The Likes of You pres Derrick May

[russell]

If this was a week later i'd have hit that shit up.....

Friday 27 April 2012

Ambar

Doors open 10pm

The Likes of You very proudly brings you one of the kings of Detroit techno and the Belleville Three’s ‘Elevator’, Derrick May.

Derrick May

May's narrative is wedged into electronic music folklore. The story goes that in the mid '80s, May - also known as Rhythim is Rhythim, joined forces with Kevin Saunderson and Juan Atkins (who became known as the Belleville Three) to fashion a completely new genre of music that, today, we all take for granted.

May is credited with shaping and steering house music's future. The Belleville Three tested the limits of electronic music and changed it forever. Call May a visionary - the music now commonly known as 'techno', is May's invention.

It all started in 1987 when May released Nude Photo, which helped propel the Detroit techno music scene and gradually infiltrate the European acid house mantra. In 1988, house music nirvana arrived when the Detroit native produced the ultimate record, Strings of Life - so named by house prodigy Frankie Knuckles. May's ability to connect what is in his head with the feelings of what is on the dance floor is known the world over - his dedication to perfection is celebrated.

His production and solo recording exploits may have halted over the past decade but his legacy has rolled on throughout the years, thanks to numerous remixes, re-works and collaborations with some of the most experimental musicians going, including Depeche Mode and ABC.

What makes a Derrick May DJ set so uniquely exceptional is his ability to intermingle genres, taking records of years past and making them work in today's crowded musical sphere. Take Icon, a May masterpiece, where the strings sound just as powerful and prevalent today as they did years ago. The 'classic' Derrick May noise is a finite balance between percussion-laded cascades of sound complemented with samples and melody. If you want to know what makes Derrick May special, listen to any of his mixes to discover how he inspires people to love techno for what it is - not the sub-culture, the drugs or the mystique, it's all about the music.

May has performed around the globe for over two decades and honed his Transmat techno label into one of the most respected outputs in the world. A pioneer of techno, May produces Hi-Tek Soul or "George Clinton meeting Kraftwerk in an elevator." May makes techno poetry - hear him live and expect a night of unrefined emotion delivered with passion.

Tickets: $25 from Moshtix

(limited $20 early-birds available)