From Chicago House to Detroit Techno

WORDS BY NEAL ANDREW EMIL GUSTAFSON AND JESSICA FORTUNE FENNER

A strong relationship exists between the spiritual sounds of Chicago and the mechanical sonics of Detroit. The decades-strong alignment is rooted in their history of shared traditions within the Black American musical diaspora, their proximity, and their midwestern heart. Both cities contributed significantly to the evolution of music, particularly in genres of Gospel, Jazz, Soul, and R&B. Chicago played a critical role in the development of Rock Music through Chess Records’ Electric Blues, while Detroit left a lasting impact on American Popular music with its iconic Motown sound.

The dynamic started a new chapter in the late 20th century when a rising generation pioneered the adoption of several emerging studio technologies. Utilizing cutting-edge instruments like Roland’s TR-909 Rhythm Composer, TB-303 Bass Line, and the Juno Poly Synth series, artists from Chicago and Detroit crafted similar, yet distinctively different takes on futuristic dance music.

“From Chicago House To Detroit Techno” explores the exchange culture between these parallel movements, highlighting recording artists, studio productions, record labels, and some of the perhaps lesser-known relationships that have furthered this dynamic connection. By delving into the rich history and shared heritage of Chicago and Detroit, we gain a deeper understanding of their combined influence on modern music.

SPIRITUAL SOUNDS AND SOULFUL SONICS LAID THE GROUNDWORK

The late 1970s and early 1980s witnessed the emergence of golden eras of nightlife in Chicago and Detroit, which went on to shape the global music landscape. A select group of pioneering DJs played a pivotal role in introducing two distinct genres, originating from predominantly LGBTQ+, African American, and Latino communities.

Influenced by their experiences in Detroit and inspired by mixtapes recorded from Chicago’s Hot Mix 5 radio shows, DJs Derrick May, Eddie Fowlkes, Mike Clark, Stacey Hotwaxx Hale, and more, regularly made the 5-hour trip to Chicago to explore the city’s nascent House Music culture. After immersing in the scenes at venues like the Music Box, Armitage Hall, and the Warehouse, they loaded their trunks with new records, before returning to Detroit to drop their cutting-edge discoveries at local clubs and events. Record stores like Gramaphone Records and Importes, Etc. in Chicago, along with Buy Rite Records in Detroit and influential record pools, played a crucial role in the distribution of these new genres. Blending elements of a Chicago-style house with darker, mechanical sounds, these first-generation Techno DJs and producers crafted unique musical expressions that resonated with the post-industrial atmosphere of their hometown, Detroit.

These interstate investigations were the catalyst for what DJ Mike Clark of Detroit’s Direct Drive crew regards as an essential exchange between the two cities, profoundly shaping the musical dialogue that traveled the I-94 corridor. The exchange of music between Chicago and Detroit was not limited to clubs and records. It was also driven by the shared utilization of emerging music technologies and new instruments.

In 1983, Juan Atkins from Cybotron brought Roland’s groundbreaking TR-909 programmable drum machine to a DJ battle in Detroit. The impact was unforgettable, as DJ Mike Clark vividly remembers Atkins blowing everyone away. However, the influence of this particular TR-909 didn’t stop there.

Following its awe-inspiring debut, this very same drum machine found its way into the hands of Frankie Knuckles, the renowned DJ from Chicago. The connection was made through Derrick May, who sold the drum machine to Knuckles’ assistant, Craig Loftis. This pivotal transfer marked the drum machine’s journey from Detroit to Chicago.

Craig Loftis recalls May pulling up to Frankie Knuckles’ studio, opening his trunk, and offering to sell them electronic instruments. After taking Loftis’ advice to purchase the TR-909, they gave it to Greg Gray to learn how to program it. These patterns that Gray programmed became the foundation for early Knuckles’ classics like “Your Love”.

