Juan Atkins: 10 Records with Which the Inventor of Techno Changed Music

Juan Atkins from Detroit is regarded as the inventor of techno: he was the first to use the word "techno" for the hard electronic sound he created in the early 80s with Cybotron and from 1985 as Model 500. His most important records, in our view, are Cybotron "Clear" and "Enter", Model 500 "No UFO's", "Night Drive" and "The Chase", "Jazz Is The Teacher" with 3MB, Infiniti "Game One", Model 500 "Deep Space", Model 600 "Update" and Borderland with Moritz von Oswald. We have four of them and four more 12-inches in the shop, plus records by his companions Kevin Saunderson, Derrick May, Moritz von Oswald and Thomas Fehlmann.

In this article

• Who was Juan Atkins?
• His 10 most important records
• All 10 records at a glance
• Which other Juan Atkins 12-inches do we have?
• Who belonged to Juan Atkins' circle?
• Frequently asked questions

Who was Juan Atkins?

Juan Atkins was a musician, producer and DJ from Detroit. Together with Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson he is known as one of the "Belleville Three", the pioneers of electronic music from Detroit.

Using affordable gear such as the Roland TR-808 drum machine and the Korg MS-10 synthesiser, he formed the duo Cybotron with Richard Davis in 1980. His influences ranged from Kraftwerk to the funk of Parliament and Funkadelic. Cybotron split in 1985, Atkins carried on as Model 500 and founded his own label, Metroplex, in the same year. Later came the project Infiniti and the duo Borderland with Moritz von Oswald, and in 2023 he brought Cybotron back to the stage.

Which Juan Atkins records should you know? His 10 most important

1. Cybotron: Clear (1983)

For many, "Clear" is the beginning of techno. The electro track combines cool synthesisers with a machine beat and still sounds futuristic today. How far it reached shows in pop: Missy Elliott built her song "Lose Control" on "Clear", and it reached number 3 in the US charts in 2005.

2. Cybotron: Enter (1983)

The first album by Atkins and Richard Davis. Cybotron sounded like the dancefloor and like science fiction at the same time, shaped by Kraftwerk as much as by Jimi Hendrix. Besides "Clear", "Cosmic Cars" in particular became a dancefloor staple.

3. Model 500: No UFO's (1985)

Released in 1985 on Atkins' own label Metroplex, with catalogue number M-001. Together with "The Chase", the track is one of the foundation stones of electronic dance music. "No UFO's" combines Detroit techno with electro, and the record also contains "Future", each in a vocal and an instrumental version.

4. Model 500: Night Drive (Thru-Babylon) (1985)

Also released on Metroplex in 1985, with catalogue number M-002. Besides the title track it contains "Time Space Transmat" and the "D-Mix" of "No UFO's". If you want the early Model 500 records side by side on your shelf, you need both.

5. Model 500: The Chase (1989)

Alongside "No UFO's", "The Chase" is one of the tracks with which Model 500 shaped techno. If you want to understand how Atkins developed in the 80s, there is no way around this record.

6. M500 & 3MB: Jazz Is The Teacher (1993)

In the early 90s, Atkins worked with Moritz von Oswald and Thomas Fehlmann as 3MB. This led to a joint album in 1992 and the single "Jazz Is The Teacher" in 1993. He worked with Moritz von Oswald again later, most recently as Borderland.

7. Infiniti: Game One / Think Quick (1994)

As Infiniti, Atkins made faster techno in the 90s. He wrote "Game One" together with producer Orlando Voorn, and side B has "Think Quick" plus a version reworked by Moritz von Oswald.

8. Model 500: Deep Space (1995)

An album as Model 500 from the mid-90s. Four years later came "Mind And Body" (1999), and in 2015 "Digital Solutions".

9. Model 600: Update (2002)

Under the name Model 600, Atkins sings himself, and side B has the "Version U.R." reworked by Mad Mike, both sides with an instrumental version. A real electro track for collectors.

