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Detroit techno will always be known as the mysterious link or "accident" in music history that eventually led to a new wave of electronic music. But for Derrick May -- who, along with Juan Atkins and Kevin Saunderson, helped transform mystical soundscapes into a worldwide phenomenon -- techno music was simply a means of filling a void in his life. Combining Kraftwerk's minimal, Morse-code-styles and the soulful Motown of his youth, May took his passion for all music and created a dancefloor in his mind that saw no boundaries. Known for their use of warm synthesized strings, tribal syncopation and intricate melodies, May and childhood friends Atkins and Saunderson pioneered the original techno sound that galvanized the globe. "The city of Detroit made this happen," says May, a.k.a. Mayday and Rhythim Is Rhythim, down the line from his Geneva, Switzerland, home. "It's the fact that we had to live in that city, we had to be hungry and young, and we had nowhere to express our feelings and no way out. It took Juan Atkins making his music to be our way out. He was my friend, he taught me, and I showed Kevin. "We created our own illusion of what we didn't have, and that's why techno music has always been called the accident. That's why people always want to ask, 'How could this have happened in Detroit? How the fuck could this have happened?' It happened because we didn't have it, we had to create it." Born in the Motor City in 1963, May immersed himself in the art of DJing when he was 18 before scoring a radio show on Detroit's highest rated station, WJLB, and playing major clubs like the Music Institute and The Majestic. He's collaborated with Depeche Mode, received a gold record for remixing "Deep House" for Inner City and runs his label, Transmat Records, while DJing the world over. While rumours abounded that May would quit releasing music after his 1997 retrospective double CD, Innovator, he's since re-released that mix and has been in Europe, nurturing new ideas. "I find i |
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"I find it more intriguing to be around people who are enlightened," explains May, who'll be making stops in Spain and Sweden for a string of festivals before playing Toronto on the night of summer solstice. "I want to be around people who want to help elevate me. I'm not interested in being with people who are always in the dark and constantly need the light turned on. And when I'm home, making my contributions, I do everything I can to keep enlightening people." May theorizes his techno was better received in Europe before his hometown because they seem more open-minded and less influenced by mass media than Americans. But apparently all May, Atkins and Saunderson were doing was mutating the records they loved as kids with fancy drum machines, not caring what anybody else thought. That's his secret to how techno happened: he created his own future. "I don't think we realized what we were really doing," says May. "We just followed our passion and it turned into something. And that's normally the way it happens. Good things happen because they're not thought out, they're just spontaneously combusted. "Nobody was monitoring us. So when this music hit the world, it had such an influence, such a strange-sounding feeling, it seemed to latch on to hearts and minds that always seemed disillusioned, disenchanted and not necessarily satisfied. That's exactly what this music is doing today, because those people have kept the fire going." Perpetually famished for the adrenaline rush of creation and invention, the still-strong techno trio is busy working on possibly yet another wave of new music that hints of experimental live elements. Meanwhile, May and his crew feel proud of the canonball they shot out into global waters, pushing out ripples with no destination. "What we started, we never intended to be exclusive or to keep to ourselves," May says. "How it ends up is out of our hands. Our only level of control over things is to continue to make exceptional music, to be opinionated |
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and to stand up forthright. "That's the common denominator where people will not only respect what you say but what you do. The next level is to figure out what needs to be done. Is it time to make money and make great records and work with all kinds of all people? Or is it time to do something else, change it up and ride the bull one more time?" |
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i'd say ride the bull. always. =) |
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Word!! |
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Strings of Life is for sure the greatest Detroit techno records ever released...I can't put into words the reaction when that record was dropped... A big pity May has been crippled creatively by the huge expectations placed on him (by both others & himself).... p.s. Juan was the creator, May the innovator and Sauderson the populariser...that's the way I've always seen it... |
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thanks for the article, arch carrier. do you think those 3 can still make something innovative? how about kraftwerk? so much has changed since their heydays... |
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hehehe, u mean archrival? arch carrier is a damn good song tho =) |
