There is no disputing the fact that Kevin Saunderson is a ledge. This year is the 25th anniversary of his classic, almighty, Inner City anthems ‘Big Love’ and ‘Good Life’. He’ll be celebrating this with some remixes coming out on his KMS label and in the meantime is working on a podcast show called Deep Space Radio, based on the one that he did ‘back in the day’ with fellow Detroit pioneers, Juan Atkins, Derrick May and Eddie Fowlkes. This time round he’s working with his two sons, Damari and Dantiez, who are chips off the block, also producing and DJing. “It’s going to be family, me and my boys, talking about what’s hot, some mini mixes from me, some mini mixes from them, some guests from all over,” Kevin explains. This year through till next, he’ll be hosting a tour entitled Curators of Techno, designed for him to play with the people who are influenced by Detroit or who are from Detroit, “guys in my stature and some younger cats also,” he goes on to say. Aiming to keep things fresh, the tour will show the evolution of Detroit techno, in a kind of “infinity of creativity” circle. See? A true legend…
Words: HELENE STOKES
The track that really sums up your childhood?
“Probably The Jackson Five ‘ABC’. They had a cartoon out when I was younger, it was exciting. That just reminds me of when I was younger, what I was listening to at the time. My mother, she sang a lot. |She was friends with The Marvelettes, she used to do some earlier shows with them, it was very Motown driven I can tell you that. Most of the songs I heard were Motown in the early, early days.”
The first record that you ever bought?
“The first record that I remember ever buying was probably Alexander Robotnick. It was an electronic record that had a freaky cover that attracted me. It was red, yellow, maybe green, and it had this funny cartoon drawing on it, it was hot. I was in a record shop called Buy Rite Music and in that shop they imported music from Europe, and I went to the import section and it caught my eye. I thought ‘wow’. It goes down as one of my super classics. If I was to play a special set, completely musical with no genre attached, that would be one of the records that I would play.”
The most embarrassing record in your collection?
“Maybe back in the day ‘Pump Up The Jam’, it was a time and moment when groups were trying to imitate a record and just try to jump on the scene. It was one of those records that I played, but when you think about it it was kind of corny. It seemed like it just worked back then too.”
The track that’s guaranteed to make you cry?
“‘Art of Noise ‘Moments In Love’, it’s emotional in a good or a bad way. Either way, you could cry because you’re happy but you could also cry because you’re sad.”
An album that you’re currently into? 108
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“I know the track that I’m listening to a lot is called ‘Autotune’. It’s essentially a great dance track, it has emotion, it builds and it’s powerful. It affects you in a positive way and you see it on the dancefloor and you see people, the response to how it makes them feel. It usually finds its way into my set.”
The most valuable record in your collection?
“If I had to go with the most valuable records it’s probably one of my records, it’s ‘Good Life’. I’ve got 30 different versions of it and it never fails. It’s just one of those records that, even though I created it, I play it. Sometimes people recreate my records and it reminds me of me and I don’t play it ever, but it’s inspired by me. Like I say, I have many different versions, no other record do I have that many versions that I can play multiple versions and the crowd react. The latest version is… it’s from these guys called the Beat Thieves, and they stole my beat and actually I think it’s going to be a version that I’m going to release too. I like it, it works. I’m doing my 25 year KMS anniversary releases, different records that came out on there. This year it’s 25 years for ‘Big Love’ and ‘Good Life’ so I’m doing some special remixes for both of those records.”
Your all time favorite track of all time?
“‘Ain’t No Stopping Us Now’ by McFadden and Whitehead. Yep, I remember listening to that in New York, listening to it all the time. Going to the Paradise Garage and hearing it, probably just at the
beginning of me experiencing music in a club environment, the message, the vocals, dancing. A very powerful record too as far as the meaning, and what you got out of it too. For me it’s one of those records that never dies and it can always send a positive message out.”
KEVIN SAUNDERSON
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