Saturday October 14th at 3pm on Esplanade Riel—writer and rhythmanalyst DeForrest Brown, Jr. presents an artist talk extending his “Techno-Vernacular Omniverse of Techxodus” program; giving a detailed presentation on the major themes of his debut book Assembling a Black Counter Culture and the sonic fiction that connects and flows throughout Detroit techno and Black music.

DeForrest Brown, Jr. is an Alabama-raised rhythmanalyst, writer, and representative of the Make Techno Black Again campaign. As Speaker Music, he channels the African American modernist tradition of rhythm and soul music as an intellectual site and sound of techno-vernacular expression. On September 8th, 2023, he will be releasing his new album Techxodus on Planet Mu. His written work explores the links between the Black experience in industrialized labor systems and Black innovation in electronic music, and has appeared in Artforum, Triple Canopy, NPR, CTM Festival, Mixmag, among many others. He has performed or presented work at Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin; Paris+ par Art Basel, Paris; Camden Arts Centre, London; Unsound Festival, Krakow; Sónar, Barcelona; Roulette, New York; and elsewhere. Assembling a Black Counter Culture is Brown’s debut book.