Left: Original Artwork for Model 500 (Juan Atkins) Classics. Right: Nightvision. Images Courtesy of Abdullah Qadim Haqq
Along the last few decades Berlin has appropriated techno music to the point that today you can’t mention one without spitting out the other. But despite post-industrial qualities from the hometown of Berghain and currywurst, the music genre’s origins can be found all the way across the Atlantic. It all began in the 1980s in Detroit, in the midwestern state of Michigan, where Ken Collier threw disco parties with influence from local radio stations and DJs such as Electrifying Mojo and The Wizard (aka Jeff Mills). Other well known artists with progressive musical visions were Juan Atkins the originator, Derrick May the innovator and Kevin Saunderson the elevator, known as “the Belleville Three”, as well as with Eddie Fowlkes.
Downtown Detroit by Marie Staggat from 313ONELOVE
Detroit was once a thriving city in the 1950s due to its car industry but soon after factories started closing down and recession hit, followed by riots and soaring unemployment. Despite the city’s steady and lingering decline, local radio and an active club scene managed to connect communities, especially the black community, thus creating the platform for Detroit techno to emerge. The sound of the music itself reflected the economic decline of the city through a machine-like aesthetic – creating unusual sounds that would define the “Motor City” by reproducing the robotic noises of car factories. Derrick May famously likened the evolution of the sound to “George Clinton meeting Kraftwerk in an elevator”. Artists, musicians and producers gravitated to Gratoit Avenue, which housed Kevin Saunderson’s office, studio and home. Derrick May lived upstairs and Juan Atkins next door, creating a fluid environment of exchange and experimentation.
“Detroit: Techno City” is a new show at the ICA Fox Reading Room that considers the evolution of Detroit Techno music. Having previously played host to exhibitions on UK pirate radio in the 1980s and Italian nightclub architecture in the disco heyday of 1965-75, the ICA is no stranger to curating exhibitions about music or clubbing culture. The current show reflects on the musical and social influences that informed early experiments merging sounds of synth-pop and disco with funk to create this distinct music genre. For those who can’t wait for Frankfurt’s MOMEM opening in 2017, and haven’t made it to Detroit’s Exhibit: 3000, a local museum highlighting attributed electronic instruments, rare record pressings, artwork and media – then this is the exhibition for you.
Detroit Threads by Marie Staggat from 313ONELOVE
The Fox Reading Room exhibitions may be small but they are always well researched with plenty of interesting archival material on show. This edition displays the infamous analogue drum machines, the Roland TR808 and 909, alongside monitors playing excerpts from documentaries about Detroit, the original acetate for techno albums, and an extensive visual timeline of the stages of the genre’s development and the key players. All of this is set to a thudding playlist, inspired by the formative 1988 UK compilation: Techno! The New Dance Sound of Detroit.
Although the music failed to gain mainstream audiences in America, it became a phenomenon in Europe. This introduced a second wave of DJs and producers to the sound including Carl Craig, Richie Hawtin and Kenny Larkin. Coupled with the influence of Chicago House and European minimalist electronic music, a new generation was born. Overseas collaborations with organisations in Berlin were established due to the post-industrial, social and architectural parallels between the two cities. The Tresor club was the symbol of this union, inviting Detroit producers to play and release their music. However, this widespread international embrace of the “Motor City” also ran the risk of diluting the movement. Underground Resistance was founded in 1989 by Jeff Mills, Mike Banks and Robert Hood. Their collective ambition was to challenge commercial mainstream entertainment industry and re-establish Detroit techno music’s authenticity with an emphasis on the city as a source of inspiration. The independent label focuses on producing uncompromising music, geared towards awareness and change, something that’s become equally important in lethargic Detroit and rapidly gentrifying Berlin.
Patrice Scott by Marie Staggat from 313ONELOVE
Kenny Dixon Jr. aka Moodymann by Marie Staggat from 313ONELOVE
Octave One by Marie Staggat from 313ONELOVE
Left: Father Abraham. Right: Eddie Fowlkes. Photos by Marie Staggat from 313ONELOVE
Dj Psycho by Marie Staggat from 313ONELOVE
Craig Huckaby by Marie Staggat from 313ONELOVE
Left: Archer Record Pressing. Right: Juan Atkins 2. Photos by Marie Staggat from 313 ONELOVE
Detroit: Techno City is on display at ICA Fox Reading Room, London until 25 September 2016