Metro Detroit native Aaron-Carl began his music career in 1996, when he signed to Soul City Records, a label owned by Underground Resistance's "Mad" Mike Banks. Refusing to be boxed into just one style, Aaron quickly made a name for himself by releasing his first two records – both completely different genres, at the same time. "Crucified", a deep soulful vocal anthem, met instant critical acclaim; while "Down", an explicit electro-house track (the b-side to "Wash It") became – and remains one of Aaron's biggest records to date.
Buzz Goree started his dj career at the early age of 13 in the city of Detroit playing disco music. At the age of 15 he done guest-appearances at the Detroit studio 54 and La' umos and other various Detroit top clubs.
Born in Chicago in the early 60’s, and raised on Detroit’s West side, Delano Smith represents one of the last of a rare group of Detroit’s first “house” DJs. Perhaps it was the juvenile absorption of the sights and sounds around him during his first 5 years in the Windy City coupled with his experience during the new DJ craze of his high school years in Detroit that influenced Delano the most… or maybe it is simply that enigmatic link between music people in Chicago and Detroit, known to insiders as the “I94 Connection.” Regardless of the reason for his natural ear for the deep and groovy, Smith can lay claim to a legacy that most Detroit jocks cannot. He was one of the original young guns personally mentored by Motown’s “1st DJ,” Ken Collier. Though Smith may have taken an extended hiatus later in his DJ years, it is this direct link to the beginnings of the DJ in Detroit that has maintained his integrity today.
DJ Body Mechanic: the man, the turntableologist, the vision. Mechanic,as most call him, started out DJing early in life. In 1984, during his high school years, he decided to make DJing into a career.Along with his partner, Dee J Dee, they would DJ house parties, school functions and radio shows - whatever venue needed music. With this experience intact it wasn't hard for the Body Mechanic known then as Mix Master Mollison to take it to the next level.
Underground Resistance DJ and Producer Dex began his musical journey in East Los Angeles. He learned the art of DJing in backyard house parties, small clubs, warehouses and various events in the deserts and mountains around Southern California. Detroit Techno became his calling after years of studying electronic music, fusion, latin funk and technology.
DJ Godfather is one of the founding fathers of Detroit getto teck music. He has been a major player in the Detroit getto tech/electro scene for 9 years. With over 60 releases under his belt, Godfather has DJ’d in almost every major city of every major state and country in the world-numerous times. He has remixed many major artists such as Fatboy Slim, Kid Rock, Luke, Westbam, Andrea Parker and many others.
Jennifer Witcher a.k.a. DJ Minx, adores the fact that she has chosen a profession that allows her to mingle with Detroit's most talented people. She was inspired to spin by the famed Music Institute in Detroit. A featured DJ for the notable "Deep Space Radio" program, she was also the on-air hostess and engineer for the same. Her style is described as funky, powerful house, with a smudge of grace.
Detroit-born, Chicago-based DJ T-1000 aka Alan D. Oldham has been called "Detroit Techno's Renaissance Man" by London's Muzik magazine. Not only was he the driving force behind the classic Detroit label Generator (which brought the world Marco Passarani and Sean Deason among others) and its stripped-down, purpose-made successor, Pure Sonik Records, his productions have also appeared on the legendary Berlin label Tresor, as well as Kickin', React, Inzec, Dust Science and other labels. His DJ sets, known worldwide, are a blend of Detroit funk, minimalistic breakdowns, crowd participation and hard-rock dynamics as Oldham explores all styles and time periods, eschewing the boring, monotone sameness and head-down facelessness of many of today's current DJs.
Ectomorph returns out of the void with new visceral voodoo from another dimension. They have come to destroy your power centers. Ectomorph have long been leaders of their sound. They first appeared via Interdimensional Transmissions with their debut release in 1995. The mystique of their early singles led to mythic status and a strong underground cult following, their sound has evolved through delivering unique in-the-moment live performances. The frequency of their performances has created a fluid communication of structure and improvisation, based around the core nucleus of BMG & Erika. Black latex fetish, strict yet sensuous scatological rhythms, disembodied voices (fragments of communications with other dimensions) and psychic high lines combine to make their tough unglamorous sound.
Eduardo de La Calle got in contact with electronic music for the first time in 1988. He began DJing in 1992 and since then he has played in the most important Spanish and German clubs such as Loft (Barcelona) and Berghain (Berlin). Strongly influenced by the U.S. music and especially by the first and second generation of Detroit Techno artists (in particular Juan Atkins, Carl Craig and Drexciya), he has written, mixed and produced 25 EPs for Spanish and German labels such as ThatLab (Barcelona) and Salo (Köln). His sessions of deep, Detroit and dub Techno are mixed with extreme careful and passion. His DJ skills are amzing. For him Music is more important than words: words divide people, Music unifies them.
