Detroit is the birthplace of techno. In the late 1980s, artists Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson and Juan Atkins created a music hybrid combining electronic sounds with other music influences like funk. This revolutionary sound was first most popular in Europe. Ironically, it didn't take off in Detroit until years later, and never with the overwhelming appeal that it has in the rest of the world.

Still, by the late 1990s, techno was dominating downtown clubs, as well as rave parties held most weekends in the city's many abandoned warehouses and industrial lofts. Students from the suburbs, as well as native Detroiters, flocked to these locales, loosing themselves in the cool vibe that is techno. Today, one of the city's most popular free music festivals is the Movement, the largest electronic music festival in the world.

Artist Sampler

Juan Atkins
Mike Banks
Carl Craig
Eddie Fowlkes
Richie Hawkin
Derrick May
Jeff Mills
Stacey Pullen
Kevin Saunderson