This migration stands as a testament to the innovation, creativity, and interconnectivity that was occurring. The enduring impact of the Roland TR-909 Rhythm Composer remains significant, as it continues to be a prominent sound and a cornerstone of electronic dance music production to this day.

Also during the early 1980s, two mainstay labels were pushing out the House Music of Chicago: TRAX Records, founded by Vince Lawrence, Jesse Saunders, and Larry Sherman, and D.J. International Records, started by Rocky Jones and Benji Espinoza. TRAX released genre-defining productions “Acid Tracks” by Phuture, “Move Your Body” by Marshall Jefferson, and numerous others, while D.J. International pushed boundaries with tracks like Joe Smooth’s “Promised Land” and “Fast” Eddie Smith’s “Acid Thunder”.

THE FRATERNAL TWINS OF MIDWESTERN DANCE MUSIC

A few hours away in downtown Detroit, three seminal record labels sprang from this new creative wave, Metroplex, Transmat, and KMS. Housed on different floors of the same building, the studios worked closely together. Juan Atkins’ Metroplex produced futuristic funk with Model 500’s “No UFOs” and “Get It Live” by Eddie “Flashin” Fowlkes, while Derrick May’s Transmat Records highlighted a visceral side of the musical cables between the two cities, with “My Medusa” by Chicago artist K. Alexi Shelby and “Nude Photo” by May and co-written Thomas Barnett as Rythim Is Rythim. However, the output of Kevin Saunderson’s KMS Records had the most dramatic effect on the connection.

Launched in 1987, KMS started with innovative releases like Blake Baxter’s “When We Used To Play”, Reese & Santonio’s “The Sound”, and Inner City’s “Groovin’ Without Doubt”. Intent on reaching larger audiences, Kevin Saunderson achieved this with his Inner City project’s 1988 singles “Good Life” and “Big Fun”, which became renowned commercial successes while serving as a musical bridge. Featuring Chicago native Paris Grey as vocalist for both releases, the Chicago collaboration went deeper, when heavyweights Steve “Silk” Hurley and Mike “Hitman” Wilson were brought on to remix “Good Life”.

Similarly in Chicago, the success of J.M. Silk aka Steve “Silk” Hurley and Keith Nunnally’s first releases, “Music Is The Key” and “I Can’t Turn Around” brought major label interest. When their “Hold On To Your Dream” LP came out on RCA in 1987, the ensuing tour earned them an appearance at the famed Paradise Garage in New York City, as well as an invitation by Stacey “Hotwaxx” Hale to perform in Detroit for the first time.

A SHORT-LIVED HIGHLY-INFLUENTIAL INSTITUTION

In May 1988 KMS Records released the “Techno! (The New Dance Sound Of Detroit)” compilation, finally giving a name to the intense pulsating warehouse sounds of tracks like Blake Baxter’s “Forever And A Day” and Shakir’s “Sequence 10”. Around the same time, the Music Institute opened its doors in downtown Detroit. Founded by George Baker, Chez Damier, and Alton Miller, it became the world’s first Techno club.

The club offered two distinctive nights: “The Next Generation” on Fridays, characterized by fast and aggressive sounds from residents Derrick May and D-Wynn. While Saturday’s “Back To Basics,” featured a slower disco, post-disco, and early house music vibe, curated by residents Chez Damier and Alton Miller. Records played at the venue, such as Eddie “Flashin” Fowlkes’s “Goodbye Kiss” on Metroplex, became defining moments in the development of Detroit’s “Techno Soul” sound.

The club’s profound impact on a diverse range of artists wasn’t diminished by its closure after only 18 months. It influenced those who achieved immense commercial success, like MK, his “Somebody New (Music Institute Goodbye Mix)” stands as evidence. It also inspired underground artists, such as lighting operator Kai Alcé, who was one of its youngest members. When Kai relocated to Atlanta, he carried the Music Institute’s energy with him, gradually transforming the major city’s soundscape through his events, artistry, and the NDATL imprint.

