For Theo Parrish, house and techno are means rather than ends—not rule-bound genres with fixed limits, but open-ended frameworks for channelling the breadth of Black American musical expression. Born in Washington, D.C., in 1972, Parrish was raised in Chicago, where he soaked up funk, soul, disco and house before he began DJing in his teens. It was in Detroit that he forged his singular style of club music, looping hypnotic samples over lanky, swinging machine grooves on early recordings like 1997’s “Smile” and his 1998 debut LP, First Floor. Over the years, his music has only grown more expansive, fleshing out programmed beats with live drums, keys and more. Parrish’s range as a DJ is just as great. He’s beloved for risk-taking sets that mix styles with effortless panache, both in the club and on recordings like 2022’s DJ-Kicks, which shines a spotlight on lesser-known Detroit talent.