High Tech Soul film to be released

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    Tue, Jul 4, 2006, 10:00
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  • The first film about the birth of techno is finally set for a UK premier and DVD release. Five years in the making, ‘High Tech Soul’ was a labour of love for director Gary Bredow.
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  • The first film to document the story of the birth of techno is finally set for a UK premier and DVD release. Five years in the making, ‘High Tech Soul’ was a labour of love for director Gary Bredow. A longtime techno fan, 30-year-old Bredow began shooting footage for the documentary at Detroit’s Electronic Music Festival in 2000. The story behind the creation of the genre is a compelling one and Bredow says that he couldn’t understand why a film hadn't been made about it. In the spirit of the music, he decided to embark on the project independently:
    "The driving force behind it was a strong interest in film and a strong desire to really know the full story of this music," Bredow told the Detroit Free Press. "I didn't want to abide by anybody else's rules. I wanted to make it myself. Why work for someone else?"
    A Detroit native himself, Bredow's take on techno attempts to place the evolution of the music in context, with the city and history of Detroit looming large:
    "I thought it was really important to educate the people on this faceless type of music because there is a face, there is an origin, and that origin is Detroit,” says Bredow. "To understand the music, you have to understand the city. And to understand the city, you have to understand its people."
    The documentary promises eye-opening interviews with techno originators Juan Atkins, Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson (including the lowdown on Saunderson punching May out) as well as younger artists Richie Hawtin, Jeff Mills and Carl Craig. As you’d expect, the soundtrack is punctuated by key Detroit tracks including May's ‘Strings of Life’, Atkins' ‘Alleys of Your Mind’ and Saunderson's ‘Good Life’. The 64-minute film also features live footage from the DEMF and Movement festivals as well as local clubs. Bredows efforts are paying off, with screenings across America and at this year’s Sonar Fesitval in Barcelona. Londoners can catch the UK premiere of the film on July 17, 2006 at Cargo in Shoreditch. The free screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Gary Bredow and DJ sets by Detroit legends Blake Baxter and Eddie Fowlkes as well as local boy Steve Bicknell. Sounds like a bargain at twice the price. ‘High Tech Soul – The Creation of Techno Music’ is available on DVD July 24, 2006. The disc also includes seventeen minutes of footage that didn’t make it into the theatrical version.
RA