Juan Atkins

Birth : 1962-12-09, Detroit, Michigan, USA

History

Juan Atkins, an American DJ and record producer often hailed as "the Godfather of Techno," was born September 12, 1962, in Detroit, Michigan. He met friends Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson in junior high school after moving to Belleville, Michigan. The trio would come to be known as The Belleville Three. Atkins joined with Richard Davis in 1980 to form Cybotron. Their debut studio release, the electro album Enter, was released three years later. Atkins later left Cybotron and released music under the monikers Model 500 and Infiniti, among others, and as one half of the duo Borderland. Atkins, along with Saunderson, May and Eddie Fowlkes, is credited with originating the music genre techno.

Movies

God Said Give 'Em Drum Machines
A vibrant and nostalgic music documentary that explores the true beginnings of Techno Music and how young Black musicians from Detroit became the creative force behind one of the most celebrated genres in the world.
Sound of Berlin
Juan Atkins
"Sound of Berlin" is a documentary about the electronic club and music scene in the German capital.
Never Stop: Music That Resists
Himself
Featuring the pioneers of techno music Juan Atkins, Derrick May, Carl Craig, and Jeff Mills, Never Stop takes us into the fascinating universe of techno labels in Detroit. This film highlights the deep roots of the creation, more than thirty years ago, by each of the African-American pioneers of techno music, of their own record labels.
SubBerlin - Underground United
The original Tresor was in many ways the quintessential Berlin club: located in an unrenovated vault beneath a bombed out department store, it opened its doors amidst the general confusion and ecstasy that swept across the city when the wall fell. Its low ceilings, industrial decor and generally unhinged atmosphere created an unprecedented platform not only for techno in Berlin, but also for the scene taking shape across the Atlantic in Detroit.
The Last Angel of History
Himself
An examination of the hitherto unexplored relationships between Pan-African culture, science fiction, intergalactic travel, and rapidly progressing computer technology.