Submerged Vol. II: DJ Roach 313, Michael Wenz, Konverge

Michael Wenz started to DJ in 1999 during the second big wave of electronic music in the United States while attending Madison Media Institute for Recording and Music Technology. During this time Michael began to attend festivals and all night parties around the Madison, Chicago and Milwaukee area. Previously Michael had attended some of the Drop Bass parties circa 1995 & 1996 but was more into non electronic music like Thrash Metal and the Grateful Dead at the time. It was the highest peak of electronic music in the United States yet and events drew 5-10 thousand party goers every weekend. Michael had a college roommate that was a hip hop DJ who happened to have 3 Technics 1200’s. His roommate was trying to settle a debt with Michael and offered one of his Technics Turntables to square up. Michael was then given an old belt driven Technics turntable with a wheel to control the pitch. After about a year of practice and making cassette recordings and buying underground records Michael was hooked. Michael played his first event during the fall of 1999 and has continued to play many large festivals and clubs all over the United States. Over the years Michael has released numerous original recordings on popular record labels as the Drop Bass Network, Toxic Recordings, DRUMASHEENz, Naked Lunch, Noise Complaint, Analogate, Aktivists, Audioworx, Chronic Cutz, and Elektrax.

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DJ Roach 313 - (Detroit, MI)

https://www.tectroit.com

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063858664543

https://www.instagram.com/djroach313

https://www.soundcloud.com/dj-roach-313

https://www.ra.co/dj/djroach

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 Latin Freestyle, creating a unique sound that wowed crowds at local events in his neighborhood. 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 the Stratford 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 the city'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-Troit will 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.