Hidden within a non-descript building with no sign at 3000 E Grand Blvd in Detroit, Michigan is the world’s first techno museum — Exhibit 3000. The Somewhere in Detroit Record Store and Exhibit 3000 showcase all there is to know about the history of Detroit techno. The museum explains from the very beginning to present times how techno was developed, evolved, and spread. The record store holds the latest and rarest vinyl records belonging to the techno movement. The building also houses Submerge Distribution and Underground Resistance.
The Museum was founded by Underground Resistance, a group of techno artists that collectively brought techno to life. The original members included Mad Mike Banks, who also owns Submerge Records, and Jeff Mills. The group sought to inspire young African American men to become more than the cycle of poverty that many fell into in the city. Their music was a direct fight against socio-economic and racial barriers faced by the African American community.
Detroit techno is a specific type of electronic music produced by Detroit-based artists during the 1980s and early 1990s. Four African American men: Kevin Saunderson, Juan Atkins, Eddie Fowlkes, and Derrick May were the founders of the music genre. The group of men came together in high school, influenced by electronic music, funk, and new-wave disco. They worked together to create their unique sound that soon flooded the clubs and records being played around the city. The first official techno record ended up being released in 1981.
Techno lovers and music lovers found themselves at The Music Institute, Detroit’s first techno club opened in 1988. A pivotal figure of Detroit’s techno scene was DJ John “Jammin” Collins. He started DJ’ing as a side gig to make more money but soon found that he ended up playing in popular Detroit clubs and being featured on the radio. Collins himself gives tours at the Techno Museum by appointment only. The museum displays items like an original Roland TR-909 drum machine donated by Atkins and other instruments once used by techno artists. The company still records with artists from all around the world and has become the official headquarters for the Underground Resistance.
If we’ve learned anything about the great city of Detroit, it’s that its two greatest exports are musicians and cars. The Somewhere in Detroit Record store is open on Saturdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and tours of the Techno Museum are by appointment only by contacting John Collins at jcpremier@gmail.com.