The Midwestern United States has played an incontestable role in the evolution of electronic music. Just as the clanging factory landscape of Detroit led to the advent of techno, the dulcet sounds of house music emerged directly from Chicago, mirroring the city’s refined architecture. ARC Music Festival encapsulates the Chi-town’s dancefloor bona fides, funneling the energy of its legendary scene into what it describes as “Chicago’s flagship house and techno festival.” Stuart Hackley and John Curley of Auris Presents share their thoughts on what makes ARC Music Festival so unique and how it’s grown into an unmissable event for Chicago and beyond.
Live Event Architects
The festival game is competitive, particularly in electronic music, which makes it essential that promoters and events define themselves with intention. Renowned fests like Dekmantel, Movement, and Love International thrive through sonic worldbuilding, cementing lasting relationships with ticketholders through reliably eclectic lineups and uplifting atmospheres.
The ambitious Auris Presents stands out in this crowded field. Based in the birthplace of house music, the group is keenly aware of the critical role events like theirs play in the electronic music world. Still, the founders retain a homegrown focus. The self-described “live event architects” pride themselves on “illuminating Chicago’s music scene.”
"'Bringing the global scene back to the birthplace' quickly became our guiding force creatively."
Origin and Ethos
How did ARC originate, and who were the initial players involved?
Stuart Hackley: ARC was conceptualized in 2020 in the thick of the pandemic. The idea was born after a simple thought from John Curley: “As the home of house music, why doesn’t Chicago have its own house music festival?” We started working on talent immediately, and when we got into the creative and curation, the festival’s mission further defined itself as we went along. “Bringing the global scene back to the birthplace” quickly became our guiding force creatively. The three founding partners were Nick Karounos, Stuart Hackley, and John Curley, along with their company, Auris Presents.
Is there a specific ethos or philosophy governing the festival—from curation to the details of the event?
SH: Absolutely. Putting house music, its founders, and its Chicago roots at the forefront of this renaissance is a pivotal tenant. We believe that the originators and early innovators of the genre should be prioritized for their contributions to music, not just for their current profile stature. This guides much of our musical curation. It’s an ethos that has hatched many mantras we use every day: “Bringing the global scene back to the birthplace of house,” “ARC has your favorite DJ’s favorite DJ,” “house, techno, Chicago,” and “house comes home.”
Creatively, we don’t have a guiding mantra, but we do have a set of simple tenants. Create unique, intimate environments at each stage, allowing maximum audience immersion. Have impeccable audio quality. We hate lines. People should wait in line for as little time as possible. Have impeccable audio quality. Yes, we say this twice because it’s that important.
"We believe that the originators and early innovators of the genre should be prioritized for their contributions to music, not just for their current profile stature."
Sibling Cities
How do you see the relationship between Detroit and Chicago regarding techno and house, and how does ARC navigate the two powerhouse cities?
John Curley: You can think of Chicago and Detroit as sibling cities, with house and techno growing up together since the ’80s with relative proximity, alternating influence, and mutual respect. Founding fathers of both genres exchanged ideas, intentionally or by osmosis, over the years. We strive to tell this story by showcasing artists from both cities and spanning all generations, side by side and often on the same stage.
Our newest stage, Area 909, is a perfect example of paying homage to this shared history. Mike Dunn, Terry Hunter, Carl Craig, Moodymann, Joe Smooth, K’Alexi, Shaun J. Wright, and DJ Holographic are all featured on the same day. Multiple examples permeate the festival lineup, a nod to the brotherly love that exists between the two cities to this day.
Does ARC have any distinct Midwestern characteristics?
JC: More succinctly put, ARC Music Festival is a uniquely Chicago experience, taking up residence in the city center, located in the historic West Loop district, mere blocks away from the original Warehouse nightclub where house music has its roots. Much like the “city of big shoulders” we call home, ARC avoids putting on airs and lets the music do the talking, assembling a multicultural grouping of artists and artisans from all corners of the earth, yet all under the same flag.
Not unlike the city, ARC is welcoming to all, with the common threads being inclusivity, expression, and the shared joy the music has symbolized and endeavored to spread since its inception some 40 years ago on the city’s south and west sides.
"You can think of Chicago and Detroit as sibling cities, with house and techno growing up together since the '80s with relative proximity, alternating influence, and mutual respect."
Legacy Meets the Future
Is it ever a challenge balancing emerging and legacy acts when booking the fest?
SH: Very little. It’s been a mission of the festival since day one to prioritize the originators. There is a major sense of respect in the house and techno worlds, and we’re finding that newer artists are excited and appreciative to play around the originators with such great tenure. Many artists helped create and mold the genre, giving us what we have today. We also like to create unique opportunities, such as b2bs, that pair the generations together.
What are some of the most fulfilling parts of putting on the festival?
SH: Seeing the excitement and action in real time from all the fans, friends, and artists alike. Receiving such positive feedback during the festival is truly one of the most rewarding things. A step further than that is when we see appreciation and adoption of the festival’s mission. We work hard to preserve and amplify the culture and community. It means a lot when current fans or new fans start speaking proactively about feeling a part of that. It especially means a lot when artists express that same notion and sing the praises on social media or post a picture with their favorite OG.
Aside from the outward fulfillment, it feels absolutely great to be a part of the action ourselves. This year, during Carl Cox b2b Green Velvet, the three founders and many of our other staff were right there in the audience—for a little bit, we forgot we had a festival to run and were fans dancing to incredible music.
"ARC will always be a culture-focused festival. We intend to protect the roots of house music and educate our audience about its history."
Do you have any thoughts about the future of ARC?
SH: ARC will always be a culture-focused festival. We intend to protect the roots of house music and educate our audience about its history. We intend to keep the festival intimate but refine the audience experience to get better each year. We intend to always book tasteful lineups that are true to the proper sounds of house and techno, with just enough cutting-edge and eclectic selections to have fun. ARC is built by house heads for house heads; it will always be that way. You can literally find us in the crowd right next to you, dancing.
