Detroit Trio HiTech Revive Ghettotech at Movement Festival
Gen Xers recall ’90s Maxi’s jits; these DJs spin a modern take on hip-hop, house & techno.
Pratibha holds a master's degree in English from Madras University. A bookworm from a young age, she devours books and digital humanities to nourish her writing projects. Pratibha began her writing career in 2018 and has experience writing formal, informal, and technical content.
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Origins Of Ghettotech
Detroit’s ghettotech scene traces back to the early ’90s, when Gen X clubbers sweated through non-stop jit sets at spots like Maxi’s and later raged at River Rock. As contributor Kahn Santori Davison writes, “If you’re a Generation Xer from Detroit, you probably associate ghettotech with sweaty nights jitting at Maxi’s in the ’90s to partying at River Rock in the mid-2000s.” That fusion of hip-hop, house and techno soundtracked backyard barbecues and Belle Isle weekends, forging a raw, relentless dance culture.
Hitech’s Evolution
Fast forward to now, and Detroit’s HiTech have seized the baton. Formed in 2022 by King Milo, Milf Melly and 47Chops, the trio has become “a representation of the past, present, and future slice of Detroit music,” Davison adds. Their signature blend of low-down machine funk, live mic interludes and DGAF attitude turned heads at last summer’s RALLY on Detroit’s west side.
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Their Boiler Room Chicago set in March 2024 solidified their reputation, while a London HAUS party hosted by dotwavnotwave saw them packing Brixton’s 30 Market Row with breakneck energy. Each show, they prove ghettotech remains as vital as ever.
New Mixtape And Recent Sets
In May, HiTech unveiled their forthcoming mixtape ‘HONEYPAQQ Vol. 1’ through DJ Mag’s Recognise series, sitting down with Cameron Cook to break down their Coachella riot set and party-starting ethos. “Our mixtape is about honouring the culture,” the trio explained, teasing collaborations with Detroit MC George Riley and nods to local legends.
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Ahead of its official May 23 release, an unofficial drop on May 20 lit up streaming playlists. Live previews at London’s Deviation Music patio takeover on May 23 mixed new tracks with classic rhythms, hinting at what’s to come back home.
Gearing Up For Movement
This Memorial Day, HiTech will headline a special slot at Movement Festival’s opening night on May 25 at Hart Plaza. Since 2000, Movement has drawn techno pilgrims from around the globe, but HiTech’s inclusion puts a spotlight on the city’s ghettotech roots. Fans can expect sweat-drenched jits reborn for a new generation, complete with their trademark live vocals and heavy-hitting beats.
Tickets and set times are available via Movement Festival’s official channels. With one foot in Detroit’s storied past and the other pushing modern production forward, HiTech’s performance promises to be both a homage and a fresh chapter in the city’s electronic legacy.
With the spirit of the ’90s pulsing through their sound and an eye on tomorrow, HiTech’s Memorial Day set at Movement Festival may well be the moment the genre truly takes flight again.
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