DETROIT TECHNO
Detroit, USA
1980 - Today
Detroit is THE source of "techno" music as it is heard today and has influenced dozens of producers since its beginning in the early 80's...
ROOTS
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INNOVATORS
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THE BREAKTHROUGH
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TOWARDS MATURITY
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FROM ELECTRO TO BOOTY
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THE NEW WAVE
Face To Face With The Truth
The Undisputed Truth
Motown
1971
Detroit has been an epicentre of American music long before Detroit techno came and the home of the legendary
Motown
founded in 1959. The
Motown
defined a new sound for soul music and established a real paradigm of independent success for labels and black-owned business which became a leitmotiv for 100% independent companies like Submerge/
Underground Resistance
and most of Detroit-based techno record companies.
Sextant
Herbie Hancock
Columbia
1973
The kind of electronic Jazz heard on this visionary
Hancock
's album influenced Detroit artists such as Carl Craig and his
Innerzone Orchestra
or even
Mad Mike
with
Galaxy2Galaxy
or
Codebreaker
...
Man Machine
Kraftwerk
Capitol
1978
Let's once again quote
Derrick May
's famous statement :
"Detroit techno is
Kraftwerk
...
One Nation Under A Groove
Funkadelic
Warner
1978
...and
George Clinton
stuck together in an elevator".
20 Jazz Funk Greats
Throbbing Gristle
Mute
1979
The New Wave and Industrial dark electronic sounds have been a major influence for Detroit artists whose synthetic melodies and rhythms are often reminiscent of bands like
Cabaret Voltaire
or
Throbbing Gristle
. The first Planet-e release by
Carl Craig
as
69
was titled
4 Jazz Funk Classics
...
E2-E4
Manuel Göttsching
Virgin
1981
The seminal E2-E4 may be considered as one of the first "ambient" record with its two 30 minutes-long tracks and after being played in clubs like the
Paradise Garage
, it was covered by
Derrick May
as
Sueno Latino
which became a huge club hit by the end of the 80's.
Some Great Reward
Depeche Mode
Sire
1984
Yes those S&M Casio fetichists have always been top flavor in the Motor City, even when everybody was slagging them off in the UK