TuneAttic: find music, know music
TuneAttic: find music, know music
TuneAttic: find music, know music
TuneAttic: find music, know music
TuneAttic: find music, know music
TuneAttic: find music, know music
Kevin Saunderson Kevin Saunderson is one of the original pioneers of techno, along with Juan Atkins and Derrick May a member of the Belleville Three credited with founding the genre.  In addition to co-starting Detroit Techno Saunderson helped shape the early sound of house music with his seminal releases as Inner City. 
Kevin Saunderson scales of success
Kevin Saunderson timeline

 

'Good Life'
(Virgin/Atlantic Records 1988)
'Mixmag Live! Vol. 5'
(DMC Publishing 1992)

Early Years: 1987 to 1995

After having moved from New York as a child Kevin Saunderson had become friends with Derrick May and Juan Atkins at Belleville High School in a suburb of Detroit.  The three developed a shared love of electronic music and were strongly influenced by the eclectic radio shows of DJ Charles "The Electrifying Mojo" Johnson.

Upon finishing school Atkins and May started to experiment with producing their own music but Saunderson instead opted to study at University.  Before long though he joined Atkins and May in their musical journeys of discovery and in 1987 Saunderson and May released a debut track together under the alias Kreem.

Throughout the remainder of the 1980’s and early 1990’s Saunderson, Atkins and May forged the Detroit Techno sound which alongside the emerging Chicago House sound would become the founding pillars of electronic dance music.  In 1987 Saunderson set up the influential Techno record label KMS – short for Kevin Maurice Saunderson.

During this period Saunderson also contributed to the emerging House music genre with two seminal releases under the alias Inner City, namely ‘Big Fun’ (Atlantic Records 1988) and ‘Good Life’ (Atlantic Records 1988).

'Heavenly'
(KMS 1997)
'Elevator'
(KMS 2001)

Later Years: 1996 to present

From the early 1990’s Saunderson had started to release more underground focused tracks under the alias E-Dancer.  In 1998 he released the critically acclaimed E-Dancer album ‘Heavenly’ (Planet E 1998) including the electro tinged title track ‘Heavenly’ (KMS 1998).

Three years later Saunderson released his debut studio album under his own name: ‘Elevator’ (KMS 2001).

Between 2002 and 2004 Saunderson released a series of three mix albums: ‘KS01’, ‘KS02’ and ‘KS03 Deep Space Techno’.  His last album release to date was ‘Ekspozicija 07: The Detroit Connection’ (Explicit Musick   2007).

The impact of Kevin Saunderson on contemporary music cannot be exaggerated.  The influence of the Belleville three goes beyond electronic dance music, with so much pop music incorporating dance music elements, which have their roots in various dance music genres that ultimately evolved out of Detroit Techno.  Saunderson, May and Atkins picked up the baton from pioneering European electronic acts such as Kraftwerk and added the dancefloor sensibilities that would spawn an entire subculture.

Kevin Saunderson moved from his native New York at the age of nine to Bellville, a suburb of Detroit.  Years later there at Belleville High School he became friends with Derrick May and Juan Atkins.  The three went on to become the founding fathers of Techno and became known as the Belleville Three.  Saunderson is married to Sharmeela Lamarsha Saunderson.  Saunderson used to play American Football for Eastern Michigan University.