The Metro: DJ Delano Smith and Blackmoonchild will make crowds ‘roar’ at Movement

Detroiters are gearing up for an epic weekend of electronic music from some of the city’s most talented and well-respected DJs at the Movement Electronic Music Festival.

Two of this year’s Movement performers — Detroit techno icon Delano Smith and upcoming local DJ Blackmoonchild — joined The Metro on Friday to share how they got their start in the industry and what we can expect from them at this year’s festival.

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Smith is a Detroit-raised DJ, producer and pioneer, but before he was creating his own music, he was helping pioneer Detroit’s legendary music and club scene in the late ’70s and ’80s. It’s one of the reasons why icons like “The Wizard” Jeff Mills is quoted as saying “Delano Smith influenced either all or most of the Techno generation.” 

His journey began at the young age of 16 when he would help load sound equipment for his friends who were DJs. Eventually, Smith says, they let him play some sets, and eventually he began booking his own gigs. This early start paved the way for his much celebrated career. 

Smith shares that the key to being a good DJ stems from your ability to tell a story in your music, being able to create a flow with undetectable blends, and being able to transcend a crowd to become lost in the music is essential when creating a set.

“When you hear that roar. There’s a difference between the crowd yelling and when you hear that roar,” he said. “There’s no moment like that playing for crowds that big.” 

Smith will be performing at 4 p.m. Sunday, May 26, at Hart Plaza.

Blackmoonchild has been working as a DJ for just a few years, but is quickly developing a name and sound for herself as a young Black woman in the industry.

“My purpose, I feel in this stage of the game, is to uplift as many Black, young women as I can because seeing women like DJ Minx, AMX and Ash Lauryn, seeing them was the motivator for me, so I think that that’s important,” she said. “I think other young Black girls, especially that are beginning out, need to see people who look like them doing the thing. So, that is the biggest form of encouragement and motivation. I’m driving this ’til the wheels roll off and trying to do it as big as I can until as long as I’m able to.”

Blackmoonchild is performing her fast-paced jams for Movement all night long Friday at Red Door Digital. She’s also playing at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Underground & Black and later in the night at Tresor.

More headlines from The Metro on May 24, 2024:

• Omar Anani, James Beard semifinalist and owner of Detroit’s North African-inspired bistro Saffron De Twah, joined “The Metro” to share his plans for a new restaurant on East Warren Avenue that will offer top-floor subsidized apartments for his employees. restaurant workers. Final details are still being worked out, but Anani anticipates an opening in early 2025. 

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 11 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.