Belgian DJ and producer, Fabrice Lig, didn't know what to expect when he was offered a chance to spin records at "Fuse-In: Detroit's Electronic Movement."
"At first, I was surprised at the scene and this city," Lig said, after his hour-long performance Saturday. "I was surprised about the crowd."
Electronic music is firmly rooted in European culture, Lig said. And although the United States has caught onto the techno wave in recent years, Lig's assumption was that Europe has more opportunities, such as house parties, to spread the music and the talent behind the music.
"Slowly, the city and this country are beginning to connect to its talents to show what electronic music is," he said.
Lig, who played the main stage Saturday night, frantically perused through his box of vinyl records to select the perfect track for the booming Detroit crowd.
Electronic DJs have the opportunity to randomly choose tracks as they play through the night.
This allows DJs to grasp a feel for the crowd and what type of music they should play, thus creating a sporadic, almost chaotic, atmosphere for the musician on stage.
"It's unparalleled, the energy - you can't match it," said Adriel Thornton, master of ceremonies of "Fuse-In," as he took a break from chanting "Detroit soul power" to the crowd.
Thornton, who has produced the festival for the past three years, used to throw electronic music parties back in the '90s, and through these he met many local DJs.
Those small parties, however, were no match for the kind of energy the whole city of Detroit showcased for electronic music at "Fuse-In."
"There's a whole lot of excitement," said Diviniti, a vocalist who performed Monday. "I can feel the warmth, the love and the love of the music."
As the sun set on Detroit's Hart Plaza, colorfully dressed music lovers, donning beaded bracelets and flashing pacifiers, danced to the throbbing beats provided by multiple local and national DJs.
Leigh Narh, a Grosse Pointe Farms resident, entertained a small circle of onlookers as he break-danced to DJ Minx and DJ Genesis.
"I just like to dance," Narh said. "If its got a beat, I'll go to it."
But Michiganians weren't the only ones present at the festival. People from all over the United States convened together at Hart Plaza to enjoy the weekend of electronica.
"I like techno music, and I didn't know about Detroit techno," said Hideyuki Ona, a Georgia resident who came to Detroit to experience "Fuse-In." "Everybody comes here to have fun."
Many children and parents danced around Hart Plaza to local musicians, showing that any age can appreciate good good music.
Pirahnahead, a DJ from Detroit, said the festival helped close the generation gap.
"That reminds me of my youth," Pirahnahead said about the young fans in the crowd. "To understand what's now, you have to understand what was."
DJ Minx, another local musician, held similar sentiments.
"That's the most beautiful thing," Minx said of the younger generations. "They get to experience this at such a young age."
