Derrick May

Derrick May, born in Detroit in 1963, is one of the legendary Belleville Three, the pioneering trio (alongside Juan Atkins and Kevin Saunderson) who shaped the foundations of techno and forever altered the trajectory of electronic dance music. First inspired by mix exchanges with Atkins in high school and deeply influenced by Chicago’s house scene through figures like Frankie Knuckles and Ron Hardy, May went on to found Transmat Records, releasing seminal tracks under his Rhythim Is Rhythim alias including “Nude Photo,” “Kaos,” “It Is What It Is,” and the timeless anthem “Strings of Life.” These records defined Detroit techno’s soulful yet percussive identity and fueled the UK’s late-’80s house explosion, making May one of the first American techno artists to tour England. Though his own release schedule slowed in the 1990s, May’s Music Institute club in Detroit became a cradle for second-wave innovators like Carl Craig and Richie Hawtin, while his Transmat label continued to cultivate groundbreaking artists. Celebrated as an Innovator—the title of his 1995 Sony Japan retrospective—Derrick May remains a cornerstone of techno’s history, bridging the spirit of disco, the edge of house, and the futurism of Detroit into a lasting global legacy.