Juan Atkins facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Juan Atkins
Background information
Also known as	Model 500 Infiniti
Born	(1962-09-12) September 12, 1962 (age 62) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Genres	Detroit techno
Occupation(s)	Record producer DJ
Years active	1980–present
Labels	Metroplex Om
Associated acts	The Belleville Three Cybotron Borderland

Juan Atkins, born on September 12, 1962, is a talented American music producer and DJ from Detroit, Michigan. He is also known by his music names, Model 500 and Infiniti. Many people call him the "original pioneer" of Detroit techno music. He was also part of music groups like The Belleville Three, Cybotron, and Borderland.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Juan Atkins grew up in Detroit, Michigan. His dad helped organize music concerts. When Juan was young, he loved playing guitar and bass in local bands with his friends.

After his parents separated, he moved to Belleville, Michigan. In junior high school, he met Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson. These three friends later became known as the Belleville Three. When Juan was 15, he bought his first synthesizer, a Korg MS-10. This was a big step in his music journey.

Music Career

Atkins performing as Model 500 at the Detroit Electronic Music Festival in 2007

In 1980, Juan Atkins started a music group called Cybotron with Richard Davis. Their first album, Enter, came out in 1983. Juan and Richard decided to go their separate ways in 1985.

In 1985, Atkins started his own record label called Metroplex. That same year, he began releasing solo music under the name Model 500. As Model 500, he released albums like Deep Space in 1995, Mind and Body in 1999, and Digital Solutions in 2015.

He is also one half of the music duo Borderland, working with Moritz von Oswald. They released their first album, Borderland, in 2013, and another album called Transport in 2016.

In 2015, Metroplex celebrated its 30th anniversary. To mark this special occasion, Juan Atkins worked with a company called VAVA Eyewear.

Juan Atkins' Music Style

Juan Atkins is known for creating futuristic music. He blended the fun, spacey sounds of George Clinton's bands like Parliament and Funkadelic with the structured, electronic sounds of Kraftwerk. He also got ideas from books about how society might look in the future.

His music often uses ideas from science fiction stories to create unique soundscapes. Later in his career, he started adding parts of modern dance music, but he always kept his special way of creating melodies. He has said that George Clinton's music was very important to him. He also grew up listening to The Electrifying Mojo's radio shows, which influenced him.

His Impact on Music

Many people consider Juan Atkins to be the "godfather of techno" music. His work is seen as one of the most important in the world of techno. Music experts often point to his 1982 song "Clear," which he made with Rick Davis as Cybotron, as a key starting point for techno music. Mixmag magazine has called him the "original pioneer" of Detroit techno.

Music Releases

Studio Albums

• 3MB Featuring Magic Juan Atkins (1992) (with Thomas Fehlmann and Moritz von Oswald, as 3MB Featuring Magic Juan Atkins)
• Deep Space (1995) (as Model 500)
• Skynet (1998) (as Infiniti)
• Mind and Body (1999) (as Model 500)
• The Berlin Sessions (2005)
• Borderland (2013) (with Moritz von Oswald, as Borderland)
• Digital Solutions (2015) (as Model 500)
• Transport (2016) (with Moritz von Oswald, as Borderland)
• Mind Merge LP (2017) (with Orlando Voorn, as Frequency vs Atkins)

Compilation Albums

• Classics (1993) (as Model 500)
• The Infiniti Collection (1996) (as Infiniti)
• Wax Trax! MasterMix Volume 1 (1998)
• 20 Years 1985 - 2005 (2005)

EPs

• The True Techno EP (1992) (as Model 500)
• The Future Sound EP (1993)

Singles

• "No UFO's" (1985) (as Model 500)
• "Night Drive" (1985) (as Model 500)
• "Testing 1-2" (1986) (as Model 500)
• "Play It Cool" (1986) (as Model 500)
• "Technicolor" (1986) (with Doug Craig, as Channel One)
• "It's Channel One" (1987) (with Doug Craig, as Channel One)
• "Sound of Stereo" (1987) (as Model 500)
• "Make Some Noise" (1987) (as Model 500)
• "Beat Track" (1987)
• "Interference" (1988) (as Model 500)
• "The Chase" (1989) (as Model 500)
• "Ocean to Ocean" (1990) (as Model 500)
• "Jazz Is the Teacher" (1993) (with Thomas Fehlmann and Moritz von Oswald, as M500 & 3MB)
• "I See the Light" (1993) (as Model 500)
• "Sonic Sunset" (1994) (as Model 500)
• "The Flow" (1995) (as Model 500)
• "Starlight" (1995) (as Model 500)
• "I Wanna Be There" (1996) (as Model 500)
• "Be Brave" (1998) (as Model 500)
• "Update" (2002) (as Model 600)
• "Outer Space" (2004) (as Model 500)
• "OFI" / "Huesca" (2010) (as Model 500)
• "Control" (2012) (as Model 500)
• "Riod" (2016) (with Moritz von Oswald, as Borderland)

Film Appearances

Movies

• High Tech Soul (2006)

Short Films

• Black to Techno (2019)

See also

In Spanish: Juan Atkins para niños