Two individuals whose names merit a mention in any conversation about the roots of Detroit techno have announced a Twitch live stream event. Juan Atkins and Derrick May top the bill of Party Matrix, which will take place on Saturday, May 16th. The event will be hosted by the latter artist’s record label, Transmat Recordings, as well as NYC promoter MeanRed and the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD).
Joining Atkins and May on the lineup are Transmat signees Scan 7 and Drummer B. All donations made during the live stream will go towards MOCAD as well as the artists. “My brother Juan and I decided to do a live stream this Saturday to help people stay at home,” May wrote on Facebook. “This is more important than ever right now.”
Originator and Innovator
As Selector recently explored, Juan Atkins and Derrick May are each seminal figures in Detroit techno. Known as the “Originator” and the “Innovator,” respectively, they worked alongside Kevin Saunderson, known as the “Elevator,” on music that cemented Detroit’s legacy in electronic music. Collectively they are often referred to as the Belleville Three for the rural, middle-class Detroit suburb in which they grew up together.
The Belleville Three were influenced by German electronic music pioneers – most notably the krautrock band Kraftwerk. In turn, first-wave Detroit techno greatly influenced the course of its European counterpart as their first releases were better received in Germany, the Netherlands and the U.K. than domestically.
More information on Party Matrix can be found on the event’s official Facebook page.
