RISE: Detroit’s Machine Music

In the final episode of RISE, host Julian Chambliss examines how Detroit-born techno became a global phenomenon while its Black origins were often overlooked. Featuring artists and scholars, the episode explores techno’s deep ties to Afrofuturism, the cultural disconnection caused by commercialization, and the ongoing efforts to reclaim its legacy. It’s a powerful reflection on Detroit’s lasting influence and the music’s role in shaping global conversations about identity and innovation. Host: Julian Chambliss. Featured Voices: AbuQadim Haqq, Adriel Thornton, Tobias c.Van Veen, John Collins, Reynaldo Anderson, Ytasha Womack, Andrew Charles Edman, Blake Baxter. Presented by WKAR Public Media in partnership with MSU Museum at Michigan State University. Supported in part by MSU Federal Credit Union. Includes: Julian C. Chambliss and Tobias C Van Veen, “Interview of Afrofuturist Sound Scholar Tobias C. Van Veen,” Michigan State University Library, G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection: Voices of the Black Imaginary, June 2021. Universal Techno -1996-, 2022.

Host Julian Chambliss explores the deep connections between techno music and Afrofuturist worldbuilding, focusing particularly on the legacy of Detroit’s Underground Resistance (UR). Techno is framed not only as music but as a medium of resistance, imagination, and cultural storytelling. Host: Julian Chambliss. Featured Voices: Ingrid Lafleur, Tobias c. van Veen, Mike Banks, AduQadim Haqq. Presented by WKAR Public Media in partnership with MSU Museum at Michigan State University. Supported in part by MSU Federal Credit Union. Includes: Deborah Ray, “Sun Ra,” Detroit Public Television’s American Black Journal, 1981. Juan Atkins - Techno City, 2010. Julian C. Chambliss and Tobias C Van Veen, “Interview of Afrofuturist Sound Scholar Tobias C. Van Veen,” Michigan State University Library, G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection: Voices of the Black Imaginary, June 2021. Julian C. Chambliss, “Interview of Erik Steinskog of the University of Copenhagen,” Michigan State University Library, G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection: Voices of the Black Imaginary, October 24, 2020.

Episode 4 explores the pivotal role of DJs in shaping Detroit techno. It highlights how figures like Jeff Mills, Ken Collier, and the Electrifying Mojo fostered community, creativity, and sonic experimentation. DJs are shown as cultural mediators—bridging generations, creating live experiences, and transforming dance floors into spaces of Afrofuturist possibility. Host: Julian Chambliss. Featured Voices: Jeff Mills, Derek May, Mike Huckaby, Kevin Saunderson, John Collins, Stacey “Hotwaxx” Hale, Tobias C. van Veen, Reynaldo Anderson, Omar Meftah. Presented by WKAR Public Media in partnership with MSU Museum at Michigan State University. Supported in part by MSU Federal Credit Union. Includes: Jeff Mills - La plus Grande Légende de La Techno EVER | Konbini, 2019. Detroit: The Blueprint Of Techno, 2011. Ken Collier, DJ Set, Heaven (Detroit) - Part I, 2017. African Drum Music, 2014. Julian C. Chambliss and Tobias C Van Veen, “Interview of Afrofuturist Sound Scholar Tobias C. Van Veen,” Michigan State University Library, G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection: Voices of the Black Imaginary, June 2021. Julian C. Chambliss, “Interview of Erik Steinskog of the University of Copenhagen,” Michigan State University Library, G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection: Voices of the Black Imaginary, October 24, 2020.

