Juan Atkins Essentials

In his own music and as a floor-rocking DJ, Juan Atkins's brilliance is blending dance rhythms with ear-bending melodies. In '81, inspired by Kraftwerk, Parliament, and Detroit radio DJ The Electrifyin' Mojo, Atkins formed the seminal electro group Cybotron and, later, Model 500 and the alias Infiniti. He released now-classic singles on his Metroplex label, pairing futuristic tones with Detroit grit—the blueprints for techno—and by the '90s he was an in-demand producer and international attraction. The '00s brought new Atkins productions and a 2015 world tour celebrating his 35 years of music.