Kevin Saunderson

• Genre: Techno

About

Noted as one of the prime movers in the history of dance music (alongside fellow Detroit masterminds Juan Atkins and Derrick May), this third member of the legendary Belleville Three is distinguished for his fluid ability to draw both a massive underground following and a sizable mainstream audience. Such Saunderson solo outings as the Reese Project, Tronik House, E-Dancer, Essaray and Reese & Santonio saw success on international dance floors, while his collaborative project with smooth Chicago vocalist Paris Grey (under the guise of Inner City) conquered the Top 40 charts eight times in the U.K. and seized the attention of stateside audiences with four club hits. Saunderson breathes life into the machine with every production, as soulful samples and melodies keep pace with the assembly-line speed of taut, unfeeling rhythms. Founder of KMS Records and much-respected beat freak, Saunderson and his sound are essential to the lesson plan of Techno 101.

- Melissa Piazza