Detroit, MI
‘For the heads’: An oral history of EXAT, Detroit’s legendary ’90s experimental and ambient techno night at Zoot’s Coffeehouse
Photograph courtesy of Clark Warner
DJ Clark Warner perfoms at Zoot’s Coffeehouse.
Detroit’s underground dance occasions of the ’90s are justly storied — however one of many decade’s most constantly attended and long-term impactful was small, insider-heavy, and never supposed for dancing in any respect.
EXAT — Experimental and Ambient Techno — ran each Monday evening on the legendary Zoot’s Coffeehouse. Based in late 1992 by Dan Solomon, who three years later would promote the enterprise to 2 of its workers, Aaron Anderson and Scott Michalski, Zoot’s hosted performances by all people from His Identify Is Alive to Windy & Carl, Sleater-Kinney to the Mountain Goats. And starting round 1994 — no one remembers the exact date — till the place closed early within the fall of 1997, EXAT — whose remaining evening was that Sept. 29 — decisively thickened the Zoot’s musical pot.
EXAT’s promoter was Adriel Thornton, already a seasoned party-thrower who’d put collectively the ambient aspect rooms for legendary occasions like Kevin Saunderson’s Journey By way of the Hardcore (State Theater, Sept. 6, 1992); he additionally operated Area 19, a boutique for his personal designs, in addition to a frequent rave map level, under Zoot’s. The occasion’s common DJs, Carlos Souffront and Clark Warner, have gone on to illustrious careers behind the decks. EXAT additionally hosted units by a slew of electronic-music royalty each native (Carl Craig, Richie Hawtin) and worldwide (Autechre). This was the place the scene’s movers and shakers congregated after a weekend of partying, usually to strategize.
EXAT attracted a listening crowd, or was a social crowd with the music within the background: “At was at instances was each,” says Thornton. It was much more apart from, as he and a number of other residents and regulars attest.
Photograph courtesy of Clark Warner
EXAT was small, insider-heavy, and never supposed for dancing in any respect.
“It was legit the one coffeehouse in downtown.”
PATRICK RUSSELL [DJ]: Zoot’s was nice. It was just a bit espresso store close to the Wayne State College campus.
CLARK WARNER [EXAT resident DJ]: For those who’ve seen [the documentary] Looking for Sugar Man, it appears like the home that Rodriguez lives in. It was certainly one of these basic Detroit Woodbridge properties, which was the realm of Wayne State campus.
AARON ANDERSON [Zoot’s employee, 1993-95, and co-owner, 1995-98]: For years, I considered it as a leftover factor from beatniks and hippies. I bear in mind there being one in Birmingham, referred to as the San Francisco Espresso Store. However there weren’t many within the metropolis.
ADRIEL THORNTON [EXAT promoter]: On the time I used to be going to Wayne State. It legit was the one coffeehouse — I feel that was it, I actually can’t consider one other one — that was round, at the very least in downtown.
WARNER: You went to the coffeehouse to both learn a guide or decide up somebody. It wasn’t a singles bar, however on the similar time it was a spot the place cool individuals have been going to hang around, as a result of who the fuck needs to go spend $3 on a cup of espresso?
THORNTON: I bear in mind on the time making an attempt to clarify to any person what a espresso store was: “It’s not simply espresso.” I’d go there to learn magazines — go to a bookstore after which sit there and flip by way of my Wallpaper.
COLLEEN DURENO [Zoot’s employee; to Detroit Is It, October 2019]: Zoot’s opened as a espresso store, however I don’t bear in mind a lot espresso ever being served. There was no liquor license but there was plenty of beer and sometimes different issues.
SEAN HORTON [DJ]: The proprietor was associates with all people. There have been a number of faculty college students. It held about 50 individuals.
ANDERSON: I feel I noticed an indication that stated [capacity] was 71. I do know we match upwards of 100 and a half in there for concert events.
DURENO: The property was nugatory and folks with cash didn’t usually enterprise right down to that space.
