Juan Atkins, Techno Pioneer and Cybotron Co-Founder, Dies at 64

Juan Atkins, widely regarded as a founding father of techno music and a co-founder of the influential electronic group Cybotron, has died at the age of 64.

Greensmith Artists, Atkins’ agency, announced his death Sunday (Nov. 1) on Instagram.

Atkins was found unresponsive in his hotel room in Mexico City on Saturday (Oct. 31) before a scheduled performance at YuYu Cine Club, according to Resident Advisor. He was transported to a hospital and pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

No cause of death has been reported. Billboard has reached out to his representatives for further comment.

Born in Detroit in 1962 and raised in nearby Belleville, Michigan, Atkins met fellow students Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson, forming the Belleville Three. The trio helped establish Motor City as a global center for electronic music in the 1980s as architects of Detroit techno.

Atkins joined producer Rik Davis in 1980 to form the electronic music group Cybotron. The duo released their debut album, Enter, in 1983 with the track “Clear” before parting ways in 1985.

Influenced by Afrika Bambaataa and Kraftwerk, “Clear” ranked No. 77 on Billboard’s list of the 100 Best Dance Songs of All Time.

Atkins launched his own label, Metroplex, in 1985 following Cybotron’s breakup and began releasing music as Model 500. His first single under that name, “No UFO’s,” brought Detroit’s developing techno sound to the U.K. and laid the groundwork for the 1988 compilation Techno! The New Dance Sound of Detroit, which included Atkins’ track “Techno Music.”

Atkins released music under aliases including Infiniti and Audio Tech, as well as his own name, in the following decades. He also teamed up with German producer Moritz von Oswald as Borderland and reunited with May and Saunderson as the Belleville Three for worldwide performances throughout the 2010s.

“Heartbreaking news today. My brother Juan Atkins has passed away,” Saunderson wrote Sunday on his Instagram Story. “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.”

Saunderson added, “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.”