at the afterparties in Detroit.

Written by Gaby Izarra, Jessica Hruska and Stephanie Fundora; Featured photo of James Holden at Life and Death

6. San Proper at The Endgame; May 27
T’was a cold and soggy Monday filled with disheartened partygoers trying to decide if/where to spend their last day getting soaked for beats. We opted to head for the shelter of TV Bar once again, and it was probably one of the best decisions we made all trip. San Proper took the decks following Hector and instantly lit up the patio with his radiant energy. Upbeat feel-good tunes had the crowd giddily dancing themselves dry. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, BAM! He busts out a killer “Thriller” remix that sent a jolt of energy through an already riled up dance floor. That moment (and his set in general) was a definite highlight of the weekend for many. –SF

5. Andrew Grant at Circoloco; May 25
A getaway from the cold, Andrew Grant transformed TV Lounge’s dark and intimate main room into the ultimate bunker spewing driving tech consistent with that of the party brand Circoloco. It was an uplifting end to the night and start of a long yet fierce morning. This video provides hardly any visuals and terrible sound but what else can you expect from a dark, loud afterhours? – GI

4. Jon Gaiser – live at Jak Attack; May 25
My friend had been raving about Gaiser for so long that I was nervous he wouldn’t live up to expectation. That was a fleeting thought. Like many of the M_nus artists, Gaiser unleashes the primal instincts hidden deep within our loins when he plays music. He’s a true musician in the sense that his performance was very well musically structured yet captured our imaginations with brilliant improvisation techniques. Gaiser really plays to the crowd and the setting, which happened to be a dark, dungy building known as City Club. As quoted from a fan on Facebook, “The ability of this artist plays with your mind. I cannot explain it.” Gaiser may have played with our minds but we liked it. -JH

3. Three b2b D’julz at The Endgame; May 27
Monday’s relentless rain gave way to a very special -unplanned- surprise, Three and D’Julz tagging at Endgame, TV Bar. Both were originally intended to play the same set times, Three in the Red Room and D’Julz in the patio; but due to weather conditions the patio was closed early, which resulted in one of the most impressive and nostalgic back-to-back sets we witness the entire time in Detroit. Playing throwback jams like Terry Francis’ “Took from me” and Doc Martins “Just As”, the two took us on a trip in the Delorean to retro deep tech-house land. Normally we like to capture a bit of the magic on video to share with you all, but this was one set that is better left in the memories of those present that night. –SF

2. Ben UFO b2b Gerd Jansen at Need I say More, Old Miami; May 27
Even as the rain pounded down on the Need I Say More party at Old Miami Monday afternoon, Ben UFO back-to-back with Gerd Jansen kept the flame lit while true fans soaked up the storm. They ripped favorites like Joy O’s “Big Room Tech House DJ Tool – TIP!” and in true Detroit fashion, the guys finish with Kevin Saunderson and Inner City’s 1988 classic “Big Fun”. – GI

1. James Holden at the Life and Death Showcase; May 26
It was an intimate affair – almost private. Most were upstairs catching Tale of Us during the Life and Death showcase in Detroit, but what I’ll call the ‘James Holden experience’ drew me to the bunker basement of St. Andrews Hall. Only his silhouette shone through a showerhead of lasers, but Holden kept us absorbed with pace-changes and intricate synths and sounds. Like if he could sense what we wanted, he started off with Four Tet’s “For These Times” and nearly concluding with Atoms For Peace “Before Your Very Eyes”. – GI

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Joe Gamp, London – United Kingdom – 3 hours, 1 minute ago

Funkyzeit are preparing to host the likes of legendary French house man D’Julz for their next party on the 17th May in London. Fresh from their original home of Crucifix Lane and heading Red Gallery, it makes perfect sense to invite Bass Culture Records’ honcho to headline this landmark event. Joined on the night by Oli Low and John Swing, Oli chooses his top 5 tracks from the legendary French imprint to get us all in the spirit…

Jon Jastszebski – Clock

Lovely deep warm-up track by Jon Jastzebski, a young Frenchman with a lot of promise.

MR G – GOT THAT SWING

Mr G is without doubt one of the most interesting producers around at the moment, there’s an incredible groove to everything he does.

D’JULZ – FOFOCA

The Bass Culture boss showing us how it’s done. D’Julz is an incredibly talented producer, each track has that inimitable rolling sound that keeps people dancing.

RYAN ELLIOT + ANALOGUE COPS – GENTLEMAN

Massive collaboration between two artists we have a lot of respect for. A peak time banger.

MR G – SUNDAY BLUES (KASPER REMIX)

This track pretty much sums up the sound of FunkyZeit, music for dancing to!

Funkyzeit present: D’julz
Friday, 17 May 2013
11pm – 6.30am
The Red Gallery

Tickets

Listen to Bass Culture on Pulse Radio.

Taking place every Monday at DC-10, Circoloco is one of the summer Ibiza season’s most infamous parties. The theme this year is “Circoloco Lifestyle.”

This time around they’ve managed to drum up some rare appearances, including melancholic techno head Robag Wruhme, Panorama Bar regular Mano Le Tough and techno vet Aril Brikha. Circoloco repeat guests Damian Lazarus, Kerri Chandler, Dubfire, The Martinez Brothers and all three Apollonia DJs have been booked as well.

