Juan Atkins Albums (8)
What The Critics Say
Juan Atkins' Legends, Vol. 1 certainly isn't the techno flashback of his 1998 mix date for Wax Trax; with no Detroit productions in sight (except for his own opener), Atkins instead focuses on a set of catchy, funky tribal-house and disco -- more reminiscent of Joe Claussell's Body & Soul clubnight than Motown's Music Institute. Early on, tracks from Rui da Silva and Individual Orchestra bring a warm, enveloping feel to the mix, occasionally leaning toward Afro-beat. The Detroit godfather also salutes the sound of Chicago, beginning with DJ Sneak's energetic "Dancin' Therapy" and including tracks from a trio of fraternal house producers: Harrison Crump, Felix Da Housecat's Aphrohead project, and L.A. Williams. Aside from a few leftfield names (Isolee, Kit Clayton) for downtempo pauses, Atkins sticks with the groove throughout the set, from a nice filtered-disco track ("Spaced Invader" by Hatiras) through the old-school disco of Harrison Crump ("Get Boogie") and Venetjoki ("Cheap Heat"). As luscious and groove-filled as a Jeff Mills set is minimal and punchy, Legends, Vol. 1 displays Juan Atkins eager to move bodies as well as minds. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
A collaboration between Detroit techno legend Juan Atkins and Berlin's 3MB (producers Thomas Fehlmann and Moritz Von Oswald, the tracks on Magic Juan Atkins were originally issued in 1993, but were not available domestically until 1999. There's a jazzy, laid-back feel to the material, which is as funky and melodic as the best Detroit techno. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
'Wax Trax! Mastermix, Vol. 1'
Release Date 10/20/1998
Tracks 19
Label TVT
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What The Critics Say
Who else but the techno godfather could sum up the music's history efficiently in less than an hour? Beginning with two Detroit classics (his own "No UFOs" and Derrick May's "Nude Photo"), Juan Atkins plays connect-the-dots through garage and early house (Blaze, Martin Circus), minimalist techno (Rob Hood, Walt J) and the music's growing experimentalism during the mid-'90s (courtesy of Maurizio and his own Infiniti project). The mixing is much more raw than on a live Atkins date, perhaps a reaction to the dozens of seamless (read: overdubbed) mix albums already on the market. In any case, Wax Trax! Mastermix, Vol. 1 is an excellent trip through the annals of Detroit techno. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
'Magic Tracks: Deep Detroit, Vol. 2'
Release Date 11/9/1993
Tracks 8
Label Pow Wow
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What The Critics Say
Atkins selects tracks from his own Metroplex Records to steer the listener through a course in classic Detroit techno, with tracks by Scan 7, Infiniti and Eddie "Flashin" Fowlkes as well as new-school electro acts like Drexciya on his 1993 featured album for Pow Wow. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Later reissued in 1990 as Clear, the original incarnation of Cybotron's debut had a considerably different track listing than the one later generations were accustomed to, a slower, less-aggressive progression of funk-washed proto-techno which many have argued kept the spirit of the album alive the best. From the deadeye synth pop of "Enter" and "Alleys of Your Mind" to the obligingly experimental flip of "Cosmic Cars," "Cosmic Radiance," and "El Salvador," Enter's fusion of Kraftwerk and Public Image Ltd. was never lost or frustratingly inaccessible, a superior sequence of electronic optimism and increasingly common concerns of a mega-sterile future. ~ Dean Carlson, All Music Guide
