In advance of the massive Detroit Memorial Day / Movement after party headed up by SHIFT at the expansive Lincoln Factory complex on May 26th, we catch up with its main protagonist, Shaun Reeves. Having been a driving force in the city for a long time, Shaun has risen through the ranks of the underground to become not just an influential player, but an artist who charges himself with connecting the dots of the various US and European scenes that make up our community.
Detroit has always held the mantle of hustling hard, and Shaun has proven from an early stage that he has that same mentality. We begin our tale with Shaun explaining that he has been linked to this legendary weekend way before it was even known as Movement, “Back then it was known as DEMF. I was actually an intern for Paxahau before I moved to Berlin. They eventually took over running the festival, but in those early years, I was helping support their afterparties and learning the ropes behind the scenes. That time was foundational for me. The friendships and connections I made during those years not only made it possible for me to move to Berlin, they’re still part of my life and work to this day.”
Being such a key figure in both the US and Europe is no mean feat, but one that seems to have come naturally to Shaun. With such a well rounded offering in SHIFT, we were keen to understand what the back story was to throwing parties during this weekend, “After I moved to Berlin in 2004, the rest of the crew—Seth, Ryan, and Lee—were still in Detroit, and there was a lot of cross-pollination. We’d throw parties in Berlin together, and I’d come back to Detroit to play and stay at the house where Seth and Lee lived. There was an infamous DJ booth in the basement there—Tesh Club, as it became known.” Shaun continues to recall these influential moments, “In 2006, Seth and Ryan started a Memorial Day party called “Need I Say More”. The first edition was at a restaurant called Agave, and by 2007 it moved to Old Miami, where it became a Movement Festival weekend institution. I supported in the early years, but I didn’t become a full partner in the party until we formally launched Visionquest. Before that, I was focused on building our presence in Europe, but once things took off, I became more involved.”
Old Miami in Detroit is a venue that is just as steeped in lore as this very weekend, and having been open since 1980, this would provide the building blocks for the many parties that would lead us to SHIFT. Shaun explains what it was about these early parties that was so special, “What made the early Old Miami parties special was that we didn’t play—we hosted. We’d book our friends and take on the roles ourselves—Seth might be working the door, Lee and I would be running around managing the details. It gave the whole thing a different energy. We weren’t just performers; we were responsible for the entire experience. That flipped perspective gave the party its soul. It felt more like a gathering of family than a club night.” Shaun continues to explain the history of such an important part in his legacy, “We held it down at Old Miami every Movement weekend until 2017, when the party finally outgrew the space.”
For many, Shaun is best known for his most iconic project – Visionquest, but as you will have gathered by now, this is only a chapter in this storied tale. It is, of course, a rather large chapter as this project, alongside Ryan Crosson, Lee Curtis, and Seth Troxler, took over underground house and techno from the moment the group was formed. Shaun explains this rather influential inception, “The label Visionquest didn’t officially launch until 2011, but the four of us—Seth, Ryan, Lee, and myself—had been moving together as a unit long before that. I moved to Berlin first, and over time, the others came over. By 2006, we were all living in Berlin (with the exception of Lee), making music together, playing gigs around the world, and throwing parties. We were already operating as a crew—it just didn’t have a name yet. Visionquest became the banner when things really started to take off.”
The Visionquest brand truly revolutionised underground music and, in some cases, helped credible music to cross over into the mainstream. Perhaps this most defying of moments came by way of Benoit and Sergio and their aptly titled EP “Where The Freaks Have No Name”. This first VQ release would pave the way for a more diverse way of releasing music and kickstart a movement (pardon the pun) that is still going now. The label is now knocking on the door of their 100th release, and with minimal royalty, Wareika and N/UM at the dials for the 90th edition, this quest is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Moving forward in time to 2022 and Shaun has made an indelible impact on the European scene, but it was time to move back to Detroit. He explains his reasons for moving back and the path his events would take, “Three years ago, after I moved back to Detroit, I felt strongly about bringing the party (Need I Say More) back in some form. The community that grew around it was too special to let go.” Shaun continues, “In 2022, with help from both longtime friends and newer collaborators in the city, we revived the spirit of the party at El Club, which had a similar patio vibe to Old Miami. That edition, in partnership with Resolute, featured artists like Rhadoo, O.Bee, and Tomas Station. In 2023, we did a Club der Visionaere-style event with Zip and Seth. Then last year, with Lincoln Factory opening, we brought the party there—hosting Smoke & Mirrors on Sunday and collaborating with Tomas and O.Bee again on Monday. Their involvement has been crucial. They were inspired by the early Visionquest years and have been instrumental in the revival since 2022. For me, it wouldn’t feel complete without them—they’re part of the party now.”
