Model 500 Artist Bio

Model 500 and Model 600 are aliases of Juan Atkins.

After releasing several Cybotron records, Atkins began recording as “Model 500” in 1985 and founded the Metroplex label. His friends Eddie Fowlkes, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson all recorded singles on the label.

Atkins’ first single as Model 500, “No UFOs,” was a hit in Detroit and Chicago. He followed it with a series of landmark techno tracks, earning him the nickname “the godfather of techno.” Within a few years, Atkins’ work was rereleased in Europe, influencing another generation of producers.

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