Detroit's machine for the future
Radio, creative friendships and the early makers of Detroit techno.
The history of techno is closely tied to Detroit and musicians who combined an interest in electronic technology with their own ideas about dance music. The Detroit Historical Society highlights Juan Atkins, Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson, friends known as the Belleville Three. A wider scene developed alongside them, including Eddie Fowlkes.
The Electrifying Mojo's radio broadcasts were an important source of inspiration, bringing together electronic funk, rock, soul and experimental records. That context helps explain why techno's origins cannot be reduced to a single machine or tempo. A new musical language emerged from listening, conversation and the artists' own practice.
When exploring early recordings, try hearing them as different answers to one question, rather than as a compulsory list of classics: how can a repeating electronic figure develop? Follow the relationship between bass and drums, the arrival of a melody and the amount of space left between sounds. Those questions also work with later recordings.
Sources and further reading
- Detroit Historical Society: Kevin Saunderson and the Belleville Three (new tab)
- Detroit Historical Society: The Electrifying Mojo (new tab)
Keep listening
Explore techno and related styles through club radio, from restrained grooves to a fuller sound. Choose a station.