AN INSTRUMENTAL FIGURE JOINS A DETROIT IMPRINT

During this same period, Anthony Pearson better known as Chez Damier, joined the KMS Records team and was influential in fostering the cross-city connection. Born in Chicago, Damier’s early involvement in the music scene revolved around time spent dancing at the Warehouse and immersing himself in the city’s sound system and music culture, before his next chapter in Detroit.

As A&R/Studio Manager at KMS Records, Chez Damier played a pivotal role in shaping the label’s distinct artistic direction. He curated artists from both Chicago and Detroit, facilitating a fusion of their talents within the label’s output.

Early cross-city releases, such as 1989’s “Science Of Numbers” and “Mood (Metaphysical Mix)”, both from Chicago’s Symbols & Instruments (Derrick Carter, Mark Farina, and Chris Nazuka), examined a deeper ambient sound. While records like “You’re Mine” by Detroit artist Reese (co-written by Damier), brought together a catchier side of deep house with its loop-based vocal dubs.

Chez Damier’s impact extended beyond his curatorial endeavors. An artist in his own right, his singles “I Never Knew Love (Made In Detroit Mix)” and “Can You Feel It (MK Dub)”, set the tone for his exploration of production and performance. He developed his artistic voice further with standout 1993 tracks “You Ain’t Dancing” from the “Untitled” EP on KMS, and the future classic “Forever Mona”, a highly regarded collaboration with Detroit’s Stacey Pullen on Serious Grooves.

Chez Damier’s evolution from enthusiast to curator and then producer set the stage for a period of creative magic. He brought Chicago artist Ron Trent to work with him in Detroit, resulting in crafting a landmark sound with the “Untitled” EP (KMS-054) in 1994. This release added a new level of fidelity to what people called “tracks”, by featuring rhythm tracks that embraced heavy sub-bass complexities and strikingly minimalistic melodies. These compositional elements became a defining prototype for a new deep house sound of the 1990s and informed the creation of the innovative Prescription Records.

FORMATION OF A DYNAMIC PHILOSOPHY IN DANCE MUSIC

Returning to Chicago, Chez N Trent evolved the blueprint for their distinctive sound. Tracks like “The Choice (Prescription Doctor’s Dub Mix)”, “Sometimes I Feel Like”, “Morning Factory”, and “I Feel Rhythm” on “Hip To Be Disillusioned Vol. 1 EP”, are just some examples of this merger that has come to define the contemporary Prescription Records’ sound of then and now.

Cajual Entertainment, situated at 1229 N. North Branch St. on Chicago’s Northside, became an epicenter for the emergence of arguably the city’s most influential generation of House Music artists. Under the guidance of Cajmere (Green Velvet), Cajual Entertainment distributed prominent labels like Cajual Records, Relief Records, Daisy, Live, Prescription Records, and the newly formed sub-label, Balance Recordings by Trent n Damier.

This collective of labels fostered the development of a wide variety of House Music artists, including Anthony Nicholson, Gemini, Johnny Fiasco, Boo Williams, Brian Harden, Derrick Carter, Gene Farris, Paul Johnson, Dajae, Mark Grant, Terrance FM, DJ Sneak, Joshua Iz, and Diz. Notably, Chicago duo Iz & Diz recorded their debut production, “Patterns (Iz & Diz Ghosts In Detroit Wake Up Dub),” at KMS Studio in Detroit in 1996.

PEOPLE MOVING AND THE MIGRATION OF MUSIC

Raves and functions sprang up across the Midwest in the early 1990s. One notable gathering was 1994’s “HOME”, produced by House Preservation Society (HPS) aka Davey Dave and Mystic Bill. Featuring a fusion of the harder sounds of Chicago and Detroit, this event brought together artists from both cities who shared a roster at the Dutch label Djax, curated by label boss, Saskia Slegers aka Miss Djax.