The scale of the upcoming SHIFT parties seems to indicate that Shaun and his team have been operating at Lincoln Factory for some time, but this is not necessarily the case. There is clearly a connection to the city, to this special date in the diary, but as Shaun explains the parties being thrown here is a relatively new adventure, “Last year was the first time Lincoln Factory opened its doors—and it happened to be on Movement Festival weekend. We kicked things off with the Smoke and Mirrors party on Sunday, and on Monday, Tomas and O.Bee hosted Can You Jig-it?. The timing was perfect, and the space immediately felt right for what we were building.” He continues to explain his approach to this exciting space, “It was a blank canvas for the community to come together and build—but also a place for me to bring something back to. After years of travelling the world, collecting sounds, ideas, and inspiration, it felt like a full- circle moment. The doors to those places were open to me because I was from Detroit, and now I was bringing that influence home. Lincoln Factory became a space where I could express all of that—where global experience meets local spirit.”
In a relatively short space of time, Shaun’s SHIFT parties have become an important part of the clubbing landscape of Detroit and for good reason. Having already moved back to Detroit Shaun and his team soon slotted back into the fold to present the parties that made the city so iconic in the first place. He goes on to explain his reasoning behind throwing these particular events, “It was about continuing the community we had built over the years—with Visionquest, with our friends around the world, and especially in Detroit. I wanted to keep that flame alive and keep things moving forward. These events became more than just parties—they’re part of a tradition. They hold meaning for a lot of people, and I felt a responsibility to keep that energy alive.” He adds, “My personal connection with the Lincoln Factory team also played a big role in shifting the focus of the Monday party there. It gave us the chance to carry the legacy into a new space that felt right.”
The connection between Visionquest and Detroit is an unbreakable one that has more than stood the test of time. Interestingly, Shaun explains where the crossover came between SHIFT and Visionquest, “SHIFT came about naturally. We had started doing events at Lincoln Factory more regularly over the winter and wanted to frame them as part of a residency series leading up to Movement. The name “SHIFT” came to me and just made perfect sense—it resonated on multiple levels. It’s a shift in the scene, in the city, in the country, even in the global music landscape. There’s a shift in consciousness happening, too. And of course, the venue is a former car factory—so there’s the gear shift metaphor in there as well. It all clicked.” He goes on to say, “Visionquest parties had already become more infrequent after 2016. Leading up to the pandemic, we were each exploring our own paths and creative identities. The label continued, but the events slowed down. Life happened—people started families, moved to new cities. There was never an official end to Visionquest, just a natural slowing of momentum.”
Visionquest has been a major factor in Shaun’s life, and with the project edging ever closer to the 100th release landmark, he explains his plans for the future, “That said, next year marks 15 years of Visionquest, and we’re planning to celebrate with new releases and a proper tour. We’re currently around our 90th release and aiming for 100. Whether that becomes a send-off or a new chapter, we’ll see—but that milestone has been a longtime goal.”
With his sights firmly set on the upcoming Memorial Day SHIFT marathon, Shaun rounds off our conversation with a simple takeaway on this event that hits as hard as the various sound systems that will be ready to rock on May 26th, “It means coming full circle. Giving love back to the place that raised me. A moment to reconnect, remember, and keep building.”
SHIFT on May 26th will be collecting together an all-encompassing team of artists and music brands for a 24+ hour party that will feature four stages hosted by Yoyaku, SHIFT, The Other Side, and Visionquest. As well as the already bulging artist lineup, also joining the team will be Ohm Hourani, CHKLTE, Dana Ruh, and the return of Art Department, who is prepping a clutch of heaters for his upcoming Rawax release.
More info on SHIFT Detroit
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