Juan Atkins, one of the pioneers of Detroit techno, has died at the age of 64. A representative for his agency Greensmith Artists confirmed his death to Resident Advisor.
Atkins was found unconscious in his Mexico City hotel room before a scheduled performance at the YuYu Cine Club on October 31. He was later taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. No official cause of death has been announced.
Reports of a suspected heart attack have appeared in some publications, but this information has not been officially confirmed.
One of the creators of the Detroit sound
Born in Detroit in 1962 and raised in Belleville, Michigan, Atkins met Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson. The three would later become known as the Belleville Three and were among the musicians who laid the foundations of Detroit techno in the early 1980s.
In 1980, Atkins formed the duo Cybotron with Richard Davis. The project combined electronic instruments, synthesizers, machine rhythms, and futuristic themes. The 1983 song "Clear" became one of the early signature records of the genre.
After the end of Cybotron, Atkins continued his solo work under the name Model 500. Among his most influential records is No UFOs from 1985. That same year, he founded the label Metroplex, which became an important platform for the Detroit electronic scene.
The musician associated with the name "techno"
Atkins is among the figures associated with the establishment of the word "techno" as the name of the new electronic genre. His song "Techno Music" was included on the British compilation Techno! The New Detroit Sound in 1988, which introduced the city's music to a wider European audience.
In the following decades, he continued to release music such as Model 500 and Infiniti, and his work with Moritz von Oswald on the Borderland project showed his interest in developing electronic sounds beyond the traditional boundaries of the genre.
Kevin Saunderson, his Belleville Three bandmate, wrote: “Juan was the creator of techno, a true visionary who paved the way for so many of us.“
Sources: ra.co, theguardian.com, pitchfork.com