Another dual-city showcase deemed “The Next Level of Jack”, pushed new sonic territories by featuring Detroit artists Kevin Saunderson, Claude Young, Carl Craig, Blake Baxter, K. Hand, DJ Bone, and D–Wynn, alongside Chicago artists Armando, Mike Dearborn, Paul Johnson, Tim Harper, Steve Poindexter, Glenn Underground, Hyperactive, and Robert Armani.

As artists moved freely from one city to the other, the appeal for Detroit producers to expand their work in the larger city of Chicago proved instrumental, in nurturing a selection of significant talents.

In 1994, Axis Records, the brainchild of Detroit’s Jeff Mills — aka The Wizard and co-founder of Underground Resistance — made a significant move from New York City to Chicago. With an extensive catalog of pioneering techno works, releases like “Growth” by Mills, “Minimal Nation” by Robert Hood, and the “Tranquilizer EP” by Hood and Mills together with H&M, became a signature sound of the label’s artistic output.

After creating a very Detroit-centric sound with his releases on Carl Craig’s Planet E Communications under the moniker Common Factor, Nick Calingaert relocated to the Windy City and incorporated the House Music style of his new home into his work. Releases such as “Expanded” and the “Common Factor” EPs in 1998, laid the foundation for his collaboration with Chicago artist Chris Nazuka as Retroflex.

Reinforcing the connection between relocation and musical endeavors, Tim Baker moved from Detroit to Chicago in 1998 and launched his house label, Real Estate Records. Combining Detroit’s future funk with Chicago’s soulful edge, this dual-city perspective led to the label’s “Future House Society” series achieving great success.

Additionally, Mike Grant, recipient of the 2023 Testimonial Resolution Award from The Detroit City Council, established Moods & Grooves Records in 1999. The label played a significant role in fostering collaboration between artists from Chicago and Detroit. Notable releases included the compilation “Abstract Fusion”, featuring Chicago artists Jordan Fields, Chris Gray, and Larry Heard ft. Che. Moods & Grooves Records continued to feature Chicago talent with releases like Brian Harden’s “The Nubirth Project Vol 1”, Boo Williams’ “Universal Limits” LP, and Gene Hunt Ft. Cei Bei’s “The Next Level” EP. This further solidified the bond and creative influence between the two cities.

A resident DJ at Club Motor, one of Detroit’s most influential hot spots in the 1990s, Jennifer Witcher aka DJ Minx is another key figure. Initially, she played a role in bridging Chicago House music with Detroit’s dance music scene through her early support of Steve “Silk” Hurley from J.M. Silk. She founded Women On Wax in 1996, as a way to focus her efforts on highlighting important women in dance music, bringing women DJs like Chicago’s DJ Lady D to Detroit for her W.O.W parties. She developed a strong community in support of women in music and turned Women on Wax into a record label in 2001. She was honored with the Spirit of Detroit award in 2018 for her contributions to the Detroit music scene.

REINFORCING CONNECTION WITH NEWFOUND TALENT AND IMPRINTS

The early 2000s gave rise to a third wave of Chicago House and Detroit Techno recording artists. Their contributions signaled the emergence of a younger generation committed to preserving cultural heritage and traditions while forging their own musical identities. Influential venues and events such as Detroit’s Motor and Detroit Electronic Music Festival (DEMF), Chicago’s Zentra, Smartbar, Red Dog, and the annual Silver Room Sound System Block Party™, provided public platforms for this new dance music talent.

One such artist is Lauren Flax. Entwined in the musical fabrics of both cities, she became a fixture in Chicago’s growing underground scene, while holding a hometown DJ residency at Motor Club in her native Detroit. In 2000 she lived in the Conjugate Project, a loft commune and DIY music studio in Chicago’s Kinzie Corridor. There, she collaborated with Gabe Palomo, DJ Jes, Andrew Emil, DJ Lady D, and fellow Detroit transplant Ian Desmond aka Devlish, to produce MOTIONNESS, the first electronic music event held on Chicago’s public transit system. Flax was recently recognized as the 2022 winner of DJ Mag’s Best of North America Awards in the highly-lauded Underground Hero category.

