Ember LaFiamma is part of the future Detroit promised.

She grew up in the city surrounded by the sound — techno, house, ghetto tech— without knowing what the world called it by name.

Later, she learned that the music that shaped her was born right here.

Her journey deepened at the Underground Music Academy, where she learned to build beats from scratch and sharpened her skills as a DJ and producer. There, she began to truly understand the legacy — and the labor — behind the sound.

LaFiamma is not just performing, she is building. She co-leads Homie Hangz, a nonprofit that hosts free and donation-based DJ sessions and production workshops in community spaces across Detroit. She makes her own music, teaches, and builds bridges.

She is now preparing to open the Detroit stage at the Movement festival on Saturday. So, what does it mean to carry forward a sound rooted in resistance and innovation?

LaFiamma joined The Metro to talk about her journey, her city, and the community she’s helping to shape.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

More stories from The Metro

Detroit made techno. It was born in Black brilliance, forged in sweat, steel, and speaker stacks. The early days were gritty, raw, and unapologetically underground.

Raves in asbestos-riddled warehouses. DJ booths balanced on plywood. Sweaty bodies packed into buildings with no heat, no permits, just purpose. The Packard Plant, Mack and Bellevue, and the Eastown Theatre were places the city gave up on. But the music briefly revived them. Bass shook the dust loose. Rhythm fought its way through the speakers. It was joy, communion and resistance, but on a subterranean level.

Then came a turning point: the first Detroit Electronic Music Festival in 2000, led by Carl Craig, which is known today as Movement. For once, an underground scene had risen to the surface. Slowly, the world took note. Detroit — the birthplace of techno — was getting its due.

But not completely. Even now, it is hard to make a living in Detroit as an electronic music artist and many leave for cities like Los Angeles and Berlin. So what will it take to change that?

DJ and producer John Collins of Underground Resistance — a group built from the city’s renegade spirit and refusal to be erased — joined The Metro to discuss Detroit’s techno legacy and the artists preserving and growing it.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

More stories from The Metro

This weekend is Movement Electronic Music Festival in Detroit, which means Hart Plaza will be packed with Techno fans and legendary DJs from around the world. In this guide, we’re highlighting some Movement-adjacent events going on around the city, plus some live concerts, ambient art and multimedia exhibitions for when you need a break from the bass.

Plus, juried art fairs and the return of your favorite backyard comedy show. Read on to learn more.

Movement side-parties

Techno Christmas 2 at The Old Miami | Friday, May 23 from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. — A Movement pre-party featuring music from Eddie Fowlkes, Milan Ariel Atkins, Nick Speed b2b Sheefy McFly and more. Admission is $10 or $5 if you come in Christmas attire.

Shigeto presents: Live and Direct at Spot Lite Detroit | Sunday, May 25 from 3–9 p.m. — A day party featuring all live sets spanning funk, jazz, beats and more. Performers include Charles Trees, Salar Ansari, Kenjiro, Pablo R. Ruiz and WDET’s own Shigeto (host of The New Music Show Saturdays at 8 p.m.). Admission is $40 online.

Move! at UFO Bar | Sunday, May 25 from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. — A full-day sonic celebration highlighting Black DJs and producers from all over the country, featuring open DJ workshops from 4–7 p.m., followed by drinks and dancing until 2 a.m. The lineup includes Mike Clark, Huey Mnemonic, Planet KaiA and more. Admission is $29 for the party and $5.50 for the workshops.

Movement Rewind on WDET | Friday, May 23 through Sunday, May 25 from midnight to 3 a.m. — A broadcast of past Movement performances from Huey Mnemonic, DJ Minx, Audion b2b Ryan Elliott, Sama’ Abdulhadi, Stacey “Hotwaxx” Hale and Seth Troxler. We’ll also be playing Movement highlights during In The Groove on Monday, May 26 from noon to 3 p.m. Listen live at 101.9 FM, wdet.org/listen-live or the WDET app.

Dive deeper

Waltz of a Ghetto Fly at Wayne State University’s Elaine L. Jacob Gallery | Friday, May 23 through Saturday, Sep. 20 — An exhibition in the gallery’s lower level honoring Amp Fiddler, a prolific musician and producer who left a lasting impact on hip-hop in Detroit and around the world. There will be an opening reception on Friday, May 23 from 5–8 p.m., after which the exhibition will be accessible Wednesdays and Thursdays from noon to 5 p.m., Fridays from noon to 7 p.m., and Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m.

Those Who Keep Strange Hours at Wayne State University’s Elaine L. Jacob Gallery | Friday, May 23 through Saturday, Sep. 20 — An experimental multimedia exhibition in the gallery’s upper level featuring Detroit-affiliated artists and collectives whose work spans visual art and music, including pieces by John Ikera, Beverly Fresh, Jeff Mills, Pure Rave and Sterling Toles. There will be an opening reception on Friday, May 23 from 5–8 p.m., after which the exhibition will be accessible Wednesdays and Thursdays from noon to 5 p.m., Fridays from noon to 7 p.m., and Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m.

Urban Art Orchestra residency at Cliff Bell’s | Thursday, May 22 through Sunday, May 25 — A four-night celebration of Detroit music coordinated by Grammy-nominated bandleader De’Sean Jones. Showtimes are at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. each night. Cover is $35.

More art festivals

The Potluck Detroit at Talking Dolls Studio | Friday, May 23 through Monday, May 26 — A free four-day art and music festival intended to create safe spaces for the community to heal together through art, music, poetry and food. Performers include Ideeyah, Tall Black Guy, Joel Fluent Greene and more.

Reset Fest 2025 at Batch Brewing Company in Corktown | Saturday, May 24 and Sunday, May 25 at noon — A free two-day festival featuring soothing, ambient music and visual art. Artists include John Beltran, Kevin Reynolds, Robert Guzman and more.

Kensington Metropark Art Fair in Milford | Saturday, May 24 through Monday, May 26 — A three-day art fair featuring 100 juried artists, a ten-ton sand sculpture, food, music and more. Admission is free with a Metropark pass.

Comedy

What’s So Funny About Detroit? at the Old Miami | Thursday, May 29 from 7–9:30 p.m. — WDET’s backyard comedy show returns for 2025 featuring comedians Josh Adams, Brett Mercer, Zech, Mary Spencer, Johnny Mocny and music from DJ Thornstryker. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the venue is 21+. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door.

Movement is right around the corner, and many in Detroit and beyond are getting ready to hit the dance floor together and celebrate.

But dance is much more than just movement — it’s a mode of self-expression and a bridge to human connection, or as author Emma Warren calls it, a “technology of togetherness.”

In her recent book, “Dance Your Way Home: A Journey Through the Dance Floor,” Warren reflects on how different styles of music like Detroit techno can influence movements, promote connection and create cultural change.

Today on The Metro, we revisit a conversation Warren had with WDET’s Ryan Patrick Hooper last year about the book and why dance is so important to humans.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

More stories from The Metro