Helene Sandi: The Insider's Guide to DEMF
A 72-Hour Dance Odyssey in Detroit
Helene Sandi— globe-trotter, and NYC event marketing maven for Niche Media—doesn’t just attend festivals; she lives them. Fresh off the Detroit Electronic Music Festival (DEMF), she’s buzzing with stories of sunrise sets, Irish techno pubs, and DJs who turned the city into a pulsating mecca for ravers.
For Sandi, DEMF was a non-stop, three-day ritual: wake at noon, hit the festival by 1 PM, dance until midnight, then chase afterparties until dawn. “Detroit attracts only the most hardcore ravers,” she laughs. “Why else would anyone go? They’re there strictly for the music.”
The DEMF Lowdown:
DJs Who Dominated
Alex Under: “A magic carpet ride of euphoric beats—he never looked up from his laptop.”
Alex Smoke: “Effortless flow, pure class.”
Heartthrob: “Sexy tech house from a sexy DJ—enough said.”
Paco Osuna: “Fun, danceable, and impossible to resist.”
Deadmau5: “Played one of the most beautiful tracks I’ve ever heard.
Richie Hawtin: “A masterclass in Detroit techno history.”
Ones to Watch
Matias Kaden: “Live, energetic, and radiating joy—he danced harder than the crowd!”
Best Parties
Festival by Day: “The lineups were unbeatable.”
The Old Miami: “6 AM start with Troy Pierce and Lee Curtis? Legendary.”
Irish Techno Pub: “A sports bar vibe with hardcore techno? Perfect happy hour.”
DEMF vs. WMC
“WMC is full of industry people networking. DEMF? Pure raver energy. Not a single person standing still.”
Summer Festival Plans
Sonar Barcelona—“First time! Ready for the chaos.”
Musical Influences
Madonna: “The queen of reinvention—unpredictable and always inspiring.”
U2, Depeche Mode, M.A.N.D.Y, Booka Shade, Burial, Mos Def
Techno Gods: “Ricardo Villalobos, Richie Hawtin, Loco Dice—t
Fashion Icons
Madonna (again): “Forever iconic.”
Chloë Sevigny, Gwen Stefani, Kate Moss: “Effortless risk-takers.”
Dream Venue
“An abandoned Brooklyn warehouse—raw, gritty, endless possibilities.”
With a sharp eye for detail and a raver’s heart, Sandi captures the essence of dance music culture—the sweat, the spontaneity, the sheer joy of a killer beat. Whether she’s plotting NYC parties or losing herself in Detroit’s techno vortex, her passion is contagious.
