Juan Atkins, Detroit techno pioneer, dies at 64
The DJ was found unconscious in a hotel in Mexico before a show and pronounced dead at the hospital; he was one of the 'Belleville Three'.
Translated from the Portuguese original by the Panorama newsroom. Read in Portuguese
Summary written by the Panorama newsroom from the sources listed below. Facts are attributed to the original publications.
American DJ and producer Juan Atkins, considered one of the creators of techno, died at 64 in Mexico. According to the news agency France Presse, published by g1 on November 2, he was found unconscious in his hotel room on Saturday (31), shortly before a scheduled performance in Mexico City, and later pronounced dead at the hospital.
The information was given by the agency Greensmith Artists to the music magazine Resident Advisor. In an Instagram post, the company recalled "so many years, so many stages" alongside the Detroit-born artist, who had toured Japan less than two months earlier.
Atkins began his career in 1980, when he formed the group Cybotron with Richard Davis. The duo released "Clear" in 1983, one of the records that helped define the genre.
With childhood friends Kevin Saunderson and Derrick May, he made up the "Belleville Three," a trio considered the founders of techno. Saunderson called him the creator of the genre and "a true visionary."
Also according to the American press cited by AFP, the DJ was facing health problems, particularly related to diabetes.