The Prince Of Dance Elbee BAD is a musician who's main instruments are the turntables and mixer! A LIVE DJ, or a dj thats live! Possibly the first with turntables & mixer in the middle, keyboards & percussion on each side, and 2 cd players (allowing him to play his NEW and OLD unreleased tracks...(no more waiting for vinyl record companies to say YES to share his music, including the many songs he's picked up from well known and unknown producers all over the world).
Esteban Adame started his musical career at age 15, DJing at local house parties in and around Los Angeles. He would soon be introduced to underground music. He was turned on to the House and Techno sounds that intrigued him at the time. Soon he found himself producing his own beats and would eventually be inspired by the keyboard solos that he heard on several of his records and wanted to do the same. He began his formal training in music at the age of 19 and took a hiatus from DJing and producing. At 21 he just focused on his instrument, the piano. Since the age of 23 Esteban has played with and accompanied some of the top Latin, Jazz and Soul acts in Los Angeles and abroad. In 2005, Esteban joined Underground Resistance bands Los Hermanos Live and Galaxy 2 Galaxy. In 2006, Esteban teamed up with long time friend, Santiago Salazar to form Ican. After releasing their first EP on Planet E, Esteban and Santiago started Ican Productions and have released Si Se Puede EP and Echo Park EP.
Hailing from Chicago, USA, Farley is widely acknowledged as the pioneer of House music. Farley started DJing at Chicago's Playground in 1981, where he held a residency until 1987. He was also one of the original members of the 'Hot Mix 5' DJ team and was responsible for the ground breaking mix shows on Chicago's WBMX radio station which reached over a million listeners.
Gary Martin started Teknotika Records in 1993 after 10 years of band projects that involved many categories of music. In 1993 he also began to deejay and has since worked around 100 times in well over 10 different countries. For example: The Rex in Paris, The Liquid Room in Tokyo, and Hart Plaza in Detroit.
Jan Liefhebber founded the renowned Highland Beats record label in 1995. Highland Beats is one of the most respected techno labels around featuring prestigious artists like WJ Henze, Cristian Varela, Glenn Wilson and Lars Klein to name but a few.
Juan Atkins (born Detroit) is an American musician. He is widely credited as the originator of techno music, sometimes known as Detroit Techno since Atkins and techno co-creators Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson grew up in Detroit, Michigan. Atkins has cited the radio show of Charles "Electrifyin' Mojo" Johnson as a musical influence. Electrifyin' Mojo, a Detroit DJ, played an eclectic mix of music including Kraftwerk, Parliament and Prince. Atkins and friend Derrick May created mix tracks for Electrifying Mojo to broadcast, then began to create original music. At Washtenaw Community College, Atkins met Rick Davis, with whom he recorded under the name Cybotron. Atkins coined the term techno to describe their music, taking as one inspiration the works of futurist and author Alvin Toffler, from whom he borrowed the terms "cybotron" and "metroplex". Atkins has used the term techno to describe earlier bands that made heavy use of synthesizers such as Kraftwerk, although many people would consider Kraftwerk's music and Juan's early music in Cybotron as Electro. Techno is considered today as a specific genre. Atkins began recording as Model 500 in 1985 with tracks such as "No UFO's", "Night drive", "Future" and "Clear". He continues to produce his own and other musicians' records under the
Los Hermanos was originally a collaboration between Gerald Mitchell and DJ Rolando. They raised the standard and destroyed the boundaries between Techno and House by fusing the funk and soul of Detroit Techno with the feel of Latin rhythms. Since Rolando’s departure, Santiago Salazar (aka DJ S2) and Dan Caballero (aka DJ Dex) have joined Gerald and moved Los Hermanos in a slightly different direction without sacrificing any of the sound’s individuality or quality. This collective of DJs and producers from the Underground Resistance camp have taken their Techno in a whole new direction.
LUCRETIO a.k.a. Domenico Cipriani was born in Padua (ITALY) in the years in wich CYBOTRON (a.k.a Juan Atkins) release his first elektro tracks. He grew up in Cadoneghe, a small village, and he started to work in a little club of his neighborhood named TEATRO LA SCALA, and in the following years he helped his friends of the AUTOBAHN group to promote their parties. This collective was the first to bring Techno to Nort-East Italy. He spin records from 2000, pushed by the need of getting in vinyl the tracks that was making him dream and travel across the space; all this music comes from a city: DETROIT. The revolution had a name: UNDERGROUND RESISTANCE. Three men (Derrick,Juan,Kevin) gave him the strength. Music changes his life: Detroit Techno in all its variation, Chicago House, New York Garage, Berlin's dark Techno, British experimental sounds, Jazz, Bossanova; Latin rhythms. All mixed with love.
