Juan atkins
born September 12, 1962
A quick history on juan atkins, the GODFATHER OF TECHNO
Detroit has long been considered a hot-bed of musical innovation. From the legends of Motown to D12 and Eminem, few cities can rival the Motor City with their musical credentials.
Amongst the Detroit music scene's star-studded alumni, one notable figure has fallen under the radar somewhat. Considered by many to be the creator of Techno, that person is Juan Atkins. Although deeply respected in the music industry, he is far from a household name even though he undoubtedly deserves to be.
Early Life
Atkins was born in Detroit in 1962. The son of a concert promoter, he was exposed to a wide variety of music from an early age. As a teenager, he played in several bands, mainly funk and garage, and learned the guitar and bass.
He moved to Belleville, a city 20 miles outside of Detroit after his parents separated, and it was here that he met the two people that would change the course of his musical life. Atkins met Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson at Junior High in Belleville.
The three of them later became known as The Belleville Three. To this day, Belleville is considered the birthplace of Techno, thanks to these three high school friends' musical innovations.
It was here in Belleville, aged 15, that he made his first foray into electronic music with the purchase of his first synth. Now considered a 'vintage' model, the Korg MS-10 was an entry-level analog synth known for its percussive sounds and great bass. The perfect model for the young Atkins to start experimenting on.
He also purchased a set of turntables and began to teach his friends how to DJ and turntables. Atkins began to experiment with mixing using cassette decks and mixers, further fuelling his interest in electronic music mechanics.
Early Influences
As well as playing funk in the bands he formed at high school, Atkins was also significantly influenced by the seminal funk musician George Clinton and his musical collective 'Parliament Funkadelic' or P-Funk for short. German electronic music pioneers' Kraftwerk' also caught his attention, and it was the fusion of both of these influences that became the seed from which Techno was born.
As a teenager in high school, Atkins became interested in science fiction, particularly the novel' Future Shock' by Alvin Toffler. This fascination with forward-thinking was another significant influence on the young musician. The term 'Techno' and the names of his band 'Cybotron' and record label 'Metroplex' all stemmed from terms in Toffler's novels.
The Belleville Three
Belleville's rural city was a far cry from the bleak trailer parks and high crime levels of Detroit. Due to the predominantly white intake at their high- school, three young, black teenage boys were destined to find each other.
Without access to dance-halls or clubs, Atkins, Saunderson, and May spent whole evenings together listening to music. In particular, a 5-hour late-night radio show hosted by DJ 'The Electrifying Mojo' called 'The Midnight Funk Association.'
Mojo was instrumental in introducing up-and-coming artists to the Detroit music scene by playing their music on his show. His eclectic playlists included Prince, The B-52's, and Kraftwerk, among others. He was often thanked on-air or visited in the studio by artists to recognize his support for their music.
Atkins and May began to DJ as 'Deep Space Soundworks' and soon started recording their music. Mojo started playing their mixes on his radio show, and the three friends soon began to branch out by collaborating with other musicians. One such collaboration between Atkins and Rick Davies proved to be the seminal moment in the birth of what we now know as Techno.
The Birth of Techno
After graduating from high-school, Atkins went on to study at a Community College in Washtenaw County with the express aim of learning more about the ever-expanding field of musical electronics. Here, he met fellow Mojo fan and Vietnam vet Rick Davis who shared his love of synths and electronic music.
In 1981 the pair started recording under the name 'Cybotron,' and their first single, 'Alleys of your Mind,' was released on Deep Space Records. In a year when Diana Ross and Lionel Ritchie's Endless Love' and Kool and the Gangs' Celebration' were topping the American charts, this cool mix of electronic music and funk was nothing like anyone had ever heard.
Mojo quickly added 'Alleys of your Mind' to his playlist, and it became a big local hit. Most listeners were unaware that the record had been recorded in the USA, let alone in Detroit!
