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I’m still exhausted from dancing my ass off at last weekend’s Movement festival in Detroit. In my third venture there, it’s cemented its position as the best place to reconnect with the music scene and friends I love. I’ve been thinking about it all week, so of course I immediately read Mixmag’s “Top 5 Tracks From Movement Detroit 2013” article when it flashed across my news feed. It’s an interesting list with a few cool tracks, but my top moments at movement didn’t come from bleeding edge tech house tracks from hippest of labels like the ones mentioned there. My favorite moments from last weekend in Detroit came from either 15-25 years old tracks, or more recently released material I would normally write off as cheesy.

5. Miguel Campbell spinning The Orb’s “Little Fluffy Clouds”

Having heard Miguel’s Beatport chart topping disco-edited production, I was expecting his DJ set to be of more of the same. I was not expecting a mid-90’s style progressive house set with an injection of funk into everything touched. While he played a unreleased edit or remix of this 90’s classic with a heavier bass line, the original’s psychedelic composition was very much intact.

4. Buzz Goree throwing down Maurice Joshua’s “This is Acid”

The Made in Detroit stage always seems to be playing something different. After a lovely melodic set by Ryan Elliot, Buzz threw down this 1988 dance chart topping single and instantly reignited the party. Iconic tracks have their place.

3. Carl Craig rocking “Quetzal” by Los Hermanos in a wine bar

“An Intimate Evening with Carl Craig” at Motor City Wine was far and away the best way I’ve ever started the Movement weekend. The 60-person gathering was festive enough to get you in the mood, but relaxed enough to not wear you out. In the style of my favorite party here in Portland, Carl Craig was DJ – no opening or closing act necessary – and his set builded elegantly while being all over the map. My highlight of the night was this progressive sounding bomb that went of around 1am while sipping “Carl Craig with Bubbles” wine.

2. Soul Clap jamming the Frankie Knuckles remix of Chaka Khan’s “Ain’t Nobody” in the sun

The Beatport stage has moved from its usual location between the trees to where the Red Bull Music Academy Stage used to be by the cement pyramid. While the stage has traded the natural ambiance and shade for a larger and level plot in the sun, the lineup of the trendiest names in tech house remained mostly the same. Soul Clap mixed things up by unleashing a medley of piano house and disco at the height of the days warmth at 4pm which enhanced the vibe considerably. If there’s one thing the festival could have used more of this year, it was blissful daytime vibes like this classic Frankie Knuckles remix.

1. Ellen Allien dropping GTA’s “Booty Bounce” in a howling rainstorm

Monday was a tough day for a lot of folks still tearing up the festival. Two days of festival and three nights/days of afterpartying had taken its tole on the crowd and the weather had taken 180 degree turn for the worse. The Beatport stage felt like the deck of an aircraft carrier in a storm that afternoon. The wind and rain combined for a horizontal downpour off the river. The tarps covering the turntables in the DJ booth looked like they were barely holding on. A significant percentage of the crowd was wearing ponchos and there was clearly less energy on the dance floor.  Ellen Allien came on and started with a sensitive and easy to listen to deep house track, then tore out the rulebook by dropping an absurd Miami Bass track with the silliest vocal you’ve ever heard. The crowd responded fervently to the fun and unexpected cut. When the climax hit and the vocal line was pitched up to an Alvin and the Chipmunks octave, the entire stage went ballistic and a dumbfounded grin swept Ellen’s face. Not even she could believe the extent she had lifted the mood of the entire stage. Is this a track I would give a shit about if I heard it on Soundcloud? Probably not. But it boosted my attitude on that afternoon more than anything else. Context is everything in live performance and Ellen’s risk paid off bigtime.

It’s been nearly two years since I posted about The Spaceship, my standing desk built from IKEA shelving units. Since then, it’s been featured on sites like Lifehacker and IKEA Hackers, yielding unforeseen traffic to my humble blog. This gargantuan $250 dollar experiment has been replicated by at least 10 people I know of, each person modifying it to meet their own needs.

