Against The Grain - “Road Warriors” CD

Revved-up Motor City rawk!

The fourth album from this veteran Detroit rock band pulses with energy and attitude, equal parts punk rock, sludge metal, and Kiss. Frontman Chris Nowak’s melodic but sometimes gruff vocals do echo prime Gene Simmons in spots, thus that comparison. I get a genuine sense of classic rock here, with a blend of sludgy heaviness, breakneck speed metal, and a “party-on” sense of fun.

“Sirens” is a well-executed slab of boggy boogie/doom metal that just sounds dirty (and that’s a good thing here). “Eyes” even recalls some Black Sabbath, so you know where these guys are coming from. My favorite track is “Run For Your Life”, a furiously fast speed-punk-metal assault that just slays. 

Overall, a solid, unpretentious case of serious rock and roll, raw and gritty and worthy of their heritage as Detroit rock city denizens. Killer, dudes!

ATGDetroitbook

Self Destructo Records

“High Tech Soul - The Creation Of Techno Music” DVD (director: Gary Bredow)

Superb chronicle of Detroit techno

Director Bredow does a glorious job chronicling the often sadly-neglected history of Detroit techno music — a scene that has spearheaded entire genres of music and inspired thousands of DJs, composers, and artists for decades now. Interviewing nearly every scene luminary, we get to see the faces behind this often-anonymous genre of electronic music. Names like Juan Atkins, Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson, Eddie Flashin’ Fowlkes, Carl Craig, Richie Hawtin, Jeff Mills, Kenny Larkin, Stacey Pullen, and tons more are featured here, inextricably linked by Detroit’s burnt-out industrial landscapes and a need to express themselves with often-primitive technology. 

It’s relatively brief (lasting just a wee bit over an hour in length), but “High Tech Soul” pinpoints just where this “alien electronica” originates from, as the genre’s forefathers were listening to old-school Kraftwerk, Afrika Bambaataa, and George Clinton records, as well as other oddities wrangled from used record bins and merging that with thumping robotic rhythms and hypnotically soulful flourishes.

Truly, this is an essential history lesson for fans of Detroit’s techno scene. Enlightening, entertaining, and fun, “High Tech Soul” is a must-see for any electronic music aficionado.

MVD Visual

"Blowing Fuses Left & Right - The Legendary Detroit Rock Interviews" DVD

Collection of raw interviews with Stooges, MC5 legends

This lengthy (3 hour) disc is a collection of full-length interviews conducted in 1988 by a young writer fascinated by the legendary Detroit rock scene of the late 60s/early 70s. These interviews are raw and taken from old VHS tapes, but the quality is fine, and there are some fascinating conversations with some now-departed legends.

Beginning with a long interview with Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton, the disc also features extended interviews with MC5 mainman Rob Tyner, as well as MC5 drummer Dennis Thompson. The interviewer (Gil Magulis) coaxes many untold stories from these guys, and to any serious fan, this should be a must-see. 

MVD Visual

Iggy & The Stooges site

MC5 site

John Tejada & Josh Humphrey - "Pulse Locker" EP

In the spirit of the great techno DJs of Detroit, LA artists Tejada and Humphrey have unleashed a killer set of 3 minimalist beat-pulses that harken back to techno, trance, and acid's early days, while remaining crisp and clubby enough for today's more forward-thinking clubs. 

The title track is a bouncy minimal techno piece, while "Bifur Gates" brings a heavier, more insistent beat-pulse, reminiscent of Richie Hawtin's heyday to my relatively untrained techno ears. "Unanimous Arc" brings an old-school acid feel, with straight-forward beats and trippy, blippy electronic sequences. This is club music the way it used to be, and solid work it is, too. The extra 4th track, "Femto Frames" (available through Beatport), is a lighter, ambient-leaning bit of post-Orb electronica, and an ideal closer.

Some fine work here, definitely a well-done set of tunes for fans of the minimalist Detroit scene and beyond.

(Palette Recordings via Beatport)