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‘Godfather of Techno’ Dies Suddenly Before Show at 64

The musician helped create the futuristic music style that has become a global dance phenomenon.

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Detroit techno pioneer Juan Atkins has died at age 64. The musician was found unresponsive in a hotel room in Mexico City just before a gig. He was taken to the hospital and declared dead, his agents said. Atkins began his career as part of the duo Cybotron, and then created music under the name Model 500. According to The Guardian, he was the first person to label the futuristic style of dance music he helped create as “techno.” Atkins was born in Detroit in 1964 and moved to Belleville in rural Michigan as a child. His lean, minimalist style evoked futuristic utopias and was sampled by artists including Missy Elliott. Kevin Saunderson, a friend who worked closely with Atkins, described him as “a true visionary who opened the door for so many of us, myself included”.