(no subject)
I didn't care about Richie Hawtin at all the first time I went to see him in the year 2000. At the time, I was a trance DJ, and proud of it. To me, "hard techno" was a cold, hard, and mean genre. And in fact, some of it is cold, hard, and mean...but the truth is I didn't really know the genre very well. A couple of DJ friends of mine were techno DJs, and I was surprised to find I was quite drawn to their music. It had a strength and an energy that pulled me out onto the dancefloor. Intriguing though I found it, though, I never saw myself as becoming part of that whole side of electronic music. It seemed too masculine, maybe? Or perhaps too soulless. I sure didn't see myself as anything like the guys who spun that music.
My DJ friends noticed that I seemed to like techno and suggested I go see Richie with them in Pittsburgh. I decided to go because according to them, he was the Best of the Best. I always want to see the Best of the Best in anything, even if it's not my favorite style. I believed then, as I do today, that any DJ worth their salt will go see the best of every genre. So I went, but not with much in the way of expectations.
Oh. My. God.
In the few hours that Richie played, he totally broke me down as a DJ and as a music lover. I had never, ever heard anything so original, so deep and powerful, yet soulful and even beautiful at times. The music touched a part of me deep inside, the part with all that energy, and said, "Don't I know you?"
I came back from Pittsburgh a new person, reborn as a wanna-be techno DJ. I resolved to play a whole new style of music from that moment on...if only it were that easy! It took at least a year for me to make the transition, with many very bad sets in between.
But it didn't matter. I had a purpose, a guiding light. For that I will forever be grateful.
I eagerly awaited Richie's future sessions, and even traveled to New York on one occasion....only to be disappointed. The next three sets I heard were either lackluster or downright boring. What happened? Was Pittsburgh a fluke? Where was my hero? I was bewildered and a little part of me felt heartbroken.
So in 2004 when Richie came to Madrid, I swore to Roland that if he didn't blow me away this time, I'd stop buying his tickets. I couldn't stand being disappointed again and again. I went to the club early, found a good spot to watch and listen, and didn't even have a drink - I wanted the whole truth on this guy, once and for all.
Oh. My. God!
It was so good I had to leave before it was over. That has never happened to me before or since that night. About 40 minutes before the end of Richie's 4 hour set, I walked quietly out of the club and found a park bench to sit on for a while before walking home. I had to reflect on what I had just heard and get my head together. Like the first time I saw him, he made me totally rethink the possibilities of music. I again felt touched inside and this time, the music reached into my soul and said, "Oh, I definitely know you. Where've you been?"
I've seen Richie play once or twice since then, and...nothing special.
Now I don't mind. During all these years, I've gotten to know other wonderful techno DJs like Adam Beyer, Laurent Garnier, Sven Vath, Derrick May, Ben Sims, and more who I might never have gone to see without Richie's inspiration. Most of them are far more consistent. They play great set after great set, in fact. But none of them has ever changed my life the way Richie has.
When I started out in the scene, I used to feel a lot of angst whenever I'd miss a good party. That stopped years ago. However, last week, when I had to miss Richie in my hometown because I was sick, I felt that angst again. Somehow I knew it would be an amazing set. I went to bed sad that night. I even used earplugs, because I can often hear a bit of the music from the open air club where he was playing, and I just didn't want to hear it if I couldn't be there. Turned out there was a huge, torrential rainstorm that night - maybe it was divine intervention, saving me from hearing anything. He did in fact play in the rain, as I saw from the photos the next day.
So, although it's only been two times out of many, those two times filled me with a kind of joy I think many people don't experience once in a lifetime. He gets my vote.
My DJ friends noticed that I seemed to like techno and suggested I go see Richie with them in Pittsburgh. I decided to go because according to them, he was the Best of the Best. I always want to see the Best of the Best in anything, even if it's not my favorite style. I believed then, as I do today, that any DJ worth their salt will go see the best of every genre. So I went, but not with much in the way of expectations.
Oh. My. God.
In the few hours that Richie played, he totally broke me down as a DJ and as a music lover. I had never, ever heard anything so original, so deep and powerful, yet soulful and even beautiful at times. The music touched a part of me deep inside, the part with all that energy, and said, "Don't I know you?"
I came back from Pittsburgh a new person, reborn as a wanna-be techno DJ. I resolved to play a whole new style of music from that moment on...if only it were that easy! It took at least a year for me to make the transition, with many very bad sets in between.
But it didn't matter. I had a purpose, a guiding light. For that I will forever be grateful.
I eagerly awaited Richie's future sessions, and even traveled to New York on one occasion....only to be disappointed. The next three sets I heard were either lackluster or downright boring. What happened? Was Pittsburgh a fluke? Where was my hero? I was bewildered and a little part of me felt heartbroken.
So in 2004 when Richie came to Madrid, I swore to Roland that if he didn't blow me away this time, I'd stop buying his tickets. I couldn't stand being disappointed again and again. I went to the club early, found a good spot to watch and listen, and didn't even have a drink - I wanted the whole truth on this guy, once and for all.
Oh. My. God!
It was so good I had to leave before it was over. That has never happened to me before or since that night. About 40 minutes before the end of Richie's 4 hour set, I walked quietly out of the club and found a park bench to sit on for a while before walking home. I had to reflect on what I had just heard and get my head together. Like the first time I saw him, he made me totally rethink the possibilities of music. I again felt touched inside and this time, the music reached into my soul and said, "Oh, I definitely know you. Where've you been?"
I've seen Richie play once or twice since then, and...nothing special.
Now I don't mind. During all these years, I've gotten to know other wonderful techno DJs like Adam Beyer, Laurent Garnier, Sven Vath, Derrick May, Ben Sims, and more who I might never have gone to see without Richie's inspiration. Most of them are far more consistent. They play great set after great set, in fact. But none of them has ever changed my life the way Richie has.
When I started out in the scene, I used to feel a lot of angst whenever I'd miss a good party. That stopped years ago. However, last week, when I had to miss Richie in my hometown because I was sick, I felt that angst again. Somehow I knew it would be an amazing set. I went to bed sad that night. I even used earplugs, because I can often hear a bit of the music from the open air club where he was playing, and I just didn't want to hear it if I couldn't be there. Turned out there was a huge, torrential rainstorm that night - maybe it was divine intervention, saving me from hearing anything. He did in fact play in the rain, as I saw from the photos the next day.
So, although it's only been two times out of many, those two times filled me with a kind of joy I think many people don't experience once in a lifetime. He gets my vote.