Record producer and techno pioneer Juan Atkins died Saturday at the age of 64, according to his booking agency.
Collaborator Kevin Saunderson called Mr. Atkins “the originator of techno, a true visionary” in a social media post.
Mr. Atkins is said to have helped create the genre with school friends in suburban Detroit in the 1980s, forming the duo Cybotron in 1981 with Richard Davis.
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They released the 1983 track “Clear” with Derrick May, calling themselves “the Belleville Three.”
He was scheduled to perform Saturday at the Yu Yu club in Mexico City, but the club canceled the show before news of his death broke.
DJs Carl Cox and Sven Vath paid tribute to Mr. Atkins on social media, with Mr. Vath saying his vision “helped build a musical bridge between Detroit and Berlin.”
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An official cause of death has not been confirmed.
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