Detroit Beatdown Volume 2 - The Final

Third Ear's Detroit Beatdown series was instrumental in redefining the perception of Detroit electronic music abroad. Now we come to the final Detroit Beatdown release. Four Detroit artists giving us as good an ep as any of the releases in the series. The tracks by Mike Clark and Rick Wade rank amongst their best, for sure. DJ T-1000, a Detroit producer and DJ known for some of the city's hardest Techno, surprises with a stripped-back groove that is pure electronic Funk. Wrapping up the ep is Scott Ferguson's A Groove, a heavy skanking groove with that classic Beatdown rawness. Before the Detroit Beatdown Volume One compilation in October 2002 was released, Detroit was known primarily for Techno. Moodymann, Kelli Hand, and Terrence Parker were the only artists from Detroit known in Europe and Japan who were thought to make House music (Theo Parrish was not regarded as a House producer). Detroit Beatdown Volume One changed all that. The Detroit Beatdown series introduced many of the Detroit artists who are now well known representatives of the music scene of the City of Detroit; Delano Smith, Norm Talley, Keith Worthy, Pirahnahead, Mike Clark, to name the most well-known. Kelli Hand came to the attention of new generations of DJs and fans through the Detroit Beatdown series of releases on Third Ear. Drivetrain (Derrick Thompson), DJ Minx, Reggie Dokes, Ibex (Tony Ollivierra) all delivered classic tracks through the series. Artist's such as Patrice Scott had the door opened for them by The Detroit Beatdown sound. Theo Parrish's Falling Up on Detroit Beatdown Volume One has become one of his signature tracks. The truth is, The original Detroit Beatdown DJs, Mike Clark, Norm Talley, and Delano Smith, never only played House music. The Beatdown sound of Detroit was very inclusive, playing Techno releases from the city all the while, and often long before they were picked up in Europe and beyond. As an example, anyone who experienced the Detroit Beatdown DJs will know that Norm Talley was one of the first DJs playing Omar S records some time before Omar S was well-known. Detroit Beatdown tracks have come to be regarded as Detroit House music. Yet, in the city, music is just music and the genre boundaries applied outside the community of artists aren't used or recognized. This is most evident in the playlists of the Detroit Beatdown DJs. But this fact is also there to be heard on all the Detroit Beatdown releases.