From: cms2839@ultb.isc.rit.edu (a.stranger)
Subject: Journey Through the Hardcore [Phase 2] / Detroit, 2 January
Originator: cms2839@ultb
Organization: Minimalist Music for Hyperactive Children (MMHC)
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 23:54:34 GMT

				hmmm . . . sorry to only bring this up
after the fact , but i only got the details after i had left rochester
-- and my net access -- for detroit this solstice break . anyway , here's
how i spent the last day of my vacation . . .

				practically every organization in
detroit which has anything whatsoever to do with techno [ record time ,
panic , unity , voom , tasty , off the record , noir , etc.] , and ,
most notably , KMS records and Hicks productions [who got the ball
rolling] , got together to bring us " phase 2 " of the journey through
the hardcore -- the original being a 2000+ person bash back in october .

				headlining this time around were live
acts Altern 8 , Inner City , Reese Project , Cybersonik , and Carl Craig
of Planet E . DJing were {deep breath} Kevin Saunderson , D. Wynn , Juan
Atkins , Jeff Mills , Richie Rich , Rob Noise , Claude Young , Mike
Huckaby , Inxomniak , Alan Ester , Stacey Hale , Earl McKinney , Rick
Wilhite , D.J. Dangerous , Mark Duncan , Keith Martin , and Eddie
Fowlkes . the show was MC'd by former Fast Forward (R.I.P.) host and
current DJ for Underground Resistance Alan Oldham . 

				the event was , of necessity , i suppose
, *extremely* well publicised , including ads on the local
psuedo-alternative station 89X ( the cutting edge of schlock :b ) and a
full - page , back cover ad in the free entertainment rag Orbit , as
well as posters *everywhere* ( if i can get access to a colour scanner
in rochester , i'll post 'em to one of the .binaries.pictures groups ) .
the only real consolation was that 89X was broadcasting live from
another club with no cover that night , so it kept away some of the X
creatures . nonetheless , a sizeable chunk of the crowd really didn't
seem to be into it -- seeming to be more concerned with how many $3.50
beers they could quaff than what was going on onstage .

				all moaning aside , there were more
intense performances that night than i've ever seen under one roof .
lessee . . .

REESE PROJECT : this little sub - genre [a kind of fusion of gospel/soul
vocals with a techno beat] doesn't really turn me on , but there's no
arguing that Kevin ( Reese ) Saunderson is the master of it . Reese
Project featured three vocalists -- two women and one man , who my
friend Andrea described fairly as " a black George Michael " -- each of
whom stepped out front for one of the three songs they sang . the music
was recorded . 

INNER CITY : similar to Reese Project , except the music was live , the
vocalists were , IMHO , a little stronger , and the beat a little more
hoppin' .

KEVIN SAUNDERSON (DJ) : as i mentioned before , reese's current musical
direction doesn't really move me , but he remains one of the hottest
DJ's in Detroit . Journey Through the Hardcore was , i think , largely
his baby , but he's no armchair promoter .

JUAN ATKINS : along with kevin saunderson and notably absent Derek May ,
one of the three " godfathers of techno " . actually , juan atkins could
arguably be called *the* father of techno . anyway , his DJing was no
disappointment .

ALTERN 8 : the " world's leading rave act " was actually a bit silly
live . just once i would like to see an MC who actually realizes that he
has *nothing to say* ! anyway , if you could ignore the MC and the
rather tired - looking dancers , you were left with a beat that , while
danceable , couldn't compare to :

JEFF MILLS : this guy was *screaming* ! if you hadn't guessed by now ,
my taste in techno leans toward hard(core) , fast , acid , intense . JM
was all of the above , and then some . ideal , in fact , to get the
audience revved up for :

CYBERSONIK : they didn't play long -- actually , i should say they
didn't *mix* long , since the only instruments in evidence were a 909
(?) , a DAT player , and a mixer -- but they were harder and faster than
anything i've heard from them before , or anyone else who played that
night . none of the live acts were available as audio recordings ( the
DJs were ) , but if they recorded that show it would be one of the
hottest releases of the year .

RICHIE RICH : andrea and i both *love* this guy's ( 1/2 of cybersonik )
DJing , so i'm baffled why he chose to spoil it with an MC , who , like
altern 8 , let loose with whatever blather came to his head , most of it
borrowed from Alan Oldham . 

ALAN OLDHAM : for six years , he couldn't say " fuck " on the air , so
now he's gotta let it ALL out . . . :)=

				anyone else notice the amount of pot lit
after the altern 8 MC started saying " i wanna get high . . . " ? 

				ok , i bitched and moaned a lot , but it
was an incredible show . Jeff Mills and Cybersonik *alone* would have
been worth the cost of admission , but to get Juan Atkins , Kevin
Saunderson , etc. thrown in as well . . . 

-- 
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