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ARC Festival 2022

ARC Festival Expands to Three Days in 2022

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For its 2021 debut, ARC Festival conjured the spirit of house music in the birthplace of the genre. The event united scenes and connected communities from around the world in a way that felt distinct to the creative history of Chicago. In the beginning, ARC’s first edition aimed at fostering an immersive journey into the heart of the genre. The result was a city-wide vibe that then earned the attention of the industry, leaving those out of the loop longing for ARC’s return.

Now returning and expanding from two to three days in 2022, this year’s lineup sees ARC further cement itself as a premier stop on the global festival calendar. Some of electronic music’s biggest stars will take center stage including Carl Cox, Adam Beyer □ Cirez D, Charlotte De Witte, Honey Dijon, Fatboy Slim, Ricardo Villalobos, ANNA, Carl Craig, and Richie Hawtin.

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Dennis Rodman is a Fan of ‘Ear-Splitting Techno’

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Dennis Rodman never let a playoff game get in the way of partying.

In fact, the NBA Hall of Fame forward frequently relieved the pressure of major games with nights out on the town. In his new book, ‘Walk On The Wild Side‘, Rodman details one such outing ahead of a critical NBA Finals that was Game 6 against the Seattle Supersonics. The night began straightforward enough, with sushi and some Sake bombs, but with a crazy crew by his side, things rapidly went off the rails.

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ARC Music Festival

Photo Gallery: ARC Music Festival

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Chicago has proven time and time again that nothing compares to the community the city has to offer. Looking at dance music, house music remains a high staple in the Windy City. Some would say it was an overdue house and techno festival, and ARC Music Festival gave the city just what it needed.  ARC Music Festival featured various leading house and techno artists in their line-up in Chicago’s Union Park.

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Komprezzor - Format

Premiere: Chicago’s Format Recordings Delivers 10 Quality Hand-Selected Techno Tracks Including This Komprezzor Dubbed Mix

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Chicago label Format Recordings returns to form with an epic collection of artists hand-selected to drive the evolution of the label’s contribution to the techno lexicon, including this premiere from Komprezzor.

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Premiere: Godfather of Chicago Techno DJ Hyperactive Returns to Northern Parallels with “Mixed Emotions” EP

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The Godfather of Chicago Techno, DJ Hyperactive, returns to Northern Parallels with a track that chugs and snaps through the darkness. Acid pads reverberate throughout “Mixed Emotions,”  tumbling over a swinging and unrelenting kick. Growing layers of rhythmic accents dodge in and out while the synth grows busier and more frantic.

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6AM Guest Mix: Brenda

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Today’s 6AM Guest Mix comes from a Chicago-based artist we not only respect for her work as an artist and promoter, but consider a personal friend and one of the key figures in pushing techno in Chicago throughout the last several years.

Brenda began DJing in 2013 and has quickly risen to become one of Chicago’s best techno talents. She is lead A&R for Format Recordings, resident DJ and co-producer of their weekly techno podcast series, Format.FM, and joint curator of the Format underground warehouse event series.

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The Chicago Techno Connection: Submerge and Hiroko Yamamura Link Up For New EP On Impact Mechanics

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Submerge and Hiroko Yamamura link-up once again to combine their hometown sound with a new take on techno. A nearly perfect fusion of sound elements now out on Impact Mechanics Records as The Uncommon Enemy EP.

Each track ranges from having hypnotic elements, tough clanging Chicago-style industrial drums, and distorted synths.

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Q&A and Premiere: Tunnel Releases “Rave / Movement” Double EP on Webuildmachines

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Tunnel is a Chicago producer, DJ, label-head and Noisefloor party curator that has been sculpting a new wave of techno in Chicago — a city best known for its house music roots and legacy.

Unlike many other DJ and live acts, Tunnel exclusively performs his own original material or that of the ever-growing electronic music label he launched in 2013, Webuildmachines. The imprint has been the home of some fantastic releases, with support and high praise from established members of the techno community the likes of  Paula Temple, Dave Clarke, Surgeon, Ben Sims, Tommy Four Seven, drumcell, Electric Indigo, and Claude Young. A Tunnel original track was also featured on Richie Hawtin’s Essential Mix recorded live at Exchange in Los Angeles last year.

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