Shadow Kitchen is thrilled to welcome
GOD SAID GIVE 'EM DRUM MACHINES
for a screening, Q&A, and Kickstarter event!

Join us on Thursday October 16th at Coaxial Arts for a celebration of techno history and independent film!

In the early 1980s, drum machines hit Detroit like a bolt of lightning. At the same time, DJ techniques were transforming dance floors in clubs across New York, Chicago, and Detroit. As this new dance club format with a nonstop flow of beats stirred dancers everywhere, a new generation of Detroit teens—fueled by curiosity and creativity—got their hands on electronic instruments. Those early songs were not just simple bedroom productions, they were seminal tracks that created a blueprint for a whole new genre.

God Said Give 'Em Drum Machines (GSGEDM) is the story behind one of Detroit’s great contributions to world culture: Techno, the electronic music phenomenon created by Black artists in the 1980s that transformed dance music internationally and blossomed into the multi-billion-dollar industry of EDM today.

Starring: Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson, Derrick May, Santonio Echols, Eddie Fowlkes, Richie Hawtin, Mike Huckaby, and Blake Baxter.

We are excited to welcome writer, director, and editor of God Said Give 'Em Drum Machines Kristian R. Hill and Executive Producer Jennifer Washington to join us for a Q&A following the screening!

God Said Give 'Em Drum Machines premiered at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival and has enjoyed a robust festival run around the world since then.

Now, let's show some love and help the film reach an even wider audience by spreading the word about the ongoing Kickstarter campaign that will allow the film to be distributed on demand.

Help support truly independent filmmaking and distribution!

About the Filmmakers

Documentary Filmmaker Kristian R. Hill has over 25 years experience in film, television, and entertainment media. Kristian was born in Detroit, MI, a city whose prideful history would come to define much of his work. With encouragement from his parents, he got involved in the computer arts at an early age. His attraction to video editing gave him an entryway into the world of television, leading to early credits like Icons Among Us: Jazz in the Present Tense and other projects with the NFL Network, HBO and Apple. Driven by a thirst to tell authentic stories, Kristian eventually began focusing on producing and directing as much as editing.

In 2014, Kristian garnered an NAACP Image Award Nomination for Best Children's Television Program for “Postcards: Mandela.” Later that year, his short film, "Electric Roots: The Detroit Sound Project," was selected to screen at the Court Mértage - Cannes Short Film Corner. Both projects, he directed, shot and edited. In 2019, he began to roll out his own artistic breakthrough, the feature-length documentary ‘God Said Give'em Drum Machines - the Story of Detroit Techno’; which is his feature film directing debut. Hill has earned speaking engagements at the School of Cinematic Arts - DePaul University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Documentary Lab, British Film Institute - London Film Festival, and the Hirshhorn/Smithsonian Museum to name a few.

Currently, Kristian is living and working in Los Angeles where he is an in demand editor; in addition to his growing reputation as a director and executive producer.
*
Born and raised in Detroit, filmmaker, and author Jennifer Washington is inspired by the rich musical culture of her city. Since co-founding Washington Hill Pictures, Jennifer has produced several audio-visual works and events that amplify Black voices and uplift her hometown. By illuminating the city's musical legacy, her work champions the campaign for Detroit to be recognized as an official music capital of the world. In 2023, Ms. Washington was awarded the title of Cultural Titan at the 5th annual Detroit Diaspora Day.

Her latest endeavor God Said Give ‘Em Drum Machines: The Book is available now, which chronicles her 13-year filmmaking journey of producing her first feature film God Said Give ‘Em Drum Machines. Her newest documentary “The Untitled Y.A.L.A. Project” about the Young Ambassadors Leadership Academy in Los Angeles is currently in production, and coming soon!