The electronic music world is sad to report the passing of Juan Atkins, the legendary DJ and producer credited with helping develop techno. He was aged 64. His death was confirmed by his management on November 1st to Resident Advisor. He was set to play at YuYu Cine Club in Mexico City; however, he was found unresponsive in his hotel suite and was rushed to hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. There is no further information about his death.
To understand how important Juan Atkins was to electronic music, we need to look back at how Detroit techno started. As a young kid growing up in Michigan, Juan made friends with Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson at school. They were united by their love of music and became known as the Belleville Three, innovating the underground electronic scene in Detroit and taking it to a global audience.
However, before this, Juan started experimenting with electronic music with his partner Richard Davis under the name Cybotron. This helped lay down a foundation to what would become techno. In 1985, Juan and Richard released one of the most iconic tracks of the movement, ‘No UFOs’.
Juan also helped provide a home for innovative electronic music with his Metroplex label. In 1988, Juan released another iconic track, ‘Techno Music’. This was released on Virgin Records compilation album ‘Techno! The New Dance Sound Of Detroit’, which helped spread the unique sound of Detroit and helped make the word ‘techno’ popular. Often referred to as the godfather of techno, Juan’s work lives on in modern electronic music.
Kevin Saunderson has paid his respects to his long-time friend and collaborator on Instagram, calling him his brother.
“Juan was the originator of Techno, a true visionary who opened the door for so many of us, myself included.”
Saunderson continued:
“I’ll never forget how he showed me how to finish my first record, ‘Triangle of Love’. That meant a lot to me then, and it still does today,” he continued. “We shared a journey that changed music forever, and I’ll always be grateful for his friendship, guidance and everything he gave to our scene.”
