A Tree Grows In Detroit: Technos Origins In Motor City
What is a party? With my limited view of the world as a white kid from western Michigan, I think it means first playing with friends and then being in a very small, very hot room with a bunch of sweaty people listening to the same songs. Songs they listened to yesterday and the day before yesterday.
Before writing this piece I couldn't expect more from tonight, especially musically. Songs from artists like Drake, Lil Baby, and Dua Lipa are polished and repeated every time. Sometimes a remix of a song is added for freshness, but nothing more. I never thought twice about music, it was never the center of my evenings, it was always a periphery.
Oh, how wrong I was. Techno showed me the error of my previous thinking.
I'm neither a historian nor an expert on anything other than techno. For a deeper dive into the history of techno, I recommend going to Submerge's Exhibit 3000, the world's first techno museum, and opening Dan Secco's Techno Rebels.
I personally had the honor of speaking with international DJ, producer, member of Detroit's underground techno group and curator of 3000 John Collins. Techno was born in Detroit, just 45 minutes from Ann Arbor. Its founders are four black men: Juan Atkins, Derrick May, Eddie Fulks and Kevin Saunderson. These artists made music for black people in Detroit in the early 1980s.
Collins explained to me how techno music was inspired by Motown legends, disco artists like Donna Summer, electronic music group Kraftwerk, funk groups like Parliament-Funkadelic, and countless other musical innovators. Other sources of inspiration include science fiction art such as Star Trek, Star Wars, and Afrofuturism. Created using drum machines such as the 808 and 909, among other electronic equipment, Juan Atkins named the instrument "techno" based on the musical genre.
“Techno was created in Detroit because of the influence producers found there,” Collins said. “It was jazz, it was gospel, it was Motown, it was Parliament Funkadelic, it was German Kraftwerk. All these elements are included in techno music."
Atkins, May, Foulkes and Saunderson were inspired not only by music and popular culture. Their contemporary music production style is inspired by the city itself.
In the 1980s, Detroit was portrayed as a city without hope. In 1990, a New York Times article titled "The Tragedy of Detroit" noted how white flight and the decline of the auto industry had caused a severe economic recession in the city. As Dan Secco wrote in his book Tech Rebels, Detroit has become a symbol of everything that is wrong with America, reflected in its empty buildings and lifeless downtown. Collins noted that the media has completely ignored the positive elements of the Motor City.
“I think over the years the media has mostly focused on the negative aspects of Detroit and failed to highlight the good things that are still happening,” Collins said. “We still have strong neighborhoods: Black businesses and homeownership. Wayne State University, the University of Detroit, and DIA are among our largest campuses (as schools). “They (the media) only focus on the negative side, so a lot of people saw it.”
This overemphasis on the negative aspects of Detroit, such as economic struggles and high crime rates, has overshadowed the city's vibrant culture. As this fragmented image of Detroit was promoted in the press, black teenagers and clubbers from across the city flocked to parties and club events. 1980s Detroit nightlife included everything from Eurodisco to the new black and gay house music of Chicago.
Meanwhile, May, Atkins, Saunderson and Faulks began writing techno music. Techno with a tempo of at least 130 beats per minute and sometimes can reach 150 beats per minute. It's raw and provocative music, full of emotion despite the lack of lyrics.
“It's futuristic,” Collins said. "It's black. This is Afrofuturism. It's political. It's inspiring. This is the music that brings people together."
After the 1980s, techno music, which originated in clubs and parties throughout Detroit, became a more popular genre. I was getting more and more attention from radio musicians like The Electrifying Mojo, The Wizard and other Detroit DJs. With their help, techno music began to create a community of devoted listeners and devoted dancers.
Ann Arbor clubs also began playing techno, including the Nectarine Ballroom, now known as Nekto, where Jeff Mills resided in the mid- 1980s. As techno music spread, it attracted a diverse audience: black, white, straight and gay. This genre quickly gained attention and popularity. Detroit artists and labels, many of whom still produce music today, began distributing their music overseas.
“This technology has become an international phenomenon,” Collins said. “People all over the world danced to this music… People loved the music that came from Detroit.”
The genre gained popularity in English cities such as Birmingham and Sheffield while the rave scene gained momentum in the UK. The parties were mostly held in abandoned, completely underground buildings, but gradually transformed into large open-air parties with lights and loud music. At least it was an experiment and the drugs were available to the public.
That's why the techno rave scene has a lot to do with drugs. Drug use is common in techno shows, but that's not what the music is about. The aim of techno is to make people dance and get lost in the music without any chemical additives. The Conservatory, the first techno club in Detroit and the world, didn't even serve alcohol. These associations exist, and it is true that many people use illegal substances while listening to techno music, but there are also those who don't.
In the early 1990s, Detroit's techno music scene continued to grow throughout the city as independent labels acquired new artists. Additionally, big names from first wave techno like Saunderson, May, Folks, Atkins and others from Detroit now play clubs around the world, including major American cities like Miami, California, Chicago and New York. While the genre has a strong following in the United States, it is growing abroad, Collins says, in part because he believes Americans are conservative in their acceptance of new music.
“The United States is still a very conservative, conservative country,” Collins said. “And while a lot of people in the United States and Detroit liked house and techno music, it was more overseas.”
In the late 1980s, techno music began to integrate into the fabric of Berlin. Shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the city's nightlife exploded. Berliners have found a new way to dance and socialize to music in the techno style created by Kara from Detroit. In 1991, members of the "Underground Resistance" were invited to Berlin by Dmitry Hegeman to take part in a show at the Trezor club near the Berlin Wall.
