C IS FOR CYBOTRON
The seminal electro group Cybotron provided the first home for the recordings of techno godfather Juan Atkins. With partner Rick Davis (aka 3070), Atkins recorded several of electro’s best moments. Clearly influenced by Kraftwerk, this is a key step towards Detroit techno.
Enter, Clear is a seminal techno classic. Juan Atkins and Rick “3070” Davis were two Detroit-area musicians who bonded over synth-electronics and sci-fi futurism. Davis was a Vietnam vet and a Hendrix freak. Atkins was a post-boomer generation DJ hooked on new wave and disco. In 1982, the single “Clear,” with its cascading textures and indomitable groove, joined the Soulsonic Force’s “Planet Rock” in birthing both the Bladerunner-edged electro (Dynamix II, Anthony Rother) and bass scenes (2 Live Crew, DJ Assault). Their Toffler-meets-Kraftwerk conceptual concerns, such as technology and conformity (“Alleys of Your Mind,” “Enter”), and a coming apocalypse (“R-9,” “El Salvador”), proved less influential. After this album, the two split (in 1985, Atkins left the group due to artistic differences with Davis), with Atkins deepening his techno experiments through Model 500, his Metroplex label and the expanding community of Detroit pioneers. Davis continued Cybotron with less success.
Cybotron – Cosmic Cars
Cybotron – Final Fantasy
Cybotron website
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