Derrick May

The euphoric beat. The heightened goosebumps. That indescribable feeling. When the sound resonates through the walls, through your skin and takes you to a new techno high. That well-known sound is somewhere, someway- influenced by Derrick May’s creations. So make way for Mayday, a third of the godfathers and creators of techno- pioneered back in the 1980’s. There aren’t many producers and DJs like Derrick who have such an epic music tale to tell. His genuine expression and devotion for the combination of funk and soul is unique. Combined with his story of how childhood friends Juan Atkins and Kevin Saunderson, commonly known as the Belleville Three ‘mistakingly’ came to create and conquer the unique sound of ‘techno’ is mind-blowing. BBM’s Frankie Salt delves deep into Detroit’s movement of sound and talks about his famous tracks such as ‘Strings of Life’ and how it all really came together with the release of ‘Nude Ghost’ almost three decades ago.

Good morning Derrick, how are you?
I’m well- thank you for calling.

Thank you for having a chat with me. So whereabouts are you in the big bad world?
I’m in my house, relaxing and taking it easy in Detroit, Michigan. Where are you calling me from?

I’m calling you bright and early from Sydney.
Ok, cool. So how long have you been living over in Sydney?

Well I’ve been here about five months now working for the magazine. I’ll be returning to the homeland for the summer. How’s things been anyway Derrick? What have you been getting up to this week?
Yeah things are good thanks, BBM is a great magazine! Ha-ha, so tell me darlin’ what’s on your mind Frankie?

Well I’m really here to find out all about you and your music and what you are doing nowadays. Now I know you’re not ‘producing’ now, is there still a temptation or do you just prefer to play to the masses?
Well I think the definition of producing and creating are completely different things. I am definitely still producing. Last year, I produced a great gallery. Also, I am working on a compilation, which is to be released in Japan in a month’s time with some great people such as Will Simon, Kevin Reynolds, Kai Alce. Yeah and also I am spending more of my time as creative director of my label- Transmat.

You are known as a pioneer of techno, do you think the year that your career really took off was 87 with ‘Nude Photo?’
That exact moment. The minute we made the music there was an immediate response and a very strong reaction. The reality was much larger than what you might have imagined back in London, we were selling a great amount of records in Chicago. The success was uniquely different to anywhere else in the world. It was like ‘WOAH, WOW, I’ve gone from being from a poor college kid to having ten grand in my back pocket, how the hell did that happen?!’

(Laughing) This all fascinates me Derrick, how do you feel when people state you as a creator of the musical genre? Is it overwhelming or something that you set out to do all those years ago? How did it all begin?
It was an accident. A pure accident. We didn’t realize at all the impact we were having outside of Detroit. It was and is such a success. When we then went into the wide world, we knew this was when we could have failed. Not like instant success, as this is the worst kind. You know, like athletes, they train for years and then get the chance to prove themselves on the field. And if they succeed then great, if not then they disappear. Or like rock bands who get put in a house to live and breathe together until they make enough tracks to make a great album. This was different, un-nurtured, unfiltered success. We didn’t look outside of Detroit or even consider the commercial side of success, we didn’t give a shit. We just did it.

Well maybe that’s why you hit such a natural high and did so well Derrick! Tell me about the documentary ‘High Tech Soul,’ you state that techno could not have come from anywhere but Detroit, why? Why did Europe take off into the club culture yet America did not?
I think America is a country which has been built on a dream not a reality. The American dream. It’s wax man, it’s fake. People from America seem to reach a different level of success over here. There’s not many Stevie’s. There are so few people who can walk that walk like Stevie Wonder. Who have the integrity and keep it real with so much respect. We were never really given that opportunity but we knew how much it meant to be that guy. We were a little miserable watching other guys other people step in front of us.

So, why do you think there has been a sudden resurgence of interest in the Detroit scene?
I can only imagine that maybe the young kids who missed out before are now gaining an interest too? I don’t know, it’s very cool to hear that though. The reality is that people prefer what they prefer, their eggs scrambled to sunny side up? Day to night? The music is what it is. It’s a blueprint to a lot of other shit and people wanted to know what this shit was. It’s timeless. To not be able to hear whether a DJ is playing a new or old track.

Yes like your classic ‘Strings of Life.’ How would you say you first came about making a track?
I was working with friends such Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson and my mentor. I would ask him and I would watch the bands. I watched and learned. Electronic bands, computers, it sounds simple but it was a process. A lot of dedication and time. It was very challenging and inspiring. I just kept getting better and better, and what better reason to play?

So who inspires you now?
You know it’s not because Carl Craig is a friend. He was a young lad turning up at my door and I showed him the deal. He is a massive talent. He has diversity, skill set and he is still one of my most admired artists out there. A brother and a friend.

When you play a set now, do you have a preference of playing to a larger or smaller crowd?
Japan’s production of the clubs, the approach of the DJ’s the sound systems are near perfect. They can be small and intense or big and intense. You can play exactly what you want and it never tires. I love that. I still say that Japan is the best place to play in the world. The Japanese have never been known as leaders, always followers, and so people can’t imagine that these people can be the best. A lot of DJ’s would have Japan as their number one, two or three.

I would love to go to Japan and experience the clubs. I have heard great things about the place.
You should go Frankie, Japan isn’t on many people’s radars and they should know the real side of Japan’s club culture. People trust what you say as a journalist when it comes to music and clubs and what they want.

Hopefully I will get the opportunity! When do we get the opportunity to see you play over here?
Very soon, I’m doing a tour of clubs all over the country. I’ll be there in two weeks. Perth, Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne. I’ll be down at the cave – the Chinese Laundry is very Japanese. I hear there are a lot of festivals going on in Australia right now, which always puts club culture in jeopardy as people pay for the festivals and then don’t hit the clubs.

Well we will be there with bells on to show our support. Thanks Derrick, it’s been a serious pleasure to speak to you.