It seemed like it was only a matter of time before multihyphenate creative Zack Fox deepened his relationship with Detroit and its culture. That moment is now.
Fox is teaming up with techno legend DJ Bone for an international tour of DJ sets that kicks off with the two performing a set at this year’s Movement festival at its usual Hart Plaza location.
“This is more than just a series of back-to-back sets, it’s about creating a link between generations and, crucially, emphasizing that the origins of techno are in the Black artists of Detroit,” DJ Bone said in a release announcing the tour. “I’ve been watching Zack’s work for a while – he’s selling hard tickets and taking proper techno to cities all over the USA with a real community-first focus.”
Fox, an Atlanta native, is probably best known for his recurring role on ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” as the wannabe rapper ex of the series’ main character played by Quinta Brunson. Before and after, however, Fox earned a cult following for his offbeat humor, hilarious alt-raps (please stream “Jesus is the One”) and a penchant for deep-cut R&B.
Along the way, he started spinning. In the last three years, Fox has not only played Movement but also sets at Spot Lite, Big Pink and El Club.
Bone has been a fixture in Detroit techno for more than 30 years, first playing sets at The Shelter before spinning regularly at night on 107.5-FM. That led to regular gigs around town that drew listeners from around the globe that Bone himself would soon find himself traveling as his stature grew in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and beyond.
“When it comes to DJing as an art form, Bone’s legacy is a holistic north star of inspiration for me. His technique, his ethos, his fearlessness and his determination to steward community through musical praxis,” Fox says in a release. “Playing alongside him isn’t just a dream collaboration, it’s school for me and our collective fans. Tutelage is so important in any medium and I couldn’t dream of a better wing to be taken under.”
After Hart Plaza, the two will travel to Amsterdam and Haarlem in the Netherlands, Manchester, England and Antwerp, Brussels in the coming months, with more cities to be announced.
“Together I think we are going to cook up an electrifying collage of black electronic sound from Chicago, Atlanta, Baltimore, the UK, Miami, with a heavy handed emphasis on the foundation: Detroit,” Fox says.
You can reach Aaron at afoley@michronicle.com.
