In Memory of Juan Atkins – The Godfather of Techno

Few artists can genuinely be said to have changed the vocabulary of modern music. Juan Atkins was one of them.

Born in Detroit in 1962, Atkins became one of the central architects of Detroit techno. Together with Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson – later known as the Belleville Three – he helped create a musical language whose influence would travel far beyond Detroit and become part of the foundation of global electronic music.

His vision was already taking shape with Cybotron, formed with Richard Davis. Records such as Alleys of Your Mind and the landmark Clear brought together electronic technology, futurism and funk. Atkins later continued that exploration as Model 500, releasing the seminal No UFO’s in 1985, the same year he founded his influential Detroit label Metroplex.

The word techno itself became inseparable from Atkins. He had used the term in connection with his music years before Detroit techno received its international name, drawing inspiration from ideas about technology and the future as well as music ranging from Parliament-Funkadelic to Kraftwerk. His work helped give both a sound and an identity to a movement that would ultimately reach dance floors around the world.

Juan Atkins died in 2026 at the age of 64. What remains is an extraordinary musical legacy: Cybotron. Model 500. Metroplex. Detroit. Techno.

Soulinterviews is proud to revisit our conversation with a true innovator – an artist who didn’t simply become part of electronic music history, but helped write its opening chapters.

In memory of Juan Atkins, 1962–2026