10. Borderland: Borderland (2013)

In 2013, Atkins and Moritz von Oswald came together again as the duo Borderland. After the 2013 album, "Transport" followed in 2016. Both albums show that Atkins kept looking for new paths.

All 10 Juan Atkins records at a glance

Record	Year	Project	In our shop
Clear	1983	Cybotron	No
Enter	1983	Cybotron	No
No UFO's	1985	Model 500	Yes, reissue
Night Drive (Thru-Babylon)	1985	Model 500	Yes, reissue
The Chase	1989	Model 500	No
Jazz Is The Teacher	1993	M500 & 3MB	No
Game One / Think Quick	1994	Infiniti	Yes, US 1994
Deep Space	1995	Model 500	No
Update	2002	Model 600	Yes, US 2002
Borderland	2013	Borderland	No

Which other Juan Atkins 12-inches do we have?

From 2004 we have four 12-inches under his own name in the shop:

• Futurepast EP on Subject Detroit: "Rebound" next to "I-94" (first released 1994) and "Idea 1" (first released 1992).
• Back To Basics (Part 1) on New Religion: "Track Ten" and a reinterpretation by Kirk Degiorgio.
• Back To Basics (Part 2) on New Religion: "Move Mix", "Catastrophy" and "Dusk Til Dawn".
• Fast Forward on New Religion: four tracks between techno and electro.

Who belonged to Juan Atkins' circle?

Kevin Saunderson, one of the Belleville Three, also had pop success with Inner City and ran the label KMS. From him we have Inner City "Good Life" (1988), "Whatcha Gonna Do With My Lovin'" and "Big Fun", as E-Dancer "Velocity Funk" and "Pump The Move", and with Santonio Echols as Reese & Santonio "Truth Of Self Evidence" and "Bounce Your Body To The Box".

Derrick May, the third of the Belleville Three, appears in our shop as Mayday: as co-producer of Intercity "Groovin' Without Doubt" on KMS and with the "Mayday Mix" on the compilation "The Electric Institute".

Moritz von Oswald was Atkins' partner in 3MB and Borderland. With Mark Ernestus he forms Basic Channel, and we have "Radiance" and "Lyot Rmx".

Thomas Fehlmann, the third man in 3MB, worked closely with The Orb. Together they made "Pomme Fritz" (1994) and "Orbus Terrarum" (1995).

Orlando Voorn wrote "Game One" with Atkins and later recorded with him as Frequency vs Atkins. A remix by him is on Freak Seven vs. Critical Phase "The Remixes".

Metroplex released not only Atkins himself but also artists such as Anthony Shakir and DJ Bone. From DJ Bone we have "Riding The Thin Line", released on Metroplex in 1999. You can read more about the beginnings of techno and house in our guide Techno & House on Vinyl: 10 Classics from Chicago to Detroit.

Frequently asked questions about Juan Atkins

Who was Juan Atkins?

Juan Atkins was a musician, producer and DJ from Detroit and is regarded as the inventor of techno. In the early 80s he formed the duo Cybotron with Richard Davis, released records as Model 500 from 1985 and ran the label Metroplex. With Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson he formed the "Belleville Three".

Did Juan Atkins coin the term techno?

Juan Atkins was the first to use the word "techno" for the hard electronic sound from Detroit, giving a whole genre its name.

Who are the Belleville Three?

That is the name for the trio of Juan Atkins, Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson. Together they are regarded as the pioneers of Detroit techno.

What is Metroplex?

Metroplex is the label Juan Atkins founded in 1985. It released his Model 500 records such as "No UFO's" and "Night Drive", as well as records by artists such as Anthony Shakir and DJ Bone.

Which Juan Atkins record should I start with?

Start with Model 500 "No UFO's": released in 1985 as M-001 on Metroplex, it has everything that defines Atkins, an electro beat, cool synthesisers and a science-fiction mood. If you want more after that, listen to "Night Drive" and Infiniti "Game One".