Windsor, Ont.'s Techno Music Scene Is Underground But Has Devotees Who Dig The Beat
On the surface, Anthony Gomez and Craig Sinclair look like your average parents with day jobs: Gomez works at the University of Windsor in southwestern Ontario and Sinclair works in construction.
But when the work week is over and the kids are asleep, the two meet in Sinclair's basement and make up techno music.
“Here we DJ downtown making music. It was an opportunity for us to learn something new and have a different relationship with music,” said Gomez.
The two Mothers' drummers, have been part of the techno music scene in Windsor for nearly 30 years.
Its roots go back to the early 1990s when jockey Richie Houghton burst onto the local scene. The native LaSalle is considered one of the most influential figures in techno and quickly established himself in the suburbs of Detroit, the birthplace of techno.
Hawtin co-founded the Plus 8 label with London-based DJ John Aquaviva, and both DJs eventually achieved international fame.
Influenced by techno music in Windsor. Downtown clubs such as The Underground and Platinum are very popular.
"It was full every weekend. It was full of people. Probably the year was around 2000, 2001 and 2002. I will say it was the pinnacle of the place for me," said Sinclair.
"Then it was quiet for a while. I didn't hear much until the Boom Boom Room reopened... I mean from 2005 to 2012."
The techno music movement will grow post-pandemic
According to Gomez and Sinclair, the site will be demolished as the campus is closed. The Covid-19 pandemic didn't help either. But when restrictions were lifted, the movement grew again.
Some of the city's DJs and producers have been front and center, including Hawtin' intern Justin James.
"Rich gave me the opportunity to write music and I found myself running another company called Minis," said James. "One of the first tracks was really good."
James works part-time: he is a primary school physical education teacher. Outside of school, he is one of the most popular techno DJs on the Windsor-Detroit scene.
I'm happy with the idea because this music is for tunnels and underground. It may not be for everyone. - Justin James
"The landscape comes and goes. But to some extent it's still very much alive because the beauty is underground."
James is best known for his "Unknown" series of events, where he finds a secret location for the audience until the day of the event. The venues are mostly warehouses and clubs in the city.
Over the past three years, the three-day music festival, which takes place each August at Kiwanis Park in Kingsville, has expanded the series to include new events.
"Music tries to get you moving through the night, whether it's outdoors or indoors where you can relax and not worry about noise," said James.
Some events in Windsor are not hidden.
Popular venues like the Fog Lounge and breweries like Craftheads have started hosting artsy events with local DJs and promoters.
It's a scene Madeleine Mazack knows well. She is the host of the Fog Lounge and radio presenter on CJM, the University of Windsor radio station, known as DJ Odessa.
“There are so many places in town where you can find them doing these things. I would say that last year I saw more people promoting these events and staying monthly.”
Create a sense of community
Another way this music creates a sense of community is through initiatives such as Signal Exchange.
Cameron Doig is one of the organizers of this jam session that has been around since 2017 and allows anyone with a drum machine to join in for a jam session.
"We get together and talk about the team. Sometimes we have big events," Doig explained.
For Doig and others, it's an opportunity to introduce the community and attract new fans to a genre that has evolved over time.
"I felt we had more talent than the people who've supported us over the years."
While there's a lot going on in the tech scene, it's not likely to go mainstream, James says, and that's a good thing.
"I'm happy with the idea and this music is for the tunnels and underground. It may not be for everyone."
