Richie Hawtin produces short film inspired by '90s Detroit techno scene

Richie Hawtin is the executive producer of a short film set in the early '90s Detroit electronic music scene.

Kids Like Us, directed and written by Michigan-based filmmaker Luke Jaden, explores themes of “identity, dislocation, and connection” through the lens of Hawtin's formative experiences in the city's underground techno culture.

Shot on 35mm film, Kids Like Us centres on one of a series of illegal raves Hawtin hosted at the city's abandoned Packard Automotive Plant, an event that saw the debut of the producer's legendary Plastikman alias in 1994. Attendees at the Spastik party included The Blessed Madonna and Mute Records' Daniel Miller.

Jaden said in a press release that the goal was to make the film feel "as real and authentic as possible to an actual techno party experience", and it was shot at a real-life techno event in Detroit, with a narrative constructed from archival material and personal interviews with former ravers.

“I have always been deeply inspired by the early '90s underground techno culture in Detroit - the birthplace of techno," Jaden added.

“It’s a scene where you feel totally free to be yourself and it’s one of the most welcoming, inviting communities to be around: family. The darkness. The single strobe light. The pounding music shaking the walls. The dance floor represents this womb for acceptance and freedom. Not just by society, but with yourself.

“Going to a techno show is a sacred place for self-exploration. I have had some of my most deeply personal profound moments on the dance floor at techno parties, and it felt like the perfect way in to offer this experience to people who haven’t experienced it before. And if you have, then you know how special it is.”

Hawtin said the project offered a chance to reflect on a pivotal chapter in his career: “A film about the past requires careful considerations, especially when it concerns pivotal moments of your career and events that touched countless individuals lives.

“When I first met Luke, I could tell that he was fascinated by the stories he had heard about the early days of the Detroit rave scene and I could sense that he wanted to uncover the true magic of those times.

“Luke focused on deep archaeological style research to expose the lore’s smallest details and the emotions of those times that still lingered in the participates, and used these to continue honing his story to reflect an honest and engaging narrative of what had transpired.”

Last year, Hawtin reissued the seminal minimal techno project Musik, originally released under the Plastikman alias, in recognition of its 30th anniversary.

Read our 2016 interview with Hawtin about the making of Plastikman's Sheet One here.

Kids Like Us is available now to watch via NOWNESS or YouTube.