Three13 · Music Architecture & Heritage
Kevin SaundersonThe Elevator ofDetroit Techno
How a Belleville high school athlete joined Juan Atkins and Derrick May to forge a new sound, tops global charts with Inner City, and invented the bassline that birthed Drum & Bass.
"We were putting together collages of records we thought were futuristic — then we built the future ourselves."
If electronic music has a holy trinity, it sits in Belleville, Michigan. Alongside Juan Atkins ("The Originator") and Derrick May ("The Innovator"), Kevin Saunderson ("The Elevator") shaped Detroit Techno — taking underground machine music from 313 basements to international stadium tours and top 10 UK chart dominance with hits like "Big Fun" and "Good Life."
The Belleville Three & The Birth of Techno
Born in Brooklyn and raised in Belleville, Michigan, Saunderson was a star high school athlete who met Derrick May after a punch on the football field turned into a lifelong brotherhood. Listening late at night to Charles "The Electrifying Mojo" Johnson's revolutionary Detroit radio show, Saunderson, May, and Atkins synthesized European synth-pop (Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode) with Motown soul and Funkadelic grooves.
While studying telecommunications at Eastern Michigan University, Saunderson founded KMS Records in 1985 (named for his initials, Kevin Maurice Saunderson), giving Detroit artists total creative sovereignty over their masters.
Inner City: Taking Techno to Top of the Pops
In 1987, Saunderson recorded a driving, soulful instrumental track in his home studio and invited Chicago vocalist Paris Grey to write lyrics over the phone. The resulting track, "Big Fun", became an overnight global anthem after inclusion on Virgin Records' landmark Techno! The New Dance Sound of Detroit compilation.
Followed by "Good Life", Inner City sold over six million records worldwide, making Detroit techno a global pop culture phenomenon and paving the way for stadium dance acts worldwide.
The Invention of the "Reese Bass"
Under his underground alias Reese, Saunderson synthesized a dark, detuned, snarling bassline on a Casio CZ synth for his 1988 track "Just Want Another Chance". UK producers sampled and mutated this sound, creating the legendary "Reese Bass" — the sonic bedrock that birthed UK Jungle, Drum & Bass, and Dubstep.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Kevin Saunderson?+
Kevin Saunderson is a legendary electronic music producer, DJ, and one-third of the 'Belleville Three' (alongside Juan Atkins and Derrick May), who invented Detroit techno in the 1980s. He is best known for creating global hit group Inner City and founding KMS Records.
What is the Belleville Three?+
The Belleville Three refers to Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson — three high school friends from Belleville High School outside Detroit who synthesized futuristic European synthesizer sounds with Black American funk and disco to create Detroit Techno.
What is Kevin Saunderson's famous bassline?+
In 1988, under his alias Reese, Saunderson produced 'Just Want Another Chance', creating a heavy, distorted synth bassline that became known globally as the 'Reese Bass', laying the foundation for jungle, drum & bass, and dubstep.