CARLOS SOUFFRONT [EXAT resident DJ]: It was a home. You’d go upstairs to the entrance door. Then you definately would stroll straight alongside the staircase to order espresso. And to the proper, within the entrance of the home, was the stage, which was elevated most likely 4 or 5 inches from the primary flooring. It was an previous, creaky wooden flooring.
SARAH VIDOSH [EXAT regular]: A whole lot of furnishings — mismatched tables and chairs, bookshelves. Flyers in all places.
ROB THEAKSTON [EXAT regular]: The coffeehouses’ different benefit was that they have been mechanically all-ages venues.
ANDERSON: I feel there was a necessity within the metropolis, throughout a number of scenes, for an alternate venue that was all ages and just a little bit extra comfy and non-traditional.
VIDOSH: There was a variety of music that was there.
THORNTON: It was poetry readings, it was reveals — it was simply quite a lot of issues that have been ongoing.
ANDERSON: There was jazz on Sundays, perhaps an occasional rock band right here, some acoustic issues, after I began — positively not DJs.
Photograph courtesy of Clark Warner
EXAT promoter Adriel Thornton (left) and Greg Campbell.
“Twenty-five {dollars} an evening.”
VIDOSH: It was actually superior that Aaron was so open to every thing. That interval of the [Cass] Hall was just like the Wild West.
ANDERSON: I’d simply come again from a cross-country street journey. It was like, “I need to work right here.” And I form of hung round lengthy sufficient till they employed me. It was nonetheless weekly potluck dinners, issues like that.
SAM FOTIAS [promoter]: It was very numerous teams of individuals hanging out: the rock individuals, the artwork individuals, the school children.
VIDOSH: I don’t suppose that there was a serious distinction between the indie children and the techno children. A whole lot of the indie children that have been in bands ultimately wound up at dance events anyway.
ANDERSON: I grew up in Detroit. The techno scene is simply a part of it. I went to highschool dances they usually have been taking part in Mannequin 500. I owned [Cybotron’s 1981 debut] “Clear” on 12-inch as a child. I knew that stuff.
I additionally went to highschool with Sam Fotias. We each went to Cass collectively. He had been, early on, of the world that moved from Detroit techno to the rave scene. One time after we have been catching up, he’s like, “I do these events. Come on down and examine them out. It’s the brand new factor. I’ll get you within the door.” I grew up with techno, I had been uncovered to the rave scene and knew individuals in it.
Dan Solomon began the coffeehouse, ran it for about three or 4 years, and determined that he needed to do one thing else. I feel on the time he needed to try to get an structure diploma.
THORNTON: Dan’s roots have been extra within the punk scene. Zoot’s was his canine.
ANDERSON: I began working there late ’93. I labored there for a few 12 months and a half, after which Dan provided it to his workers — so Scott Michalski and I went for it and bought it — it was ’95. For $10,000 and a month-to-month cost and assumption of all money owed, Scott and I took over. Our mother and father lent us the cash.
THORNTON: I bear in mind me and Clark Warner sitting. I stated, “Hey, what about an ambient evening?” As a lot as I used to be a fan of the dance-floor stuff, I used to be actually into ambient. So was Clark. I’ll have performed round with the title, like “The Examine” or one thing like that. It was actually about bending your ear in direction of these sounds. In what we’d name “the Library,” which was the second room on the way in which to the toilet, there was a TV, so we’d additionally play like films again there, only for visuals. The entire level was to return and chill.
SOUFFRONT: He booked Clark Warner and myself because the residents.
ANDERSON: From the get, I feel it was fairly effectively attended. It had its personal built-in crowd. The entire get together scene in Detroit was so alive at the moment. Within the Midwest, rave was at its peak.
THORNTON: I used to be already, at that time, a fairly established rave promoter within the metropolis, so it made sense: All of us beloved ambient music on the time. And Zoot’s was all about it. It actually did cater to all of the undergrounds.
ANDERSON: It was $25 to get the room for an evening. Mainly, anyone with an excellent or fascinating concept may guide there for $25 an evening.
Doug Coombe
Adriel Thornton and Aaron Anderson exterior the previous Zoot’s.
“EXAT was for the heads.”