And of course, the party residents will be out in full force, which means Tania Vulcano, DJ W!ld, Davide Squillace, Matthias Tanzmann and more are all set to spin.

 

Next Appearances ..

Mon 24.06.13 D’julz @ Circoloco – DC10

Mon 22.07.13 D’julz @ Circoloco DC10

We welcome D’Julz to this week’s Source to Cycle podcast, a Parisian master who has been producing and DJing since the mid-90s. From setting up his Bass Culture record label and parties at the cities Rex Club, D’Julz has come far over the years, recording for labels like Ovum, Real Tone, Rekids, Mobilee and 2020 Vision, and he remains a highly respected DJ on the circuit.

When taking a look at our (not-so-intimate anymore) niche group of underground music, we can count hundreds of artists who have come and gone throughout the times, which is why our appreciation for long-standing French DJ/producer Julien Veniel, better known as D’Julz, is so great.

His ability to stay relevant for more than 20 years in this ever-changing industry has resulted in releases on esteemed labels such as Ovum, 20:20 Vision, Dessous, Pokerflat, Safari, Real Tone, Get Physical, Mobilee, Rekids, Systematic and 100% Pure, as well as the birth of his own label, Bassculture. And there is still plenty of fresh steam left in that engine. D’Julz recently released a new EP, Special Day, on Circus Company and is in the midst of gearing up for a few stacked events this Winter Music Conference in Miami. The seasoned artist sat down with mybeatFix to discuss the above and answer a few of our own personal inquiries.

You are one of the few “veterans” of the industry, having a musical career of 20+ years. How do you keep from becoming jaded in today’s heavily saturated market?
I’m still pasionate about what I do, that’s the key to last. It’s impossible to lie about that. However, today’s market is much more difficult compared to how it was when I started. Now you need to stay constantly in the forefront of things and promote yourself a lot — which isn’t something I’m a natural at. So I’m learning this and surounding myself with people who are very good at it.

Speaking of being a “vet,” your Bassculture party series at Rex Club is the longest consistently running party in dance history. Longevity is a hard thing to attain in this industry, so this is quite an accomplishment. How have you managed to keep the vibe going strong for so many years?
Again, I’m as excited today about this night than I was the first year. I try to keep it fresh , constantly searching for new talents to invite but also not forgetting to bring my old favorite djs , (trendy or not) regulary . I’m very picky . I dont compromise and I trust my gut. So far it has worked for the success of this night.

You recently released a new EP, Special Day, on fellow Parisian label, Circus Company. How does this EP compare to your earlier productions? How has your sound evolved?
It’s very hard to say, I don’t think it has evolved that much. I’ve always mixed all my different influences and different production techniques. Also, I go with my mood – sometimes the tracks are deeper , sometimes more uplifting or harder, but that’s been the case since I stared producing. I can’t repeat the same formula over and over. Sure my sound evolves and I hope improves too, but my style stays rooted in deep house and techno. In both or somewhere in between.

We spoke of the over-saturated market in terms of artists, but this affects the fan base as well. And it’s no secret that many of these new “fans” are oblivious to many of your musical contributions to the scene. How do you reintroduce yourself to these new audiences when playing?
I always do my thing. If the younger crowds likes it, it’s amazing and I feel very blessed to have a timeless sound, because lasting is the hardest thing to achieve in any artistic environment. But there is no secret nor master-plan behind it.

A few weeks ago you played at the new highly praised “underground” club in Brooklyn, Output. How did that gig differ/compare to your gigs in the early 90′s when you first ventured out into the NYC scene?
Nothing will be like the New-york of the 90′s. It was a unique period for the nightlife of this city. It was the world capital of House music. However, I feel there is a positive energy coming back to the New York scene. It’s the start of a new cycle, Output could be at the center of it. It’s the club NYC needed since Twilo or Arc closed.

We saw you play an amazing set at Old Miami in Detroit last year. How does the vibe differ at more “intimate” parties like Old Miami and Output, to the larger “big room house” parties which jump-started your career?
Thanks! That was a very fun party to play. I’m very grateful Seth and Ryan asked me to play. It was my first time ever in Detroit too, so that made it even more special. Every gig is different, I like to adapt to different environments every time, it’s a big part of the fun for me. Not only reading the crowd but feeling the room, the sound. I can have as much fun in a huge dark room or in a sunny garden party like that. When the vibe is right, the vibe is right.

One of our highlights from your set at Old Miami was when you dropped “Live From Dade County” by our good friend, Jesse Perez. It was really refreshing to see an artist of your caliber playing a track from a someone who, at the time, was still considered a breakthrough artist. Do you normally seek out tracks from up-incomers?
I play a lot of Jesse Perez’s tracks, perfect party tracks that never fail to burn the floor. Of course I always seek up and coming talents! That’s a big part of a real DJ work, no?

The Winter Music Conference in Miami is quickly approaching, can we expect to hear more “Miami-influenced” tracks, like Live From Dade County”, from you while there?
Maybe, but I never plan ahead my sets. Each party will be different, so my sets should be.

You are playing at Miami’s beloved Electric Pickle for the Gipsy Music Agency & Half-Baked Records WMC closing party, but for those that don’t want to wait til the end of conference, can we catch you anywhere else while in town?
Yes, so far I will also be playing the 21st for the Behrouz after party, the 23rd for Circus Compagny showcase at the Station and maybe for the Sunset boat party.