The musical interchange continued between the two metropolises with artists like Delano Smith and Theo Parrish, both of whom grew up in Chicago but settled in Detroit. Smith, recognized with the prestigious 2023 Testimonial Resolution Award by The Detroit City Council, holds an essential position in Detroit’s pre-techno DJ legacy. Since his highly-anticipated debut with the remarkable track “Metropolis”, on the seminal “Detroit Beatdown (Volume One)” compilation in 2002, Smith has consistently pushed boundaries, producing for labels such as Sushitech Records, Pariter, and his own imprint, Mixmode Recordings.

EVOLVING SISTER SOUNDS AND BLURRING SONIC LINES 

One noteworthy compilation, “Detroit Beatdown (Volume One)” curated by Norm Tally and released by Third Ear, showcased a collection of genre-bending productions from key architects such as the original Motor Club resident DJ Mike “Agent X” Clark, L.A. Williams, Malik Alston, and Rick Wilhite, who also received the 2023 Testimonial Resolution Award. The album contained an exceptionally poignant moment with the hauntingly downtempo “Tulum” by Music Institute co-founder, Alton Miller.

Originally from NW Indiana and now calling Detroit home, Bryan Jones — aka Wave Point, co-founder of Golf Clap alongside Hugh Cleal — established connections between the two cities throughout the mid-2000s. During this time, he released music on record labels such as Chicago-based Olive Records, DJ Heather’s Blackcherry Recordings, and Detroit’s Coyote Cuts.

Chicago’s Sam Kern aka Sassmouth and Detroit’s Michelle Herrmann aka Punisher first played back-to-back in Chicago in 2005, and have since DJed regularly as a duo. Their collaborative 2008 EP “Meet Me Half Way”, was released on Punisher’s Detroit label Hej Records, before Kern launched her Chicago label God Particle in 2013.

BUILDING AN ENDURING BOND BETWEEN TWO EPICENTERS

First DJing in Detroit in 1996 at the invitation of Laura Gavoor (Transmat), Chicago’s Darlene Jackson aka DJ Lady D, collaborated with promotions outfit Volatl to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Detroit Techno in 2010. They curated an event series “D3 (Discover Deconstruct Detroit)” at the world-renowned house music institution, Smartbar Chicago. DJ Lady D was a D3 resident, hosting Detroit Techno artists Carl Craig, Stacey Pullen, Monty Luke, and Juan Atkins. D’lectable Music, Jackson’s imprint, showcased primarily Chicago-based artists, tho a notable inclusion was Lauren Flax (Detroit), as CREEP with her remix of Baghdaddy’s “Hot Shit” in 2011.

Shaun J. Wright, formerly of Hercules and Love Affair, returned to his hometown of Chicago in the mid-2010s and co-founded Twirl Recordings with Alinka. In the late 2010s, Wright moved to Detroit, where he released more Chicago and Detroit-influenced works for labels like Classic Music Company and Defected.

Originally from Chicago but refining his artistry in Detroit, Theo Parrish forged a new type of dance music abstraction with his works. His brand Sound Signature provided a platform for Detroit artists such as Omar S, with “Blown Valvetrane” in 2009. Additionally, Sound Signature regularly featured Chicago’s own Andres Ordonez aka Specter, delivering releases like “Pipe Bomb” in 2011 and the “Built To Last” LP in 2018.

FROM THE WINDY CITY TO THE MOTOR CITY TO THE WORLD

Detroit’s Robert Hood, co-founder of Underground Resistance — a black-empowerment collective renowned for its militant political and anti-corporate ethos — embarked on a new creative venture. Teaming up with his daughter Lyric Hood under the project name Floorplan, they shifted from the minimal techno style he pioneered, delving into a more Chicago House-focused sound. Drawing inspiration from the spiritual elements of the genre they infused gospel influences into tracks like “Song Like This” and “Brothers + Sisters” from their 2019 LP “Supernatural”.

