Mike Banks (musician) facts for kids
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Michael Anthony Banks, often known as "Mad" Mike Banks, is an American music producer. He helped start the record label Underground Resistance with Jeff Mills. Mike Banks was a very important person in the "second generation" of Detroit techno music.
Banks lives in Detroit, Michigan. He used to be a studio musician, playing bass and guitar. He even played with famous groups like Parliament and Funkadelic. In the late 1980s, he worked with a group called Members of the House. They released several 12-inch singles, which are like short records.
Mike Banks and Jeff Mills started the Underground Resistance label in the late 1980s. They, along with Robert Hood, made most of the early music for the label. After Robert Hood and Jeff Mills left, Mike Banks continued to lead Underground Resistance. He released music from other artists like Drexciya and Sean Deason, as well as his own songs.
Since 1992, Mike Banks has also been a co-founder and co-owner of Submerge Distribution with Christa Robinson. Submerge is an independent record label. It works with Underground Resistance to share Detroit techno music all over the world.
Musical Influences and Style
Mike Banks was influenced by other famous musicians like Derrick May, Juan Atkins, and Marshall Jefferson. Later, he became very interested in acid house and industrial styles.
Banks strongly believes in the idea of "underground music." This means he focuses on making music that is true to its roots, rather than trying to be famous. Because of this belief, he usually avoids being photographed in public. His music often talks about important political and social ideas. This has made him a well-known figure in the Detroit electronic music scene.
In the late 1990s, Mike Banks stopped performing live shows. This was because he had problems getting his electronic equipment through customs when traveling. However, he started doing live shows again in the mid-2000s.
Music Productions
Mike Banks has produced many songs and albums. Here are some of his notable works:
- Members Of The House - Keep Believin' (1987)
- Underground Resistance - Your Time Is Up (1990)
- X-101 - Sonic Destroyer (1991)
- X-102 - Discovers The Rings Of Saturn (Tresor, 1992)
- The Martian - Meet The Red Planet (1992)
- Davina - Don't You Want It (1992)
- Galaxy 2 Galaxy - Galaxy 2 Galaxy (1993)
- The Martian - ... In Zero Gravity (Red Planet) (1993)
- L'Homme Van Renn - The (Real) Love Thang (1995)
- UR - Codebreaker (1997)
- UR - Millennium To Millennium (2001)
- The Martian - Pipecarrier (2003)
- Perception & Mad Mike - Windchime (Underground Resistance, 2004)
- Mad Mike - Scalper (Underground Resistance, 2005)
- Mad Mike - Attack Of The Sonic Samurai (Somewhere In Detroit, 2006)
- X-102 - Rediscovers The Rings Of Saturn (Tresor, 2008)
See also
In Spanish: Mike Banks para niños