Episode 3 explores how affordable electronic Episode 3 explores how affordable electronic instruments like the Roland TB-303 and TR-606 empowered Detroit’s Black youth to invent techno. It highlights the role of experimentation, Afrofuturism, and cultural resistance, framing techno as a unique sound shaped by innovation, struggle, and speculative imagination. Host: Julian Chambliss. Featured Voices: Stacey “Hotwaxx” Hale, Reynaldo Anderson, Erik Steinskog, John Collins, Mike Banks, Thomas Sugrue, Carl Craig, Ytasha Womack, Tobias c. van Veen, Omar Meftah, Ingrid Lafleur. Presented by WKAR Public Media in partnership with MSU Museum at Michigan State University. Supported in part by MSU Federal Credit Union. Includes: A Brief Story of the Roland TB-303 Bassline Synthesizer, 2022, – Johnny Morgan Synth Dreams Amp Fiddler on Working With George Clinton, Jay Dee and Maxwell | Red Bull Music Academy, 2017. Julian C. Chambliss and Tobias C Van Veen, “Interview of Afrofuturist Sound Scholar Tobias C. Van Veen,” Michigan State University Library, G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection: Voices of the Black Imaginary, June 2021. Julian C. Chambliss, “Interview of Erik Steinskog of the University of Copenhagen,” Michigan State University Library, G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection: Voices of the Black Imaginary, October 24, 2020. instruments like the Roland TB-303 and TR-606 empowered Detroit’s Black youth to invent techno.

Episode 2 of the RISE Podcast explores how Detroit’s history, shaped by Black migration, industrial boom, deindustrialization, and grassroots activism, laid the groundwork for techno. It highlights techno as a sonic response to social change, blending geography, innovation, and Afrofuturist visions to reflect Black resilience and aspiration in a transforming city. Host: Julian Chambliss. Featured Voices: Reynaldo Anderson, Ytasha Womack, Thomas Sugrue, Erik Steinskog, Ingrid LaFleur, Stacey “Hotwaxx” Hale, Omar Meftah, Andrew Charles Edman, John Collins. Presented by WKAR Public Media in partnership with MSU Museum at Michigan State University. Supported in part by MSU Federal Credit Union. Includes: Juan Atkins - Techno City, 2010. Electrifying Mojo, Midnight Funk Association, 2011. Julian C. Chambliss and Tobias C Van Veen, “Interview of Afrofuturist Sound Scholar Tobias C. Van Veen,” Michigan State University Library, G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection: Voices of the Black Imaginary, June 2021. Julian C. Chambliss, “Interview of Erik Steinskog of the University of Copenhagen,” Michigan State University Library, G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection: Voices of the Black Imaginary, October 24, 2020.

In Episode 1 of the RISE Podcast, we explore Detroit techno as a form of Black speculative practice and Afrofuturism, rooted in innovation and cultural expression by Black youth. It highlights techno’s origins, its transformative power, and the ways sound and technology reflect Black futures shaped by imagination, resistance, and community. Host: Julian Chambliss. Featured Voices: Julian Chambliss, John Collins, and Stacey “Hotwaxx” Hale. Presented by WKAR Public Media in partnership with MSU Museum at Michigan State University. Supported in part by MSU Federal Credit Union. Includes: Cybotron Alleys Of Your Mind, 2008 African Drum Music, 2014. Julian C. Chambliss and Tobias C Van Veen, “Interview of Afrofuturist Sound Scholar Tobias C. Van Veen,” Michigan State University Library, G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection: Voices of the Black Imaginary, June 2021. Julian C. Chambliss, “Interview of Erik Steinskog of the University of Copenhagen,” Michigan State University Library, G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection: Voices of the Black Imaginary, October 24, 2020.

The RISE Podcast introduces Detroit techno as a cultural innovation rooted in Black communities. Host Julian Chambliss previews discussions on Afrofuturism, forgotten pioneers, the city's role, and the machines that shaped the genre—all connected to “Techno: The Rise of Detroit’s Machine Music,” a MSU Museum exhibition open February 4 through July 12, 2025, on the campus of Michigan State University. Presented by WKAR Public Media in partnership with MSU Museum at Michigan State University. Supported in part by MSU Federal Credit Union. Featured Voices: Dr. Julian Chambliss, John Collins, and Stacey “Hotwaxx” Hale.