Juan Atkins, a founder of Detroit techno, dies at 64
His agency announced the death of the producer, who was in Mexico City for a scheduled show. No cause has been given.
Juan Atkins, the Detroit producer who helped invent techno, has died at 64. His agency, Greensmith Artists, announced his death on Instagram on Sunday with a graphic bearing his name and the dates "1962 - 2026". No cause has been given.
Atkins was in Mexico City, where he was scheduled to perform. The show will not take place.
Kevin Saunderson, his partner in the Belleville Three, paid tribute on Facebook, calling him "the originator of Techno" and a visionary who opened the door for many, himself included.
Born in Detroit on Sept. 12, 1962, Atkins met Saunderson and Derrick May in high school. In 1980 he teamed up with Richard Davis as Cybotron, whose debut album, *Enter*, came out in 1983; the duo split two years later. That same year he started the label Metroplex and began recording as Model 500, with tracks such as "No UFO's" that are counted among the genre's first.
His sound still fills dance floors: the techno born in Detroit in the 1980s now headlines festivals around the world, Mexico included. Neither the agency nor his family has announced tributes or funeral arrangements.
