If you’ve never seen a jit- off, danced with your hands on your knees or left the dance floor in fear of dehydration, are you really living your best life? As homegrown as techno and Motown, ghettotech music is a pillar in Detroit’s musical legacy.  On Friday October 20th, Detroit’s young, vibrant creative artist community will celebrate this style of music and its adjacent artist community in Chicago with the release party for Martez Claybren’s forthcoming album, “Raised In The Jungle.”

From the matching church suits to the club gear, Cartiers and minks, style is king in Detroit. The importance of individuality transcends fashion and holds significance in the city’s soundscape as well.  A fast paced, explicit and bass driven genre, contemporary Detroit ghettotech music spawned from urban black culture and the signature style of classic Detroit DJ’s who exemplified mastery in sampling, speed, turntablism, and musical montage.  The sound fuses influences from house, techno, hip-hop, booty music and more.

Jit dance styles can be traced back to the 1970’s and ghettotech DJ sets still move bodies from small cramped house parties  to the Movement Festival stage (Watch our 2017 SHEEFY footage).  Our neighbors in Chicago similarly step to 150+ BPM tunes, with their popular music/dance style called “juke.”  With signature aspects of footwork, spins, turns, theatrics, style and sometimes competitiveness, the juke and jit dance styles can be viewed as  a bridge between two urban artist communities with a long standing connection through music’s evolution. Detroit and Chicago’s unique footwork styles have slowly but surely caught on in music lovers across the globe.

If you engage with Detroit’s contemporary ghettotech scene, you definitely know Martez Claybren. With feet moving 100 mph, dreads swinging and a perma -smile on his face, the native Detroit artist is a devout proponent of Detroit and Chicago urban culture.  In celebration of his debut album release, Claybren has curated a  “ghettotech homecoming” to “showcase black excellence.” With an ongoing mission to “bring independent musicians from Detroit and Chicago closer together,” Martez and his collaborators have  produced a plethora of past events where the spotlight is shed on underground Detroit and Chicago music; The ” Raised In The Jungle” release party is no exception. Below is his debut song ‘What We Gonna Do’ for a taste of the album.

Claybren’s Raised In The Jungle release party is brimming with contemporary DJ’s who pay homage to the classics while  having fun with the genre; there are also ghettotech OG’s in the mix for good measure.  Featuring a lineup of producers, DJ’s, vocalists, community organizers, many of the acts played a hand in the production of Raised In The Jungle and/or past cultural events making this night even more special. Costumed are encouraged, so feel free to dress up for the fun! The line up of performances will feature WE!RDOZ GANG, DJ Chap (Teklife Records) Sheefy Mcfly aka Edward Elektro, HouseParty, Chris Kendall, Seanni B, DJ FLP, Dayggs, DJ Clent and the one and only,  DJ Assault.

Photo by Akhil Sesh

A coming of age tale, Raised In The Jungle serves as a sensual, dance-able and fun fusion between electronic music, soul, R&B and ghetto tech.  Through the album title,  he reflects on an upbringing in various foster homes, and a life transition into adulthood and self-identity. Through life’s crests and troughs, Martez always had music, culture and community to rely upon.  With unstable living situations at times, Claybren found refuge in his connection to Detroit’s native sound, and infatuation with its culture and dances; He lives, breathes, and promotes it to this day.

Juke/Ghettotech DJ and WEIRDOZ GANG member Jake Schwartz expresses excitement for Martez stating:

I  think the album is about growth, passion, and remembering where you came from. Every person playing that night has grown from their own ‘jungle’ to become integral artists. We all look for inspiration , and the pioneers will definitely be in the building.

Whether you’re a staple on the dance floor or have just learned about jit and juke today, don’t miss this opportunity to experience the sounds of Detroit culture and to celebrate one of Detroit’s music champions.

Doors are at 10:00PM

Admission is $10.00 at the door.

Physical copies of “Raised In The Jungle” will be available on site- don’t forget some cash and a costume!

Save

The post MARTEZ CELEBRATES “RAISED IN THE JUNGLE” ALBUM WITH RELEASE DANCE PARTY appeared first on PLAYGROUND DETROIT.