Street Sounds: Juan Atkins

This is the first post in the new Street Sounds section of this blog, which will cover influential electronic music from the 80's that has impacted the state of hip-hop today. It'll also act as a great resource for pumping up b-boy sets for anyone looking for more music for breaking. Today, I'm covering the early releases by Juan Atkins, the most notable member of Belleville Three and the godfather of techno.

'Clear' by Cybotron, originally released as a single and on the album 'Enter' (which was later retitled 'Clear' after its biggest hit), was a smash hit (especially in the U.K.) and an essential song for any electro set. Cybotron was the pairing of Atkins and Rick Davis, who would split after the success of 'Clear'. Davis continued Cybotron without Atkins, though would never repeat 'Clear''s success. Atkins moved on to hone the new Detroit Techno sound that would make him famous.

'Clear' was sampled many times in the late 80's and early 90's, notably on Poison Clan's 'Shake Whatcha Mama Gave Ya'', which still sparks action on dancefloors today. Poison Clan's huge hit led to many knock offs, including Splack Pack's 'Shake That A-- B----' that also incorporates 'Clear''s electro bounce. Recently, 'Clear' was also used for Missy Elliott's club hit 'Lose Control' with Ciara and Fatman Scoop. The multiple revivals of 'Clear' makes it an even more devastating tool for dancefloors and house parties, people know this track even if they don't know exactly what it is.

Atkins would cement his legacy as techno royalty in 1985 with two legendary singles: 'Night Drive (Thru-Babylon)' and 'No UFO's. Both songs are foundations for the techno genre, but can easily be thrown into classic electro or breakdance sets. For added impact, consider using the instrumental for 'No UFO's' when playing a classic techno mini-set, it'll throw a knowledgeable crowd into a tizzy.

The Lowdown:
Cybotron 'Clear'
from 'Enter' (1983) (MP3/CD)
Poison Clan 'Shake Whatcha Mama Gave Ya''
from 'Poisonous Mentality' (1992) (MP3/CD)
Splack Pack 'Shake That A-- B----'
from 'Shake That A-- B----' 12" (1992) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Missy Elliott 'Lose Control'
from 'The Cookbook' (2005) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edit: 'Lose Control'
Model 500 'Night Drive (Thru-Babylon)'
from 'Night Drive' 12" (1985) (MP3/CD not available)
Model 500 'No UFO's' and 'No UFO's' (Instrumental)
from 'No UFO's' 12" (1985) (MP3/CD not available)