Juan Atkins, a pioneer of Detroit techno who shaped dance music globally, died aged 64. His agency confirmed to Resident Advisor that Atkins was found unresponsive in a hotel room in Mexico City before a scheduled performance and was pronounced dead after hospitalisation.
Born in Detroit in 1962, Atkins moved to Belleville, Michigan, where he met Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson in junior high school. The three formed the Belleville Three, a collective that helped define electronic music. Still in high school, Atkins formed Cybotron with Richard Davis, using affordable hardware like the Roland TR-808 drum machine and Korg MS-10 synthesiser. Their tracks, including Cosmic Cars and Clear, became dancefloor staples. Atkins was the first to use the term "techno" for this hard electronic style.
Cybotron split in 1985 when Davis moved toward rock music. Atkins then recorded as Model 500, creating foundational tracks such as No UFOs and The Chase. In 1985, he founded Metroplex, his own record label.
Atkins told the Guardian in 2024 that he made "social statements" through his music, wanting listeners to think beyond dancing. By the early 1990s, the techno scene he helped create had flourished. He later formed Borderland with Moritz Von Oswald, releasing albums in 2013 and 2016. In 2023, Atkins reformed Cybotron and released new music.
His influence extended across genres. Missy Elliott sampled Clear for her 2005 track Lose Control, which reached No 3 on the US Billboard chart. Fellow Belleville Three member Kevin Saunderson called Atkins "a true visionary who opened the door for so many of us".