Detroit techno pioneer Juan Atkins found dead in Mexico City

Juan Atkins, the Detroit musician who coined the term techno, has died at age 64.

Atkins was discovered unresponsive in a hotel room in Mexico City before a planned performance there. His agency, Greensmith Artists, confirmed the death to Resident Advisor, stating he was pronounced dead after hospital transport.

Atkins established the foundational sound of Detroit techno in the early 1980s. He first created this mechanistic electronic style as part of the duo Cybotron, formed with Richard Davis while both were still in high school. The pair utilized affordable hardware, including the Roland TR-808 drum machine and the Korg MS-10 synthesizer, to produce tracks like Cosmic Cars and Clear.

The duo dissolved in 1985, after which Atkins pursued a solo career under the alias Model 500. During this period, he founded the Metroplex record label to release his own work and that of other artists. He also introduced the word techno to describe his hard electronic music, a label that defined a new genre in dance culture.

Atkins continued to shape the electronic music scene through the 1990s and 2000s. He formed the duo Borderland with Moritz Von Oswald, releasing two albums in 2013 and 2016. In 2023, he reunited with Davis to reform Cybotron, releasing new material and performing live. His influence extended widely, with Missy Elliott sampling the 1983 track Clear for her 2005 hit Lose Control, which peaked at No. 3 on the US Billboard chart.

Born in Detroit in 1962, Atkins moved to the rural suburb of Belleville, Michigan, where he met Kevin Saunderson and Derrick May. The three high schoolmates formed a group known as the Belleville Three, placing themselves at the forefront of electronic music. Saunderson paid tribute on Sunday, describing Atkins as a true visionary who opened the door for many musicians.