Juan Atkins, the Detroit musician widely recognized as one of the founding figures of techno, has died at the age of 64. His death was confirmed on Sunday, November 1, by Green Smith Artists, the management company representing the pioneering producer and DJ. Atkins was scheduled to perform at Yu Yu Club in Mexico City on October 31.

According to his management, Atkins was found unresponsive in his hotel room in Mexico City before his scheduled performance. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. No official cause of death has been announced.

Born in Detroit in 1962, Atkins grew up in Belleville, Michigan, where he met Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson. The three musicians later became known as the Belleville Three, a group credited with helping establish Detroit techno during the early 1980s. Their work combined electronic instrumentation, funk influences and futuristic concepts, creating a sound that would influence dance music around the world.

Atkins began experimenting with electronic instruments as a teenager. He formed the duo Cybotron with Richard “3070” Davis around 1980, developing a distinctive sound built around synthesizers, drum machines and science-fiction-inspired themes. Their early recordings included “Alleys of Your Mind,” “Cosmic Cars” and “Clear,” which became one of the defining tracks of early Detroit electronic music.

Released in 1983, “Clear” gained attention beyond the underground dance scene and became a landmark recording in the development of techno and electro. The track’s influence extended into hip-hop, with Missy Elliott incorporating elements of it into her 2005 hit “Lose Control.”

Following his work with Cybotron, Atkins began releasing music under the name Model 500. His 1985 single “No UFOs” became another influential recording in Detroit techno, combining machine-driven rhythms with atmospheric electronic sounds. That same year, he founded Metroplex Records, a label that became an important outlet for his own music and productions from Detroit’s emerging electronic scene.

Atkins also recorded under the name Infiniti and collaborated with German producer Moritz von Oswald as Borderland. His career continued across several decades, with performances at clubs and electronic music festivals internationally. In 2023, he revived Cybotron alongside producer Laurens von Oswald, releasing the duo’s first EP in 28 years, Maintain the Golden Ratio.

Atkins was closely associated with the term “techno,” which he used to describe his music from its earliest stages. His track “Techno Music” appeared on the influential 1988 compilation Techno! The New Dance Sound of Detroit, helping introduce the city’s electronic sound to audiences in Europe and further establishing the genre’s name.

News of his death prompted tributes from fellow musicians, including Kevin Saunderson, who remembered Atkins as a visionary whose work helped open doors for generations of artists. Saunderson also recalled their longstanding friendship and the role Atkins played in shaping Detroit’s electronic music community.

Atkins remained active as a DJ and producer in the years leading up to his death, continuing to perform at major clubs and festivals. His recordings as Cybotron and Model 500, along with his work as part of the Belleville Three, helped establish the foundations of Detroit techno and influenced electronic music across multiple generations.