Explore the birth of Detroit techno in this 1998 documentary

“How do you infuse soul into machines?”

In 1998, the Much Music channel commissioned a documentary surveying the origins and pioneers of techno, called Detroit: The Blueprint of Techno.

Offering an overview of the rise and importance of Detroit techno, Detroit: The Blueprint of Techno investigates the impact of Kraftwerk and Visage, the internet, the development of Chicago house, and Motown.

As the documentary questions both why techno emerged from Detroit and what its future is, it collects interviews from Kevin Saunderson, Derrick May, Jaun Atkins, Carl Craig, Richie Hawtin, and the late Mike Huckaby.

“Living in a city that’s very industrial, we have seen the decomposition of the city, and we’ve been able to relate that to what we do with our music,” explains Craig.

Watch Detroit: The Blueprint of Techno in full above.

Photo by: Matthew Vosburg