The following year they released their next single, 'Cosmic Cars.' They recorded their debut album, 'Enter.' After signing a record deal with Fantasy Records, 'Enter' was re-released. The track 'Clear' that many now consider being the track that laid the foundations for Techno.
In the music of 1982, it is easy to see why 'Clear' was so groundbreaking. It was a complete departure from any of the mainstream music featuring on the Billboard 100 and was a cut above other underground artists forays into the realm of electronic music. Rather than just a clumsy mix of hip-hop and Kraftwerk -style electronics, this was a cool, well-produced mix of electronic music, funk, and club music.
Despite their success with 'Clear' that classic band-killer, "musical differences," resulted in the pair parting ways not long after. Davis wanted to pursue a more rock and roll inspired route in which Atkins had little interest. This new direction did not prove successful, and Cybotron was soon consigned to music history, although Atkins did revive the alias later in his career.
After 'Clear'
Unsurprisingly Atkins did not let this parting of ways slow him down musically. Along with his old buddies at Deep Space Soundworks, he continued to make music and founding their club in downtown Detroit called the Music Institute. Here, the three friends DJed and helped launch several other fledgling Techno artists' careers. This paved the way for what became known as the second wave of Detroit techno.
In 1985 Atkins launched his label, the Toffler inspired 'Metroplex.' He began recording under a new alias, 'Model 500', which he still uses to this day. His first single as Model 500 was 'No UFOs.'
In the meantime, fellow Belleville Three collaborator May had moved to Chicago. Chicago also had a burgeoning Techno and house scene, and May encouraged Atkins to sell his records on the Chicago scene. As in Detroit, commercial radio and mainstream record stores did not play or stock Techno or House, but this did not stop these records from selling in the thousands. A sure sign that this scene was on the rise. 'No UFOs' sold thousands of copies, and subsequent singles, 'Night Drive,' Interference' and 'The Chase' all sold well.
Europe Bound
By 1988 the British music industry finally caught up to the commercial pull of Techno. Despite being deeply entrenched in the soap star horrors of Stock, Aiken, and Waterman, this new music from Detroit and Chicago was starting to catch the eye of a variety of producers, concert promoters, and artists.
Atkins was invited to DJ at open-air raves and consequently invited to work with bands like the Style Council and The Fine Young Cannibals. As well as remixing for these bands, The Belleville Three also inspired and mentored UK techno acts such as 808 State.
R & S Studio in Belgium and Tresor Records in Germany became the next champions of Atkins's considerable skill-set. He worked with both studios for several years, sometimes assuming the alias 'Infiniti' before finally releasing his debut Model 500 album, 'Deep Space,' in 1995. R & S also decided to release a compilation album, 'Classics,' which featured Atkins's best Metroplex singles. Tresor released another compilation album, 'Infiniti Collection' which cataloged his work under this alias.
After a brief step back from making music, the late nineties saw him release music as Infiniti, Model 500, and himself (a mix album released by American label Wax Trax).
Still Making Music
Atkins is still prolific in the music industry to this day and divides his time between various musical projects.
He relaunched Cybotron in 2019 with an audio-visual show at the Barbican in London and subsequent shows in Barcelona and Amsterdam. He continues to perform as Model 500 and has also branched out into lecturing. He has presented his ideas on music and its effect on the mind and body at several music and technology institutions worldwide, most notably at Berklee, MIT.
Coachella 2017 saw The Bellville Three launch officially as a combined entity to hordes of loyal Techno fans delight. While the three had always worked closely together while branching out with other artists, they had always resisted formalizing their association. Long ago, each of the Bellville Three were given monikers that still endure to this day. Derrick May is 'The Elevator,' Kevin Saunderson' The Innovater' and of course, Juan Atkins' The Godfather of Techno.'
From looking at Atkins's considerable musical legacy, it is clear that he has left a massive mark on the music industry by anyone's standards. It is also clear from his tendency to hide behind aliases that he is not interested in courting the kind of fame that many artists today seem to crave. But as the godfather of Techno, he paved the way for future artists and changed the face of electronic music.