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archrival, arch carrier, archie, archie bunker, mr. arch rival... |
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Great post, I'm from michigan and was lucky to be exposed to the Detroit style at a young age. I agree about americans attitudes. I also wonder if the works of their past will ever be surpassed. they arent' releasing much these days, and I haven't seen a decent mix by any of them recently. Saunderson is the only one still active in the US from what i can see. Please correct me if i am mistaken. |
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May was a great, great innovator in the past...I think he has seen his glory days tho. U got so many talented artists now adays like Aphex Twin (also a great pioneer, innovator), Squarepusher, AE, BOC etc who got great, great releases coming up in the future. Plus u got up and coming new extremely talented artist inspired by AE and AFX who got their glory ahead of them. "do you think those 3 can still make something innovative" hmmm Im a bit sceptic, I dont think he can compete with "the holy trinitys" future works ;) |
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I dont wanna take anything away from Derrick tho , hes like the father of detroit techno. |
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What is this "Strings of Life" record? I wanna hear it. |
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i just bought innovator. its got strings of life, nude photo, all of derrick mays best. funny, i was just about to start a topic on this. |
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Where can I find a copy of these things? |
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a lot of Detroit stuff is easily available in compilations and reissues..I think Zomba is one of the labels isnt it? |
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as i said, derrick may has a reissue out called innovator. if i can find it at best buy, it can't possibly be that hard to find. |
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I'll check into buying that one when I get money...Off to find some mp3's in the meantime... |
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a history lesson for the IDM-kids to listen carefully to before they go out yet another time to yell "I hate Techno!" without having the slightest idea of what it is.. Thanx Arch. Keep the fire burning!!!! |
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Good read. |
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derrick may was an obvious influence on afx, so idm kids saying they hate techno have no clue what they're talking about. who are these people? are they on this board? |
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i have nothing but respect for derrick may, jaun atkins, and the rest of the detroit crew, but as archrival said i don't think that they can compete with other artists today. Most of the detroit artits seem to have a priority on djing rather than releasing new music, so that somewhat explains why they rarely release something new, and when they do it is often the same formulaic detroit techno that has been around since the 80's. I really love these artists and think they are capable of making great tracks, but their egos are getting away of their music. The detroit artists, both new and old(with some exceptions), for some reason have these huge inflated egos that are completely ruining the detroit scene, such as the detroit electronic music festival, which has already experienced a great deal of drama and ego-bashing in the three short years it's been around. |
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i agree with you there. Juan Atkins seems to have the biggest ego of the Belleville three. But they only seem to release mix albums anyway, and i don't think they are adept enough to compete with todays best. That said, discounting their influence is a sin. |
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What is Techno Music that sounds like technology Where would Techno be without England Where would England be without Techno? Greatest Techno record? Home Computer - Kraftwerk Does It still exist? Does the space shuttle still exist? Do you love machines? I don't love anything that can't love me back Favourite machine? Roland R-8 What would you do if you had the chance to make a record with Kraftwerk? Take plenty of notes Why has Techno inspired some of the most pretentious music journalism of the last decade? Because there is nothing else to talk about except so called new music trends that happened ten or twenty years ago Kevin Saunderson is... A go getter Derrick May is... Creative Juan Atkins is... A man with vision Who is the originator? Juan Atkins Who is the innovator? Derrick May Who is the elevator? Kevin Saunderson Will you ever stop making music? No What is music? Sound painting Is there a future for this world? Yes. But not as we know it now.... |
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i couldnt agree more naaic the techno/electronic scene here in detroit is dying the DEMF is just a way to sell stuff and have people come to look at ford cars..shitty cars i cannot believe that the crap clubs are still there and surviving and MOTOR is closing where am i supposed to go to now? and what about those posh clubs now with talentless dj's? |
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