Kevin Saunderson facts for kids

Kevin Maurice Saunderson (born September 5, 1964) is an American electronic dance music DJ and record producer. He is known for being part of a famous trio called the Belleville Three. The other members were Juan Atkins and Derrick May.

These three are often seen as the people who started techno music. They especially helped create Detroit techno, which was the first style of this music. Kevin was born in New York. When he was nine, he moved to Belleville, Michigan. This town is near Detroit. At Belleville High School, he became friends with Juan and Derrick.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Kevin Maurice Saunderson was born on September 5, 1964, in Brooklyn, New York. He lived in Brooklyn for his early years. Around age 10, he moved to Belleville, Michigan. This was a small town about 30 miles from Detroit.

Saunderson first met future techno pioneer Derrick May when they were fourteen. They had a disagreement, but after that, they became very good friends.

Discovering DJing

During high school, Saunderson and his classmate Juan Atkins loved listening to DJ Charles "The Electrifying Mojo" Johnson. Atkins and May soon became serious about mixing music. They also started creating their own songs.

Saunderson first focused on other things. He studied telecommunications and played football at Eastern Michigan University. Atkins began recording music with a group called Cybotron in 1981. May also started making records in 1987.

Saunderson wanted to be a DJ at first. But he was inspired to make his own music. He watched Atkins and May work on a song called "Let's Go" for six months. This made him want to create his own sounds.

Creating New Sounds

Juan Atkins shared his technical knowledge with Saunderson. Their early music sessions led to a song called "Triangle of Love." Saunderson said he would often wake up at night with ideas. He would go to his studio and record them. He described it as a time of trying new things as a college student.

"Triangle of Love" was released under the name Kreem. It came out on Atkins' record label, Metroplex.

Famous Music Projects

Kevin Saunderson has created music under several different names. Some of his projects became very well known.

Inner City

Inner City was a music group Saunderson started "by accident." In 1987, he made a music track in his home studio. He needed lyrics and a female singer for it. His friend, Terry ‘Housemaster’ Baldwin, suggested Paris Grey.

Paris agreed and came to Detroit. She wrote the lyrics, and the song "Big Fun" was created. Saunderson saved the song. Months later, a music expert from the UK, Neil Rushton, came to Detroit. He was looking for music for a new album.

Rushton included "Big Fun" on his album, Techno - The New Dance Sound Of Detroit. The song was soon released as a single. It became a huge hit around the world. Their next song, "Good Life," sold even more copies.

Inner City then released their first album, Paradise. Over the years, Inner City had nine songs that reached the top 40 in the UK. They also had two albums in the top 20. Their music sold over six million copies.

E-Dancer

Saunderson also created music under the name E-Dancer. This music was more "underground," meaning it was less mainstream. The first E-Dancer album, 'Heavenly,' came out in 1998. It received great reviews. Spin magazine called it "one of the ten best albums you’ve never heard."

The Reese Bass Sound

In 1988, Saunderson released a track called "Just Want Another Chance." He used the name "Reese" for this song. The special bass sound in this song became very important. It influenced many songs in jungle and drum and bass music.

This "Reese Bassline" was used in famous songs like "Terrorist" by Renegade and "Pulp Friction" by Alex Reece. The bass sound was made using a Casio CZ-1000 synthesizer.

Later Activities

Saunderson continued to grow his record label, KMS. He said his goal was to help new artists. He also wanted to keep creating and releasing great music.

Saunderson also helps youth baseball teams. He sponsors them and helps coach one team, the Metro Detroit Dodgers. His son even played on one of these teams.

In 2007, Saunderson performed live in a virtual world called Second Life. He also put together a music mix for Triple J, an Australian radio station. In 2012, his mixing board was put on display. It was shown at the newly updated Detroit Historical Museum. This shows how important his work is to music history.

Other Names Used

Kevin Saunderson has used many different names for his music projects. Here are some of them:

See also

In Spanish: Kevin Saunderson para niños

• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart