Fellow Artists Mourn Juan Atkins, With Tribute Crediting Him for Sparking Electronic Music Revolution

Juan Atkins, a founding figure of techno and a member of the Belleville Three, died at age 64 after being found unresponsive in a Mexico City hotel room on Saturday, Oct. 31, according to Resident Advisor. He had been scheduled to perform at YuYu Cine Club. Atkins was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.

Atkins, Kevin Saunderson and Derrick May made up the Belleville Three, the trio widely credited with creating techno in 1980s Detroit. Atkins also formed the electronic duo Cybotron with producer Richard Davis. The group’s 1983 debut album, Enter, featured “Clear,” which reached No. 52 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs on Oct. 8, 1983. The song ranked No. 77 on Billboard’s list of the 100 Best Dance Songs of All Time and was sampled on Missy Elliott’s Timbaland-produced 2005 hit “Lose Control.”

Under the alias Model 500, Atkins released “No UFO’s,” which reached No. 36 on Dance Singles Sales in 1985. His productions and live sets helped shape techno. In a remembrance, Detroit producer Kenny Larkin wrote that Atkins influenced “every single one of you who does Techno.”

Producers, artists and event organizers have shared memories of Atkins and his influence.

Seth Troxler

Fellow Michigander Seth Troxler shared an image of Atkins, writing, “Juan invented techno there is no debate, we lost another Black dance music innovator. It a devastating loss for Detroit and the techno community as a whole. My you find your cosmic cars in heaven.”

DJ Minx

Detroit DJ Minx shared a photo of herself with Atkins, writing, “He taught us. He showed us the way. He put his heart into every beat dropped, every track produced. He gave us his all and I am forever grateful. He’s the reason I was the voice on WGPR’s Deep Space Radio. He supported and helped many, and I am thankful for him.

“The creator of Techno has left us with a gift that will be cherished for the rest of our lives,” she continued. “My condolences to his family and loved ones. I’m not sure what else to say right now. Rest in peace brother Juan. Your legacy will live on forever.”

Kevin Saunderson

“Heartbreaking news today. My brother Juan Atkins has passed away,” fellow Belleville Three member Kevin Saunderson wrote on Instagram. “Juan was the originator of Techno, a true visionary who opened the door for so many of us, myself included. I’ll never forget how he showed me how to finish my first record, Triangle of Love. That meant a lot to me then, and it still does today.

“We shared a journey that changed music forever, and I’ll always be grateful for his friendship, guidance and everything he gave to our scene. My heart goes out to his family and loved ones. Rest in peace, Juan.”

Sven Väth

German techno artist Sven Väth shared an image of Atkins alongside a note: “I can hardly believe this heartbreaking news. We have lost one of the true visionaries and founding fathers of electronic music. A pioneer who didn’t just create music but helped shape its future.

“With Cybotron, Model 500 and his legendary Metroplex label, Juan laid the foundations of what we know today as techno. His vision inspired generations and helped build a musical bridge between Detroit and Berlin, with Tresor becoming such an important part of that connection.

“Detroit always had a special place in my heart, and at our Omen club in Frankfurt, we always had our doors open to the Detroit pioneers and their extraordinary sound,” Väth continued. “That musical exchange was such an important part of our culture. Juan and I crossed paths many times over the decades, always with mutual respect, joy and a shared passion for music.

“His records have accompanied and inspired me since the early days. They remain part of my musical journey, and it meant a lot to me to include his music on my What I Used to Play compilation. Juan was truly ahead of his time. His unique fusion of futuristic sounds, soul, funk and electronic machines opened doors to an entirely new musical universe. My heart goes out to his family, loved ones, friends and fellow artists during this painful time.

“Dear Juan, your music, your vision and your spirit will live on. On our turntables, on our dancefloors and in our hearts. Thank you for opening the doors to the future. Rest in peace, dear Juan. With love, Sven.”

Kenny Larkin

Detroit techno producer Kenny Larkin shared an image of himself with Atkins, writing, “Juan influenced every single one of you who does Techno. Directly or indirectly. No words to describe how devastating it is to lose Juan. As a kid, his music took me to space and beyond and eventually influenced and helped shape my life. RIP Juan Atkins.”

Tiga

Tiga shared an image of himself with Atkins on Instagram, accompanied by a five-minute voice note about seeing Atkins play a set that changed his approach to electronic music.

“On December 31st, 1994 — New Year’s Eve — I was booked to play a party called Heaven in New York. I think it was actually in Queens. It was a big rave, 7,000 people. It was a huge deal at the time, and definitely a huge deal for me, because that was one of the first times I’d left Montreal to DJ at a big party.

“I played early — around 11 to midnight — and through some coincidence, Juan Atkins played after me. The party ended up getting shut down about an hour and a half after that, but it doesn’t matter. I got up there and I did my thing. I was a raver. I was into hardcore techno, hardcore breaks, UK stuff. It was crazy, and it went well.

“Then Juan came on, and he kind of blew my mind. To the point that I’m still here talking about it. The music blew my mind — he played incredible techno I had never really heard done like that before. But what really changed my whole outlook was that he had a little crew with him, maybe six friends from Detroit. And they didn’t look like us. They were kind of adults. They were really cool, and they were dancing — no socks on their heads, no lights, no weird gloves. Just cool-ass adults getting down.

“The combination of the music and watching his little posse groove — it was so cool and sexy and weird and legit that I was kind of transformed. After I handed over the decks, I just stood there and watched. I remember very clearly thinking: ‘I want some of that. Whatever they have going on, that little six-person nucleus — that’s what I want. Not the 3,000 ravers out there.’

“It was the first time Juan showed me something I didn’t even know was possible. A totally different energy profile. A totally different goal. The music was still techno — fast, powerful — but it was from the waist down. There was no kandi. It wasn’t built on rises and falls, on breakdowns. Nothing forced, nothing contrived. It was sexy and kind of deep, but still energetic.

“I didn’t really have the words for it then. I still don’t. I just know I’m still looking for that feeling. Every night I’m out there, I’m basically chasing what I felt watching Juan Atkins and his friends dance and play those records. It informed everything I did. It became the objective — what I strive for in the music I make, even though it obviously doesn’t sound like Detroit techno. The whole package: not giving a shit, thinking about the future, the optimism, the courage, being weird, reinventing sounds. It was just so cool.

“So I wanted to say thank you. It made a huge impression on me. We met a few times through the years, played together not that long ago in Mexico. Told jokes, talked s–t. He was an incredibly cool guy. That moment — it wasn’t so much his production. It was him as a DJ, what he represented. It gave me a target and changed how I looked at dance music. Changed how I look at techno. Period.

“One other thing I want to say: if you love someone’s music, if it touches you — just tell them. If you’re inspired by someone, tell them. Send a DM. Don’t be shy, don’t play it cool. Just tell each other when something really moves you.

“It’s important to recognize when something touches you. And being a musician is a pretty tough life. Making tracks is tough. A lot of the time, you don’t know the real reaction — you don’t always see it in front of you. Musicians’ lives have some crazy ups and downs, and you can find yourself years later wondering what the value was, or where you are. A lot of the time, the value is in how your music moves through the world. How it touches people. And if you have a chance to tell someone how it touched you — the journey it took, how it affected your life — just go for it.

“Thank you, Juan Atkins. For a million different things.”

Richie Hawtin

Richie Hawtin shared an image of Atkins, DJ Minx and himself on a golf cart. He wrote, “A quick spontaneous photo that I never imagined would be the last one – entering Movement Detroit earlier this year and running into DJ Minx and Atkins

“Juan imagined Techno before any of us,” Hawtin continued. “Without him, our music wouldn’t sound the way it does — if it existed at all. He welcomed a nerdy kid from Windsor into Techno Blvd with an encouraging smile and made me feel there was a place for me in a scene that was still being born. That moment changed my life. Thank you. My heart felt condolences to his family & friends.”

Dubfire

Dubfire shared an image of Atkins, writing, “Cybotron. Model 500. Metroplex. The names alone suggested other worlds. The music transported me to faraway planets and galaxies, expanding my imagination and helping ignite the desire to pursue a life in music.

“Juan was pure inspiration. His imagination opened a universe of possibilities, and I’ll always be grateful for where it led me. Though we weren’t close, I cherish the chance encounters and meals we shared over the decades. I was always in awe of him. Farewell, Originator.”

Laurent Garnier

French producer Laurent Garnier shared an image of Atkins, writing, “I am profoundly saddened to hear the news about Juan. This is an immeasurable loss for the entire techno community. Juan’s music inspired and shaped my profound love for Detroit Techno. Today, we’ve lost one of the founding fathers of our music. All my thoughts are with Juan’s friends and family in Detroit and beyond.”

DJ Tennis

Italian producer DJ Tennis shared an image of himself with Atkins, writing, “Respect and love for the originator, one of the founding fathers of techno music and a true visionary whose influence goes far beyond any genre. You changed the way we imagine and experience electronic music. Play his tracks today in his honor! Thank you for everything Juan. Juan Atkins. Model 500. Cybotron. Infiniti. Audio Tech …….. the list is long.”

Kraftwerk

Kraftwerk’s Instagram account shared an image of group co-founder Ralf Hütter with Atkins in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2023.

Movement

The Instagram account for Detroit house and techno festival Movement, where Atkins performed with his Borderland project in May, shared an image of Atkins with the caption: “Juan Atkins sparked the electronic music revolution we’re living in today. Through Cybotron, he helped give the world a sound born from Detroit’s industrial grit. Iconic tracks like ‘Alleys of Your Mind’, ‘Clear’, and ‘Techno City’ were portals to a vision of what Detroit could sound like. And with Model 500, he pushed that vision forward, making music that was futuristic, soulful, and unmistakably Detroit.

“In his own words: ‘Nobody was calling it Techno music until I started calling it Techno music.’ Every generation of Detroit producers and DJs has built on the foundation he laid. Juan has been part of Movement’s story since its inception, taking the stage under his iconic aliases and projects, including Cybotron, Model 500, and most recently as Borderland at Movement 2026. Thank you, Juan, for the music and the vision.”

Source: Billboard