Juan Atkins helped shape Detroit techno’s human vision of the future

Juan Atkins, who died on 31 October aged 64, helped create Detroit techno and gave the genre its name. His music joined funk and electronic sounds with ideas about technology and the future, shaping a global movement and influencing generations of electronic musicians.

A founding member of the Belleville Three, Atkins first explored these sounds with Rik Davis in the duo Cybotron, using synthesiser technology that had recently become more accessible. Science fiction and Alvin Toffler’s books informed his vision of “techno rebels” using technology for creative freedom. Growing up around Detroit’s declining car industry also gave him a cautious view of technological change and its costs.