The tech is still popular and thriving in the 1990s , 2000s, and 2010s. Bands like Underground Resistance and all other Detroit labels maintain techno's true identity as black Detroit music. Underground Resistance is politically unapologetic, its music reflects social issues like the Flint water crisis, and attempts to educate its listeners about unrest and discrimination.
Collins compared Secret Resistance to the rap group Public Enemy, as they both draw attention to social and political issues in the United States through their music.
“Their raps were about social issues in America. Discrimination, how marginalized people are treated,” Collins said. “Political, radical music. The dance was educational with its own rhythm. So you can dance with him, but he will also lose consciousness."
Today, Berlin's nightlife generates approximately $1.7 billion in revenue from clubs and music tourists alone. The popularity of techno in Berlin has led to some misconceptions that the genre originated in Berlin clubs rather than Detroit. Recently a museum in Frankfurt caused some controversy by falsely claiming to be the world's first techno museum. Although the Detroit museum is 22 years older than the one in Frankfurt, people see this announcement as an attempt to exclude the presence of Techno and Expo 3000.
Despite these controversies, the techno scene has an incredibly large audience and attracts people from all over the world to its famous clubs. They are believed to be unlike anything else and can only be described if experienced. Luckily, I had the opportunity to talk to one of their regular customers.
Enzo DiMichele, a Midwestern European transplant originally from Milwaukee, attended St. Louis College and currently lives in Austria. DeMichel is a huge fan of electronic music, particularly techno. He collects all the techno records he can find. He described the uniqueness he discovered in techno music while visiting clubs in Berlin.
“I felt like DJ was some kind of divine figure,” DeMichel said. “They had this control and carving of the sound… I think it's a decentralized, non-hierarchical space. When you talk about techno music, you are not just referring to the music, but also to the space and sensations that surround it."
De Michele also argued that in Berlin's techno clubs everyone was there just for the music, no matter who they were before entering the club.
“It's very dark in there,” DiMichel said. “People wear sunglasses everywhere.” Its atmosphere is full of sober and disinterested pleasure.
Speaking to people in Austria and Berlin, De Michele believes that few people in the world recognize techno as the black music that comes from Detroit. Detroit and its black artists deserve more attention and praise. "I think techno music is mostly black music. We have to respect the people who make it, and they're all black artists from Detroit," he said.
Even though he's toured the world in Austria, De Michele still listens to Detroit techno because he thinks it's the best techno music around.
“I think Detroit needs to be recognized and deserves to be recognized,” DeMickel said. “I think the music speaks for itself. I've never heard anything better. I'm listening to Detroit techno here. I'm here looking for records by Detroit artists. I think good DJs know that too."
Techno is present not only in Berlin and the huge European nightlife, but also in major American cities such as New York, Las Vegas or Los Angeles. Also available here in Ann Arbor. Techno is alive and well thanks to the guys at the Michigan Electronic Music Collective.
Taubman student Bianca Trigenia, vice president of the Michigan Electronic Music Collective, says their organization's goal is to keep techno music alive in the local scene and among University of Michigan students.
“We mostly cater to students, but since the original scene in Ann Arbor is the locals, the music tends to bridge the gap between them and they can connect and inspire each other,” Trigenia said. “We are planning workshops to learn how to produce and DJ, as well as events where aspiring DJs can showcase their skills and experience in a legal environment.”
Trichenea loves techno for its temporality. This allows listeners to stay tuned while the DJ shows them exciting choreography. “The emotional value of the DJ drives the theme and drives your experience,” Trigenia said. “And we're talking about a temporary art form. You create the moment, you have to be there and experience it, and then it goes away. (You can try to recreate it later, but being there, being surrounded by people… the ephemeral is an art form.)
That's the beauty of technology. It doesn't last forever, it lives in the moment, it can have long-term consequences. For Tricinha, emotion is what his listeners rally around. Although Trigenia finds his claims scandalous, I believe they are true. Techno's influence on the listener is a real and tangible phenomenon, almost impossible to describe in words.
“I wonder how we got over this feeling,” Trienna said. “It is difficult to pinpoint and describe precisely. You know, it's like knowing yourself, crossing the threshold of physical sensations to free your mind. It can be a brain space even outside of physical reality. so angry, but it's so real."
For Trinia, techno is personal. It's about sharing your art and music with others and helping them and you better understand the human experience. Not entirely said, but united.
“You share art and music, what could be more personal?” Trichenia asked. “It's simply recording the sensitivity of your body. Helps process difficult topics (like trauma). It's the glue that holds people together."
Experience is the key to techno music and a good night out in general. Everyone strives to create an experience that will be remembered forever (or sometimes not at all).
Techno is a form of music that cannot be classified into one category. This is not just an opportunity to enjoy a night. It is used not only for listening alone. Its rhythms encompass everything that music can be. This promotes uniqueness. Techno is a typical style of black music and there is something for everyone to learn. It is a constantly changing and evolving form of music, but its history should never be forgotten. Techno's roots are global, but they reach Detroit beyond our campus thanks to the Black musical talents of Atkins, May, Saunderson and Folks.
Now, as someone who has recently become more knowledgeable about technology, I encourage you to go out and listen to something new. Try to learn something about yourself from music, but also try to learn something about music. Remember that art does not exist in a vacuum, but rather there were meanings and intended audiences by the artists who created it. Art means recognition in which everyone can participate. May, Atkins, Saunderson and Folks made techno music for Detroit's black audience, but it can and should be enjoyed by everyone. Especially for those of us studying in Ann Arbor, it all started close to the land.
Advertisements columnist Myles Anderson can be reached at miland@umich.edu .
