DJ Roach (US)
Raul Rocha, AKA DJ Roach, is an electrifying force from Southwest Detroit's Latino community, who's been spinning records since the '80s! With an innate ear for music, Raul drew inspiration from his father's band, Conjunto Y Los Magnificos Siete, and began his DJing career in 1987 with his group, The Untouchables, followed by MCM Productions, which he formed with his brother, DJ Rolando.
Raul's magnetic energy and passion for music drove him to blend Detroit Techno with LatinFreestyle, creating a unique sound that wowed crowds at local events in his neighbourhood. Inspired by the legendary Jeff Mills, aka the Wizard, Raul honed his skills by recording the Wizard’s sets from the radio to study. When he was given the opportunity to see the Wizard perform live at theStratford Theatre in the mid-'80s, it was apparent to him the musical direction he wanted to pursue. All of this helped to solidify Raul as a true master of the turntables, committed to keeping vinyl alive, which he showcases in his vinyl-only sets.
Raul has also founded Detroit's one-and-only free, all-ages Techno festival, Tec-Troit Electronic Music Festival in 2011, featuring only local talent, which has become a must-attend event in thecity's cultural calendar.
But that's not all! In 2022, Raul and his team launched Detroit JIT Festival, a free, all-ages, family-friendly festival. This year, Tec-Troit and Detroit JIT Fest are both scheduled to take place at the Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation, located at 1211 Trumbull St, Detroit, MI. Tec-Troitwill be June 9th and 10th, 2023 and Detroit JIT Fest on July 29th! To cap all this off, Raul, under the Tec-Troit name, coordinates events in his home town of Detroit and around the planet.
Raul's mission to keep techno and vinyl a powerhouse across the globe sees him teaching one-on-one lessons to new DJs in his private studio and collaborating with like-minded artists and organisations to achieve his goals. If that wasn’t enough, Raul also launched classes at the DHDC in 2021, teaching young students how to DJ on vinyl and other platforms while inspiring them with the history of Detroit electronic music. These students performed at Tec-Troit 2022 and went on to play all over Detroit!
Raul has received support and guidance from Mad Mike Banks, Underground Resistance, and Submerge, which led him to launch his all-vinyl record label, Nuestro Futuro Records (NFR), in April 2013, with the first EP hitting the shelves in November of the same year. Raul has released seven EPs, including the latest, 'UNIDAD,' and has releases on Soiree Records International, Cryovac Records, Mona Records Spain, Biblical Proportion, Tec-Troit Records, and Detroit Artist Agency Compilation. He is a member of NF-2 live with Ray7 and also DigitalAssassins with DJ Di'Jital, as well as his performance of solo sets in Detroit, throughout the country, and spanning the world over. Don't miss a chance to experience the magic of DJ Roach through his music sets, teachings, records, events or simply his company.