Meet DUANE: Still smoldering from the late March 2026 cover of the Detroit Metro Times, working with Godmother of House, DJ Stacey “Hotwaxx” Hale, catwalking to open a fashion show, and committed to organizing his community around the issues that matter—he’s “upping d’ scoe,” just like his song. Rooted in Detroit’s rich electronic and social justice scene, DUANE’s music blends ghettotech (a unique Detroit form of techno which fuses Detroit house with fast danceable beats), pop and powerful messages of resistance. And, his live performances are always a nod to fundamental Detroit footwork, featuring dancers from the Detroit Jit Masters.
In this interview, Riverwise collective member Erin Posas sat down with DUANE to learn more about what motivates his musical vision, what keeps him going in the movement and why creating new avenues for change are essential to his practice in both worlds.
Erin: What do you want Detroit readers to know about you?
DUANE: I’m a Detroiter, through and through. Been here my whole life. I reference it a lot in my music and my art and my work. I’m a community organizer by day, club kid by night. I love music. I love the local talent that’s in the city. There’s so much going on here.
Erin: Tell us about your music. What have been your inspirations?
DUANE: My current work is heavily influenced by ghettotech and the music I heard as a kid. A lot of DJ Assault, a lot of party music, stuff I didn’t know was Detroit music at the time.
I’m a big pop music fan—that’s the other side of me. My first music memory was seeing “Baby One More Time on TV” in ‘99. I saw pop girlies on TV, and I wanted to be them. I love what’s popular, what’s a big cultural moment, what’s a mono-cultural moment.
My live show now is with me and some members of the Detroit Jit Masters. That’s been a little bit of a challenge, especially doing live performances. It’s harder to find spaces for live performers because everything’s so heavily DJ-focused these days.
The techno scene is very anonymous. That’s cool. But I want to take more of a pop focus on it, that’s really focused on the artist, the persona, and the presentation. I feel like there is a little niche that could be opened up for it to happen here. It’s hard, but I’m the one that could pull it together, and that’s what I’ma do.
Erin: How does your music intersect with your organizing work?
DUANE: I would say [my song] “Up D Scoe” was really telling people to go for it. It’s very positive: make your goals, hit them, up the skills. See the leader board? We’re winning. Everyone wants to hear something about them winning—Detroit, especially. We’re a very proud city.
I also want to tie organizing work into it too. I have a song out called “D MANOOGIAN JIT”, and it’s about encouraging folks in the city of Detroit to take ownership of the power that they don’t know they can tap into. It features an audio clip from a famous interview that’s been going around of a woman complaining about the city of Detroit and what she would do if she was mayor or if she was in charge. I want to encourage people to just stand up for themselves and be a part of the movement that’s happening.
Erin: What got you into organizing? What keeps you going?
DUANE: What sparked it for me was probably the 2016 election, that was my first election I ever paid attention to. I remember hearing Bernie speak in a primary. I was like, ‘wow, there are these issues I never thought about.’ That was the first primary I ever voted in.
My first time really getting into the work, I was living in LA for a year with my ex. We had broken up. I needed to get a job to buy a plane ticket home. I met this guy who was a recruiter. He had fliers to be a canvasser for the ACLU. I was like, ‘okay, I’ll just get a job here for a week or so.’ I ended up staying there for 7 months. I was one of the canvas leads, training the new people.
And then I moved back to Detroit and I found out I could do this work here. I’ve just been in it ever since.
When it comes to organizing, I love talking to folks and hearing their opinions, even when I don’t agree with them. I like offering them the opportunity to get involved, especially during primaries. People complain that, ‘there’s only two candidates.’ But these politicians, they work for us. There was a whole primary, that’s the job interview, and if you didn’t vote, then you weren’t there to interview these folks. You’re supposed to be a part of the process. I want everybody to be a part of it. I love a mono-cultural moment, just like pop music. I want you to have your input.
Erin: What are your “movement meditations”? What issues are feeding your fight right now?
I’m a big transit advocate. That’s my big issue I have for Detroit, because I’ve never owned a car. Whenever I can, I go to be a part of anything TRU (Transit Riders United), or anything WOW (Warriors On Wheels of Metropolitan Detroit).
I like to focus on getting the people involved that I see on a day-to-day basis. People seem to care more and get more engaged when it’s more locally focused. I believe people have more visceral reactions to issues that are impacting them locally versus whatever Trump is doing in the news for the day and anything else happening nationally. A lot of the people that I see on the bus, just living their lives, they don’t know, for example, that the No Kings rally is happening. They don’t care. If I can get them to go to one thing, I would rather they come to a city council meeting. I just think that’s more pertinent to their power building opportunity.
I don’t like viewing organizing work or universal rights as a charity. The bus, for example. I don’t like framing like, ‘oh, these poor people, they can’t afford to get a car…’ No. It benefits all of us. We shouldn’t have to own a car. The city should be more walkable.
I feel like a lot of Detroit, there is a mindset of, ‘I’ve gotten mine; you go get yours,’ like it’s a very protective barrier. But people have to recognize that what happens to folks around you in your community, that’s going to impact how you live. It’s for all of us, but it’s also for yourself. We need your input and involvement. It’s just standing up for yourself.
Follow DUANE on Instagram @Duane_313 to find his next show and latest creations.