SOUFFRONT: Adriel was extra an concept man. He doesn’t actually have any gear. So I introduced the gear. I’d all the time convey by way of turntables and a mixer, and I’d convey a CD participant as effectively. You couldn’t regulate the pitch, however that is ambient, so it wasn’t making actually rigorous beat-matching mixes or something.
ROBERT GORELL [EXAT regular]: Carlos was the sweetest but in addition most intimidating man to me, as a result of his data was completely encyclopedic even again then. Each time I went there, I heard tons of music I’d by no means heard earlier than. That was additionally the start of when Clark was doing operations for M_nus. EXAT was for the heads.
DEREK PLASLAIKO [DJ]: At any time when Clark would play down there was all the time fairly memorable. He appeared to have themes occurring. It wasn’t simply ambient — he would throw in some previous basic rock factor that was actually mellow.
THEAKSTON: They’d play Biosphere and Increased Intelligence Company. However then they’d flip round and play Derrick Might and Ten Second Dynasty, one other Detroit space-rock band. After which Clark would drop one thing just like the Beatles’ “Flying,” from Magical Thriller Tour.
THORNTON: There is likely to be ten of us there, lounging and actually listening to it, and somebody coming as much as the decks, trying to see what that file was, after which having a dialog with Carlos about it for ten minutes.
Photograph courtesy of Clark Warner
DJ Scott Zacharias.
RUSSELL: That’s the place you’ll see children from the weekend generally. They’d be hanging out on the steps there.
HORTON: It was the primary time I actually felt as if you can alternate concepts musically, you can talk socially. You’re not in a loud membership or an surroundings when you may’t discuss.
VIDOSH: I bear in mind making out with Derek Plaslaiko at some point in a again room.
PLASLAIKO: I bear in mind making out with Sarah Vidosh within the lavatory a number of instances. That was all the time like, “Yeah, what the hell, let’s go make out.”
ANDERSON: There may be cool footage of Zoot’s {that a} girl uploaded to YouTube. Julie was a espresso store native who was an obsessive videotaper. She went in and taped like, a whole evening simply strolling round EXAT. She was a movie geek who hung across the espresso store and if there was one thing fascinating occurring, would convey her digital camera and tape it.
MATTHEW HAWTIN [DJ]: The ambient coffeehouse factor — we did a coffeehouse evening in Windsor, and there was additionally Zoot’s in Detroit. There was one in Toronto, too — that appeared to be a spot the place that music was acceptable but it surely was a Monday or Tuesday evening, after the weekend, all people needed to get collectively once more, not have a loopy evening however simply congregate. I assume perhaps individuals would simply Fb about it now.
THEAKSTON: It was all these little pockets of various membership nights — Mad Hatter and Zoot’s — from 1994 to 2004 that have been simply as vital to persevering with the entire Detroit narrative as the large golf equipment like Motor. Motor had its place, however Motor wasn’t essentially a spot the place you can be progressive.
SOUFFRONT: EXAT turned a venue for anybody who was on the town taking part in that weekend from out of city, who nonetheless occurred to be on the town, we’d invite and say, “Hey, in the event you if you wish to play to a sitting viewers, you may.”
DAVE WALKER [MW-Raves post, May 14, 1996]: Why pay massive bucks to see “DJ Trance” or no matter in a curler rink thirty miles north of town when you may see guys like Stacey Pullen, Claude Younger, Carl Craig, Mike Huckaby, and many others., taking part in at Zoot’s or the Shelter or Galligan’s for $2 to $5 through the week?
PLASLAIKO: Kenny Larkin performed reside down there one time.
THORNTON: One other standout for me was, Autechre got here by to play after they performed one other promoter’s get together that weekend. From what I perceive, they really stayed as a result of they needed to return to EXAT and play.
PLASLAIKO: I bear in mind speaking with Autechre that evening for some time. I requested a silly query: “Do you may have any recommendation for aspiring younger producers?” They usually informed me, “Yeah — purchase a chunk of drugs, study it for months on finish, and once you suppose you’ve realized every thing else, go study a pair extra months. After which once you suppose you’ve realized all every thing else, once more, go a pair extra months after that — and then purchase one other piece of drugs.” That scared me off of manufacturing for just a few years.
