Aptly hosted by Electronic Church, and in collaboration with Tresor, TAG DER CLUBKULTUR, and Unbox, the event will pay homage to the late tastemakers as part of a weekend-long event called Safer Spaces – Build Bridges, Not Walls! K-HAND, Loveland, and Huckaby all passed away within the last 18 months. Oldham will perform a set of K-HAND tracks, with Mareena paying tribute to Huckaby, and finally Plaslaiko honoring Loveland.

“Whether you’ve been to a church or electronic music club all the time or never before, or you’re just curious about all the worlds in between, everyone is invited to come and open your eyes and ears at this peace-loving meeting place,” reads the Safer Spaces event description. “To build bridges and tear down walls. To be united through the language of music.”

The free weekender also includes DJ sets, live music performances, and dance as the city’s nightlife begins to spring back to life after the lockdowns instituted for safety in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, famed Berlin club Berghain announced that its Klubnacht events will return beginning October 2nd.

A DJ tool elegant in its simplicity, the title track of the 10-inch record is defined by its memorable synth arpeggio. On the flip side is “Musik For The Dancefloor,” a deeper cut with reverb-heavy chords meandering overhead. The release will mark the German label’s 15th anniversary.

Remembering Mike Huckaby

Time will tell that Mike Huckaby left behind an enduring legacy in electronic music’s more discerning circles. In addition to carving out a soulful yet futuristic lane between techno and deep house, he was well known as a teacher and overall ambassador of the culture.

The month after Huckaby passed away, 5 Magazine dedicated an entire issue of their magazine to his memory. Among other things, it included interviews with former Record Time Assistant Manager Rick Wade as well as quotes from Huckaby himself.

Sushitech Records will donated all proceeds from sales of Baseline 87′ to Detroit youth in need.

The issue marks the second time Huckaby appeared on the publication’s cover, but this time around they’ve gone to especially great lengths in elucidating his contributions to electronic music. Impossible as it is to distill a few key point from the lifetime of a person held in such high regard, a handful of themes stand out in the story of Mike Huckaby.

5. He was an unsung hero of house and techno

Although the PR narrative around his brand may not have been as robust as those of certain DJs and producers, Huckaby built upon the foundation laid in the ’80s by electronic music innovators in Chicago and Detroit. In “Mike Huckaby: A Production Primer,” Thomas Cox delves into the significance of tracks like “Flashbacks From The M1” as well as his his remix of “Sandcastle” by Precession, among others.

4. His career is a case study in staying the course

In the cover story, “Made In Detroit,” Terry Matthew argues that Huckaby’s career curiously began to gather momentum at a time when vinyl record sales dwindling as a whole. He writes that Huckaby told him, “I was at the pressing plant doing a re-order, and [Mike Archer] at [Archer Record Pressing] made a radical statement. He said ‘Ten years ago, other people were selling 3,000 records and you weren’t. Now you are, and they’re not.'”

3. He didn’t compromise when it came to music

Additional quotes obtained by Matthew speak to Huckaby’s artistic integrity. “I don’t predicate the decision on making ‘new fans,’ as ironic as that may sound,” he said in regards to the timing of releases. “It’s not about ‘new fans.’ It’s about finding more like-minded people. Even with Rick back in the day, that’s all we were doing. From Day 1: we were trying to find more like-minded people.”

2. He was generous and good natured

In “Mike Huckaby Had a Gift for Teaching People. Including Me,” former Record Time Assistant Manager Rick Wade writes of Huckaby that “He appeared very stoic, but beneath that — just ask around and you’ll hear people say he had a heart of gold.” At the same time, he warmly recounted moments of banter at the record store that might surprise those who only knew the DJ and producer peripherally.

1. He was as much a teacher as he was an artist

Among the more memorable passages in “Made In Detroit” was Matthew’s anecdote of Huckaby giving demos for the likes of Native Instruments and Ableton for the sole purpose of sharing wisdom. “Some people might feel like I’m giving away secrets, but I’m far more dangerous with my mouth shut than with it open,” Matthew remembered Huckaby telling him. Former Record Time Assistant Manager Rick Wade echoed as much in the very title of his aforementioned article.

Read “The Mike Huckaby Issue” in its entirety by subscribing to 5 Magazine.

Following a post to Connect Bookings’ Facebook page, Pitchfork confirmed Huckaby’s passing with his agent, Daniel Liakhovitski. “Mike Huckaby was an incredible talent and a beautiful soul,” Liakhovitski wrote to Pitchfork. “A giant of a man, deeply loved by all who knew him. Mike’s life was all about music. Please listen to his tracks and his DJ mixes. His music speaks louder than words.”

Huckaby’s brand of deep house made him a sought-after DJ and producer in early ’90s Detroit. He first performed at Berlin nightclub Tresor in 1997 and contributed to the two cities’ strong musical kinship. A longtime manager at Detroit store Record Time, his legacy as both a diligent student and teacher of music is tempered by his gentleness and humility.

“All I can say is he was a truly humble ambassador for the music he loved,” Record Time founder Mike Himes said to Resident Advisor. “Such a class act and he had a huge impact on many not just in Detroit but everywhere. He will be greatly missed.”