Joshua Iz has continued to evolve his early affinity for the Detroit – Chicago connection. His 2015 album ‘It Iz What It Iz’ featured Chez Damier on the single ”Sentimental Love”, while his annual “D-Life” event series during Movement weekend, decidedly spotlighted Chicago and Detroit artists. Kyle Hall, Hazmat Live, Rick Wade, Marcellus Pittman, Iz & Diz, Kenny Larkin, Mike Dunn, Mike Huckaby, and Boo Williams, are some of the DJs who have been showcased.

The significant artistic connections between Chicago and Detroit were acknowledged by renowned streaming channel Boiler Room, in their 2015 editorial feature titled “Chicago vs. Detroit.” Through four curated shows, they showcased a mix of legacy and contemporary artists from both cities. Detroit artists Chuck Daniels, Amp Fiddler, Blake Baxter, DJ Minx, K. Hand, Terrence Parker, Detroit Grand Pubahs, Golf Clap, OB Ignett, Detroit Techno Militia, John FM, and Matthew Hawtin, shared the spotlight with Chicago’s Africans With Mainframes (Jamal Moss and Noleian Reusse), Joe Smooth, Sterling Void, Lester Fitzpatrick, Steve Mizek, Savile, Olin, Hakim Murphy, Farley “Jackmaster” Funk, Virgo Four, and DJ Skull, demonstrating the enduring bond between the two musical landscapes.

Further highlights include 3rd-wave Chicago producers Andrew Emil and John Mork exploring soulful interplay in their 2016 gospel house remix of Detroit icon Amp Fiddler’s rendition of “1960 What?”. The original song by Gregory Porter is a powerful composition that tackles Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination and the 1967 Detroit riots. More recently, Chris Nazuka’s 2021 album “Perspectives,” features several Detroit-inspired pieces like “Lazy Sunday,” “Gratiot Ave,” and “Sessions”, riding the steady thin line between Deep House and Techno. Artists such as Dantiez Saunderson, Ash Lauryn, and DJ Holographic from Detroit, alongside Ed Nine, Jana Rush, and Emmaculate from Chicago, persist in evolving and progressing these musical traditions.

The intergenerational exchange between the Chicago House and Detroit Techno communities shaped modern music. Two individual genres, whose shared use of technologies and cross-pollination cemented their interwoven legacies. The annual Charivari Detroit music festival serves as a vibrant celebration of this rich history and continued advancement. Its carefully curated programming showcases both pioneers and newer generations from throughout the electronic tapestry, affirming the enduring influence of these Midwestern cities on the evolution of sound.

NEAL ANDREW EMIL GUSTAFSON IS A CHICAGO-BASED HOUSE MUSIC DJ AND PRODUCER. IN ADDITION TO HIS CAREER IN MUSIC PRODUCTION, HE’S A MUSIC TECH JOURNALIST, COPYWRITER, PRODUCT MANAGER, AND CONTENT EDITOR WHOSE ARTICLES REGULARLY MAKE BEST-OF LISTS. WWW.ANDREWEMIL.COM

JESSICA FORTUNE FENNER IS A DEDICATED FORCE IN THE MIDWEST MUSIC INDUSTRY, WITH OVER 20 YEARS OF DJING, COORDINATING ELECTRONIC MUSIC EVENTS, PROMOTING, TALENT BUYING, MENTORING, AND MOST RECENTLY LAUNCHING AN AGENCY UNDER HER BRAND, APART. A REGULAR GUEST ON PANELS AND PODCASTS, SHE IS INVESTED IN EQUITY, SAFETY, AND FAIR REPRESENTATION. WWW.APART-MUSIC.COM