Modification #1: The DJ Booth

When The Spaceship was first launched, I was working from home. Easy access to the keyboard was my foremost requirement. Second requirement was room underneath the front part of the desk to fit a high chair so that I could sit on occasion. Once I stopped working from home, I found the The Spaceship was seldom used. However, I was no longer burdened with the original requirements. That allowed me to convert The Spaceship into a DJ booth AND a casual work station.

The modification is simple and non-permanent. To drop the top, I unhinge and remove the partially constructed 5×1 Expidit shelf in the front. In its place lays the previously unused side of the 5×1 unit on top of the 2×2 units. I don’t bolt down the side of the 5×1 unit as the weight of the turntables and mixer is enough to secure it.When I need to get some work done, I simply put the partially assembled top back on. Since the top fits exactly over the shelf below, I don’t need to bolt it back on. Transitions take about 30 seconds.

This unit makes for an ideal DJ setup. The speakers at ear level, equipment right at the waist height. The Expedit shelf spaces measure 13″x13″, which is perfect for fitting 12″ records inside. Inside the assembled 1×5 unit lies a mess of equipment and wiring. I cover this mess with a disassembled Nasum basket, the same basket that I use for storage inside the 2×2 units.

Modification #2: The Treadmill Desk

Written while walking by Chad Evans (@ch7d)

Sedentary work life? Can’t end well. Thinking forward with forward thinking, I constructed a walk/work apparatus using Peter’s Spaceship 2.0 design and a purpose-built walking treadmill. Wondrousness ensued.

Now, I condense 12-16 hours of activity (4-8hr walk, 8hr work) into an 8 hour workday, pleasing the min-max brainmeats which command me. But something else happened. Something unexpected.

I am easily twice as productive on this hawg. As I’ve learned, walking while working is more than time maximization. It adds imminence. If I stop walking, I will fall off the back of the treadmill. Mentally, this translates to “must… keep… going…” which bolsters intensity and productivity.

At its core, what is walking? Moving forward toward a goal. Exactly what I do all day on the computer. Perhaps the mental/physical combination activates a primal goal-reaching adroitness. Perhaps that’s a stretch. Either way, the whole thing is made of win.

Enough philosophy, let’s get down to gritty.

In my version of Peter’s Spaceship 2.0, I decided on treadmill-matching black and to keep all shelves in tact. Skipping shelf modifications allows the ability to break down the beast into four movable modules. To prevent rubbing/scratching, I affixed the included fuzzy floor sliders to the underside contact points of the 5×1 shelves.

Dollar cost: $1200 ($200 for IKEA Expedit shelves, $1000 for LifeSpan TR1200-DT3 Standing Desk Treadmill

Build time: 2-3 hours, 1 person

Measurements: 72 7/8″ width, 30 3/4″ depth, 48 1/2″ height

Photos don’t properly portray the bootprint of this contraption. It’s massive, yet compact. Bulky but sleek. Truly, a luxury workspace for the power user. It affords ample surface, cubbies galore, and perfect height for a 5′ 11″ person.

Lovingly, I coined her Behemoth, my voluminous, forboding iteration of Spaceship 2.0.

Pros:
– Dang sexy
– Far cheaper than prefab standing desks
– Huge surface area
– Considerable depth allows use of a mega monitor (better on eyes)
– Deep cubbies perfect for basket-drawers, computer bags, keyboards, wires
– Cables can be routed and hidden
– Treadmill console sits on desk

Cons:
– Bulky
– Costs money

Uber tips:
– Use a 32″ 1080p LED TV for a vast digital viewscape
– Wear Vibram “toe shoes” for ancient walking powers
– Enter treadmill’s engineering mode to eliminate 1980’s era beep

Put together, this particular desk/treadmill combo is quite the catch. Remember when tablets introduced untethered computing to the masses? This could be a similar breakthrough for power users where determination and $1200 nets a happy body and amped-up productivity.

Modification #3: ???

Okay, so I know I said at least 10 people I know of have modified The Spaceship to meet their own needs and that’s true. However, I only have full details from Chad. Email me details of how you modified The Spaceship and I’ll update this post!