Keith Tucker

Keith Tucker is an electronic musician and DJ from the city of Detroit, Michigan, in the United States of America. His recording pseudonyms include DJ K-1, Optic Nerve and KT-19941. His music is widely regarded by listeners of electronic dance music as some of the best in the genres of Electro and Detroit Techno.

Related Topics:
Detroit - Michigan - Electro - Techno

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AUX 88, the group of which he was co-founder in 1994, with Tommy Hamilton (who performs and records under the pseudonym Tom-Tom) has been frequently credited with the revival of Electro in the late 1990s, which gave rise to the popularity of the genre known as electro-clash, and the release of electro-style records by pop stars such as Madonna and Kylie Minogue.

Related Topics:
Madonna - Kylie Minogue

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As co-founder of Puzzlebox recordings in 1996 with Anthony ?Shake? Shakir, he also joined the tradition of independent dance music publishing and vinyl record pressing in Detroit, utilizing, along with other artists, the National Sound Company vinyl lathe which had previously been used to produce the records of labels such as

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Motown.

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Tucker has been both an innovator and an acolyte in electronic dance music. The strongest influences discernible in his music are those of Kraftwerk and Juan Atkins, the artist who, along with Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson, created the Detroit Techno genre in the early 1980s. Along with artists including Underground Resistance, Drexciya and Carl Craig, Tucker is perceived as belonging to a ?second wave? of artists in the Detroit Techno tradition, who began their careers in the early 1990?s after the explosion of the popularity of Acid House music and rave parties in Britain and across Europe.

Related Topics:
Kraftwerk - Juan Atkins - Derrick May - Kevin Saunderson - Detroit Techno - Underground Resistance - Drexciya - Carl Craig - Acid House

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With Tommy Hamilton, Tucker began his career playing cover versions of Atkins? classic electro records from the 1980?s. Atkins? label, Metroplex released his first single, ?Frequency? in 1990. The live ensemble of Tucker and Hamilton later became known as Regime, then RX-7, and finally AUX 88. They were joined by BJ Smith (Posatronix) and Lamont Norwood (DJ Dijital).

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In his own words he cites his influences as being 1970?s Funk such as Parliament, Kraftwerk and classical music, particularly J.S. Bach. The uniqueness of Tucker?s musical output is in its blending and refinement of syncopated, minimalist Electro and Techno rhythms with an emphasis on deep bass in the style of Miami Bass and the Roland TR-808 drum machine. These rhythms are complemented by the emotive timbres of analogue synthesizer bass-lines and strings, and allusive poetic vocals, which express themes of solipsistic, futuristic dreaming against a backdrop of urban decay, reprised in the classic Detroit Techno style. As Kraftwerk once described their music ? ?Electronic blues made with a jazz improvisation technique.?

Related Topics:
Funk - Parliament - Kraftwerk - J.S. Bach - Electro - Techno - Miami Bass - Roland TR-808

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