Known as the Silent Warrior of the deep and funky sound of dance music, Norm Talley has slowly yet steadily become a staple in the ears of dancefloor addicts in Detroit. Consistency would be an understatement. Talley shares a history as part of the West 6 Mile Detroit breed that came of age during the last days of Disco, and spent his teen years reveling in the New Age that was the early 1980s. Frequenting the hottest new dance clubs, like L’Uomo and Studio 54, in and around Detroit during this transitional and experimental decade, he was an active member in the movement that was Electronic Music in Detroit. Yet, like his current partners, Norm’s roots remain in Soul, Funk, and Disco – rendering his DJ style one of soulful, vocal melodies laced over infectious percussion, and those undeniable bass lines that distinguish the BeatDown Sound from a sea of others - with the occasional Afrobeat rhythm of course. He is also known as the Gospel House guru at home.
Known in circles of Detroit and around the globe for her ambition and skills on the tables, Michelle Herrmann a.k.a. Punisher has set a precedence in a city known for it's fickle taste. Her Birth into the techno realm began in Detroit in 1993 at the age of 15 . DJ'ing wasn't enough, Michelle was constantly striving to grow and progress in her art. 1996 and 1997 she put out her first two releases on Detroit label Matrix records and then in 1998 , started her own label , Seismic Records with a friend and fellow producer Mike Brickner a.k.a. Cozmic Spore. Using the label as a tool push their own concepts of sound and motion they have in turn worked with and gained the respect of many world renowned DJs and producers. With releases from the Advent and Bryan Zentz and Andrei Morant , collaborations with legendary producer Mark Gage ( Vapourspace ), and liscensing from Dave Clarke and Billy Nasty .. to name a few, Seismic is developing into a strong Domestic force.
Originally born in the late 80's, SCAN 7's first release, "Voices Beyond", came out on the Submerge compilation, "Escape Into The Void". Next, he unleashed projects such as, "Introducing SCAN 7" and the "Undetectable EP" both on Underground Resistance, and an exclusive "S.I.D." EP entitled, "Invisible Thoughts". In the late 90's TrackMasta Lou's made contact with Europe's most respected European label, Tresor Records - Berlin, through Blake Baxter and through a liaison with Dimitri Hegemann (owner of Tresor & credited for introducing Detroit Techno To Europe) TrackMasta Lou released many rare recordings on the Tresor compilations. Later TrackMasta Lou put out two collectable albums with Tresor, "The Dark Territory" and the "Resurfaced" album. Both were laced with a deep dark dose of classic Detroit Style Techno, and embedded with the imprints of the SCAN 7 trademark drums. Other labels that SCAN 7 has released material on: Underground Resistance, Soma, Fcom, End to End, Elypsia, and Pow Wow Records
Sean Deason is part of the “third wave” of Techno producers from Detroit. His career in electronic music has taken him to many parts of the world where his skills as a techno DJ are in very high demand. He has DJ’ed in dance clubs in Hungary, Switzerland, Germany, England and throughout much of North America. At home he has DJ’ed in every major club in the Detroit Metro area and in 2001 held a Saturday night residency at Clutch Cargo’s (Pontiac, Michigan), one of the largest and longest running clubs in the United States.
A crucial figure on the outskirts of Detroit techno since the mid '80s, James Pennington's recordings as the Suburban Knight pioneered the moodier side of the Motor City with classics like "The Art of Stalking" and "The Groove." And though he collaborated on the biggest hit to come out of Detroit, the techno-pop monster "Big Fun" by Inner City, he later recorded with subterranean mainstays Underground Resistance.
T.Linder is one of the Detroit Underground's best kept secrets. Extremely conscious of the historic significance of Techno in his hometown, T.Linder has done his homework and paid his dues. His street-honed DJ skills and dedication to Detroit's electronic music tradition have earned him recognition and respect from many of his mentors.
Few artists have gone as unrewarded and unrecognized for their contribution to the development of an infant genre as much as Thomas Barnett. As Derrick May's original partner in Rhythim is Rhythim and 50% investor of the label Transmat, Thomas was responsible for one of Detroit techno's defining moments as the co-writer/producer of the ground-breaking "Nude Photo", yet few people outside of the scene's inner circle even know his name.
For over 10 years the mysterious duo of Alex Lugo and Dennis Richardson, better known as Ultradyne, have been making some of the more interesting and unique electro music to grace a turntable. Previously they have referred to their hometown of Detroit as their training ground but that’s where the connection ends, this is music that does not belong to any regional pigeonhole.
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