Derrick May (musician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Derrick May
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Derrick May
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| Born | April 6, 1963 |
| Origin | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1986–present |
| Labels | Transmat |
Derrick May, born on April 6, 1963, is a famous American electronic musician. People also know him as Mayday or Rhythim Is Rhythim. He is from Belleville, Michigan. Derrick May helped create a type of music called techno music in the 1980s. He did this with his friends Juan Atkins and Kevin Saunderson. Together, they are known as The Belleville Three.
Contents
Biography
Early life and the Belleville Three
Derrick May grew up in Detroit. When he was 13, he went to Belleville High School. There, he met Juan Atkins in 1981. Later, he also became friends with Kevin Saunderson. Juan taught Derrick and Kevin how to be DJs. They formed a group called Deep Space Soundworks. They loved playing their favorite music at parties and clubs. Derrick said people used to laugh at their love for Kraftwerk and disco sounds. But they kept believing in their music.
When their music careers took off, the three friends opened their own record labels. Juan Atkins had Metroplex. Kevin Saunderson had KMS and Inner City. Derrick May opened Transmat/Fragil. All their labels were on Gratiot Avenue in Detroit. This area became known as "Techno Alley."
Music career
When Derrick May was a teenager, he worked part-time in a video arcade. A year later, he released a song that became a classic techno anthem. This song was called "Strings of Life". Frankie Knuckles gave it that name. The song became very popular in Britain in 1987 and 1988. Frankie Knuckles said "Strings of Life" just exploded. It had amazing power and energy. The song was also in the video game Midnight Club: Street Racing.
In 1988, a club called The Music Institute opened in Detroit. Derrick May and his friends often played music there. May described it as a special place for music. He said they had a wonderful crowd of young people from all backgrounds.
Derrick May also helped many other great artists. Carl Craig and Stacey Pullen were two of them. May's label, Transmat, focused on new and original music. His other label, Fragile, allowed artists to use more samples. Even though he released less of his own music in the 1990s, he kept DJing around the world. He also helped other artists release their music. Transmat became one of the most respected techno labels.
In a documentary about the Detroit techno scene, High Tech Soul, May talked about the group Underground Resistance. He was surprised by their success outside of Detroit. He saw people in Italy wearing their shirts.
More recently, Derrick May produced music for the film Tekken. This movie was based on a popular fighting video game.
For two years, in 2003 and 2004, Derrick May helped run Detroit's big annual electronic music festival. He named his event Movement. It replaced the Detroit Electronic Music Festival. Derrick May still travels and performs internationally. He calls his music "Hi-Tek Soul." He describes it as "George Clinton meeting Kraftwerk in an elevator." He has also said that Yellow Magic Orchestra, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Ultravox influenced his music.
Discography
Albums
- Innovator (1996)
- Mysterious Traveller (2002) (with System 7)
DJ mixes
- The Mayday Mix (1997)
- Derrick May x Air (2010)
- Derrick May x Air Vol. 2 (2011)
- Fact Mix 339 (2012)
EPs
- Innovator: Soundtrack for the Tenth Planet (1991)
Singles
- "Let's Go" (1986) (with X-Ray)
- "Strings of Life" (1987) (as Rhythim Is Rhythim)
- "It Is What It Is" (1988) (as Rhythim Is Rhythim)
- "Sinister" / "Wiggin" (1988) (as Mayday)
- "Beyond the Dance" (1989) (as Rhythim Is Rhythim)
- "The Beginning" (1990) (as Rhythim Is Rhythim)
- "Icon" / "Kao-tic Harmony" (1993) (as Rhythim Is Rhythim)
Filmography
- Rock & Roll (1995), episode 10 – includes interview with Derrick May.
- Universal Techno (1996) – includes interview with Derrick May inside Detroit's Michigan Theatre.
- Modulations: Cinema for the Ear (1998) – includes interview with Derrick May.
- Pump Up the Volume: A History of House Music (2001) – includes interview with Derrick May.
- High Tech Soul: The Creation of Techno Music (2006) – includes interview with Derrick May.
Images for kids
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A robot for kids.
See also
In Spanish: Derrick May para niños
