From the man who knows everything about Movement Festival, Chuck Flask

By John Hood

T‘Tis the season for festivals of every size, shape and sound.  But of all the many fests taking place over the summer, none kicks as many BPMs as Movement.  Held annually in Detroit, birthplace of techno and home of some of the hardest hitters in EDM, Movement 2014 promises to be bigger, badder and more memorable than ever.  With everyone from Richie Hawtin to Boys Noize on the bill, it’ll make for a pitch perfect way to celebrate Memorial Day.

ADANAI reached out to Chuck Flask, whose role with event production powerhouse Paxahau makes him one of Movement’s main men.  Here’s what he had to say.

ADANAI: For those few who don’t yet know, what exactly is Movement Fest?

Chuck Flask: Movement Detroit is an annual three-day electronic music festival taking place Memorial Day weekend inside Hart Plaza, Detroit.  The festival was established about 14 years ago as a way to celebrate the talents of local Detroit-based artists who had gained international notoriety and success for their music.

Since Paxahau became the producers in 2006, we have carried on the tradition of representing underground artists and rising stars, as well as paying homage to musical icons in their own right.  We have also been able to grow interest from an international audience because we have expanded the artists who perform to include artists who are international stars.  The steady mix of international and Detroit artists has resulted in increased attendance, which went over 107,000 in 2013.

Who all is behind this mass gathering and how long have they been at it?

The first electronic music festival in Detroit was held in 2000; we (Paxahau) started working with the festival in 2005.  It was then, when Kevin Saunderson was producing the festival, that he offered our team the opportunity to produce the underground stage.

Knowing what a tremendous opportunity this was to showcase our production skills and booking ideas, we took the offer without any hesitation.  We had been producing events and parties since 1993, but at the time it was the biggest opportunity we had been presented with.

The underground stage pretty much became our own mini-festival.  We booked our own artists and managed our own stage.  The opportunity opened our eyes and sparked our interest in wanting to produce the entire festival.

In 2006, after Kevin decided he did not want to continue as producer, we presented our plan to the city of Detroit, they accepted, and Paxahau has produced the event ever since.

What exactly is your role?

My job is to book the talent performing at the festival.  I’ve been doing this since we became producers of the festival.

Didn’t you do likewise for this year’s mammoth Moogfest?

Yes, sir.

Who are some of the starrier attractions staging at Movement ‘14?

Oh man, we’ve got a killer lineup this year.  Fans will be excited to see legendary acts such as Carl Cox, Richie Hawtin and Underground Resistance headline the Red Bull Music Academy main stage.  We also have a nice mix of hip hop and trap performances by Baauer, Just Blaze, Action Bronson and Flosstradamus, just to name a few.

Who are some of your long sought personal faves making their fest debuts?

Underground Resistance for sure!  The Timeline performance is not to be missed.

Any other newness we should know about?

We added another stage this year, Silent Disco Stage powered by Ford and Sennheiser.  Fans can experience the artists on the stage using Sennheiser headphones.  The concept has been popping at various festivals; we’re very excited to have it at Movement this year!

What about some of the other stages?

The Beatport stage will offer fans a variety of techno and house acts, such as Boys Noize, Pete Tong, Simian Mobile Disco (DJ set), Heidi, Tiga and many more.

Fans can expect to catch DJ Snake, Baauer, Bonobo, Just Blaze and Escort, just to name a few, on the Moog Music stage.

The Made in Detroit stage is dedicated solely to local artists.  Notable acts, such as Kevin Saunderson, DBX, Eddie Fowlkes and Stacey Pullen are set to perform on that stage.

We also have the Underground stage, located under Hart Plaza.  Some of the best names in techno have performed on this stage and this year is no different, featuring performances by Jeff Mills, Robert Hood, Chris Liebing as well as the North American debut of Zeitgeber (Lucy and Speedy J).

Altogether how many acts can fans expect to find this year?

We have over 130 artists performing at Movement this year – I think it’s the most we’ve ever had!

What’s your recommended way for folks to catch the most of ‘em?

Check out the schedule online at www.movement.us, pick up the guide at the festival and download the app.

Movement Detroit takes place May 24, 25 & 26. 

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