Paris (AFP)

Death of a young Nantais against a backdrop of controversial police intervention, administrative closures of clubs, forbidden electro festivals: denouncing a new "tension" of authorities towards electronic music, the 21st Techno Parade intends to "raise the sound", Saturday in Paris, on the occasion of a historic alliance of the actors of this musical current.

For the first time, all will be united "in a spirit more than ever militant and claiming".

The highlight will be the tribute to Steve Maia Caniço, the 24-year-old "teufeur" who disappeared during the Music Festival in June in Nantes, after a controversial police intervention, and found drowned in the Loire River five weeks later.

"It will be a tribute in dignity, peace and sobriety to this young man passionate techno," says AFP Tommy Vaudecrane, president of Technopol, the historical association for the defense of electronic music that has created and organizes the Techno Parade. The motto 2019 is "Dance for Steve", after "Nothing stops a dancing people" last year.

This musical serpentine will be followed by more than 300,000 aficionados and curious according to the organizers, on the traditional course of 5 km from the quays of the Louvre to the Place d'Italie. In the lead, the Coordination of Sound Systems and FreeForm, national structures that accompany the organization of festive electronic gatherings, will join Technopol "against the discrimination and misunderstanding of electronic music".

- "A freer party" -

"The electro events are places of peace and freedom in which we are not facing violent groups who would like to fight, contrary to what we try to believe," said Tommy Vaudecrane.

"It is important that there is a discussion at the national level to secure a real collaboration between law enforcement and event organizers", argues the president of Technopol. He has the "very serious impression of being in the 90's when techno was demonized, with tense relations with law enforcement and the systematic association with drugs".

"Two big Parisian clubs have just been closed down by administrative decision, blaming the leaders on what is nonsense, which confirms the government's failure to fight drugs. the role of the state to preserve its citizens.It is the role of the police to stop dealers, "notes Mr. Vaudecrane.

"In recent days, round tables have been organized with the Ministries of Culture and Interior, our interlocutors are open to reflection.We are not in a completely closed situation," however welcomes the president of Technopol .

Created in 1998 with the support of former Culture Minister Jack Lang on the model of the "Love Parade" of Berlin, the Techno Parade claims each edition "a freer party".

- Manu The Evil, the return -

Saturday, several stars of the electro, among 200 Djs, will be at the controls of the decks of the ten tanks, with the rhythms of the different currents of the techno music: House, Trance or Drum'n'Bass.

After fifteen years of absence, the boss of the hardcore techno, Manu Le Malin, will mix on the "sound system" of the Technopol tank. He will be accompanied by Boombass, half of the Cassius duo, who will pay tribute to Philippe Zdar, who died in June.

The tank of the Institute of the Arab World will host the Maghreb scene with Djs Glitter or Ammar 808. For the first time, the French Federation of Music charters a tank dedicated to the hardhouse with Jonesy Fox Patronus and DJ Popof. The free parties will be represented by the Kraken and Insoumis collectives.

For a second edition, Sacem, the institution responsible for copyrights, joins the great musical charivari again with a 100% feminine poster, including Grace Kim and Benji De La House.

"Electronic music has a reputation that goes beyond our borders and is a great success for export," said Jean-Noel Tronc, general director of the Sacem "proud to take part in this great celebration".

© 2019 AFP