JUAN ATKINS
Juan Atkins is an American musician widely credited as the originator of techno music, sometimes known as Detroit Techno since Atkins and techno co-creators Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson grew up near Detroit, Michigan. The three, sometimes called the Belleville Three, attended high school together in Belleville, Michigan. At age sixteen, Atkins heard electronic music for the first time and in late-1990s interviews, he recalls the sound of synthesizers as being like "UFOs landing."

He bought his first analogue synthesizer, a Korg MS10, and began recording with cassette decks and a mixer for overdubs. He subsequently taught Derrick May to mix, and the pair started doing DJ sets together as Deep Space. Atkins coined the term techno to describe their music, taking as one inspiration the works of futurist and author Alvin Toffler, from whom he borrowed the terms “cybotron” and “metroplex.”

Atkins and May created mix tracks for Electrifying Mojo to broadcast, then began to create original music. He continues to produce his own and other musicians’ records under the Metroplex Records label. Juan Atkins and Derrik May were also original members of Detroit’s Plus 8 Crew, with a handful of others including UR, they defined Detroit Techno and inspired future generations to follow suit.

GENE FARRIS
A global ambassador of Chicago’s classic house music sound, Gene Farris has spiritedly contributed to the evolving house and techno culture of this century. He began playing Acid House, Disco and the classic Chicago style of his peers at a young age, developing a unique sound that lead him to performances at Chicago’s legendary underground warehouse parties of the 90s, and a residency at the Power House. These formative experiences solidified his artistry, launching him into a four year residency in Amsterdam and an eight year residency at Chicago’s infamous Boom Boom Room.