Cybotron

Cybotron is a pioneering electro act led by Detroit techno originator Juan Atkins. Founded in 1980 by Atkins and Rick Davis, the duo created electronic machine funk influenced by Kraftwerk, George Clinton, Yellow Magic Orchestra, and new wave, as well as futurist literature such as Alvin Toffler's Future Shock and The Third Wave. Two self-issued singles preceded the group's signing to Fantasy, which released the widely influential, much-sampled classic "Clear" and the full-length Enter in 1983. Atkins then left Cybotron due to artistic differences and launched the equally groundbreaking Model 500 in 1985. Davis remained active as Cybotron, issuing material into the 1990s. Decades later, Atkins formed a revamped Cybotron lineup and released Maintain the Golden Ratio in 2023. Juan Atkins met Vietnam War veteran Rick Davis (also known as 3070) at a music theory class in Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor. The two began making music as Cybotron, and their first single was the dystopian electro-funk song "Alleys of Your Mind," backed by the glimmering uptempo instrumental "Cosmic Raindance." The record was issued by Atkins' Deep Space Records in 1981, appearing around the same time as A Number of Names' Italo-disco-influenced "Sharevari," another record commonly cited as one of the first Detroit techno releases. The second Cybotron single, "Cosmic Cars," appeared in 1982 and was picked up for wider release by Fantasy Records. Its B-side, "The Line," was co-written by the group's third member, guitarist Jon-5. The band's debut album, Enter, appeared in 1983, mixing electro, funk, and new wave influences. The propulsive, optimistic "Clear" emerged as a club classic, while other songs like "Industrial Lies" and "Enter" focused on technological dread. After releasing two more singles with the group, "Techno City" (1984) and "R-9" (1985), Atkins became disinterested in the more rock-influenced direction Cybotron was taking, and he left the group. He launched Metroplex Records with the first two Model 500 singles, "No UFO's" and "Night Drive (Thru-Babylon)," and played a major role in establishing the Detroit techno scene. Davis, however, was not done with Cybotron, and he released the single "Eden" in 1986. Several years later, the reclusive musician issued the second Cybotron full-length, 1993's Empathy, a more experimental effort incorporating ambient and hip-hop influences. This was followed by the ambitious, fantasy-inspired Cyber Ghetto in 1995. Cybotron's material from the 1980s was compiled on Interface: The Roots of Techno (1994) and Motor City Machine Music: An Exploration of Cybotron (2005), and the group's songs were periodically remixed and reissued. "Clear" retains its status as an all-time classic, and has been sampled extensively, most notably by Missy Elliott on her 2005 hit "Lose Control." Atkins assembled an updated Cybotron lineup and planned to perform at the Detroit Electronic Music Festival (separate from the city's annual Movement festival) in 2014, but the event was canceled. Cybotron played their first-ever live show at London's Barbican Centre in April 2019, and additionally performed at the European festivals Dekmantel and Primavera Sound. Consisting of Atkins, Tameko Williams (D.I.E. [Detroit in Effect]), and Laurens von Oswald (nephew of Basic Channel co-founder Moritz von Oswald), Cybotron performed at a 2020 Louis Vuitton runway show in Paris, spearheaded by Virgil Abloh. The group made their first-ever Detroit live appearance at the 2023 Movement festival. A limited white label 12", the vocal-driven electro track "Maintain," was sold at the Metroplex tent. Tresor released Maintain the Golden Ratio, a two-song single also including "The Golden Ratio (Version)," later in the year.
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