Photograph courtesy of Clark Warner
DJ Clark Warner perfoms at Zoot’s Coffeehouse.
“An excellent-important rave assembly.”
BRENDAN ROHAN [writer; Orbit, April 1995]: On March 5, 1995, I used to be swept up within the large police raid that netted lots of of children and a smattering of medicine. My crime? Attempting to have an excellent time. . . . The week earlier than the occasion, the Detroit Information ran a narrative by freelance author Irvin Jackson, detailing drug use and stoned-out, sexually promiscuous minors partying at a 1315 Broadway get together, a block away from the 1515 Broadway website. . . . TV2’s Amy Jacobsen reported that she was broadcasting from an underground “rave” get together simply days after the bust. That report, full with downward, darkish, and jerky digital camera angles, was really filmed at Zoot’s Coffeehouse throughout regular hours.
FOTIAS: Each Monday, we had our Detroit promoter conferences there. It might be me, Dean [Major], Adriel; Wealthy would come each every so often; our buddy Jason Vetrano who did events, our different buddy Alan Bogl. As a result of there wasn’t e-mail, Fb, or message boards, that’s how individuals convened and talked about, “I’ve bought these dates,” or, “What are we going to do about this police state of affairs?” — nose to nose.
VIDOSH: I’ll always remember: Richie Hawtin got here to an EXAT on Monday for a super-important rave assembly between the entire promoters. He was about to sit down down and stated, “You need to be in right here, Sarah.” I used to be making an attempt to not fucking smoke the ground after I ran in there.
THORNTON: After the raid, Channel 2 — I’m undecided in the event that they hit me up or in the event that they hit Zoot’s up. However both means, we knew they have been coming. And I feel we’d have been having a quote-unquote “scene assembly.” I bear in mind Richie there. Matt was there, Sam [Fotias], all of the promoters within the metropolis; there was fairly just a few DJs. I distinctly bear in mind us arising with a plan proper there, actually, to not talk about our scene with them. I probably could be the spokesperson. Once we noticed the ultimate piece, they legit tried to make like they have been at a rave. It was so silly. It was like, “Nicely, that’s some fucking inventive enhancing proper there.”
Photograph courtesy of Clark Warner
“It was certainly one of these basic Detroit Woodbridge properties, which was the realm of Wayne State campus.”
“However that’s solely sustainable for therefore lengthy.”
THORNTON: Zoot’s was nonetheless a type of issues the place you sort of needed to know what it was. And it catered to such a distinct segment crowd — the ravers, some punk children, and hip-hop children. However that’s solely sustainable for therefore lengthy.
ANDERSON: I used to be a horrible enterprise proprietor. We’re 23-year-old enterprise house owners, you already know? We knew the ins and outs, at the very least, of the right way to make drinks and have occasions and promote. However the different finish of it was not good. I used to be fairly wild in my twenties. That didn’t actually combine it up as a enterprise proprietor.
THORNTON: I simply bear in mind having this dialog with Aaron at one level about him being aggravated as a result of they stored discovering spoons within the lavatory, wiped out from the underside.
ANDERSON: EXAT was energetic proper till the top.
VIDOSH: I can’t consider I’ve had these associates for nearly 30 years. Those self same persons are the those who I used to be going to EXAT to see.
PLASLAIKO: That’s how I bought nearer with all these individuals. These persons are nonetheless household to me.
Encore: Might 2000
RUSSELL: Carlos Souffront’s three-hour set [at DEMF 2000; on Souffront’s YouTube page] — he was taking part in the Underground Stage and it rained fairly heavy all morning. Fluorescent lights have been on the entire time. Carlos performed the broadest spectrum of what he was about, entrance to again. His EXAT stuff from Zoot’s, B-12, super-pretty early UK stuff. It stored getting weirder and weirder and weirder and weirder, and the final 45 minutes have been all jams: Kraftwerk, Liasions Dangereuses, Boards of Canada — it turned this super-intense factor. It positively was my favourite set of the weekend.
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