Keith Tucker
Encyclopedia
Keith Tucker is an American
electronic music
ian and DJ from Detroit, Michigan
.
’ Electro hits from the 1980s with his childhood friend Tommy Hamilton. The live ensemble achieved local renown for combining break-dancing, and Tucker's mobile DJ-ing while manually playing repetitive, high-speed synthesizer basslines. They later became known as Regime, then RX-7, and finally, in 1994 they became Aux 88
. They were joined by BJ Smith (Posatronix) and Lamont Norwood (DJ Dijital).
Tucker's first 12" EP was a collaboration with Juan Atkins and Jesse Anderson, under the name “Frequency” in 1990. Aux 88
released the album "Bass Magnetic" and were the first group to revive Electro in the mid-to-late 1990s. As such they have been credited with eventually inspiring the genre known as electroclash
. In the mid-nineteen ninteties they described their own sound as Techno-Bass, a fusion of influences from Detroit Techno
, Electro, Miami Bass
and Trance.
As co-founder of Puzzlebox recordings in 1996 with Anthony “Shake” Shakir
, Tucker also joined the tradition of independent dance music publishing and vinyl record pressing in Detroit. He utilized, along with other artists, the National Sound Company vinyl lathe which was used to produce the records of legendary Detroit Soul labels such as Motown.
In 2006, Tucker's song "Plastic People" was featured on the DJ mix album A Bugged Out Mix
by Miss Kittin
, which charted at number one-hundred seventy on the French Albums Chart
.
such as Parliament
, Kraftwerk
and classical music, particularly Johann Sebastian Bach
. The distinction of his solo work and production credits, is in their blending and refinement of syncopated, minimalist Electro and Techno
rhythms influenced by the tonal undulations of Miami Bass
and the Roland TR-808
drum machine.
True to the Detroit techno tradition, Tucker's music is often emotive of a machine-like consciousness and a mental imagery of solipsism, urban alienation and decay. This is often expressed, masked or sublimated through metaphors of high technology, science fiction and space travel and conveyed through affected analogue synthesizer timbres. This harks back to Kraftwerk's description of their music – “Electronic blues made with a jazz improvisation technique.”
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
ian and DJ from Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
.
Career
Tucker began his career playing cover versions of Juan AtkinsJuan Atkins
Juan Atkins is an American musician. He is widely credited as the originator of techno music, specifically Detroit techno along with Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson...
’ Electro hits from the 1980s with his childhood friend Tommy Hamilton. The live ensemble achieved local renown for combining break-dancing, and Tucker's mobile DJ-ing while manually playing repetitive, high-speed synthesizer basslines. They later became known as Regime, then RX-7, and finally, in 1994 they became Aux 88
AUX 88
AUX 88 is an electro group from Michigan, USA. AUX 88 is composed of Tom Tom and Keith Tucker The group was originally formed as "RX-7" in 1985. The group also formed another project known as Sight Beyond Sight, before forming AUX 88 in 1993. In 1995, Tucker went solo and Hamilton continued as...
. They were joined by BJ Smith (Posatronix) and Lamont Norwood (DJ Dijital).
Tucker's first 12" EP was a collaboration with Juan Atkins and Jesse Anderson, under the name “Frequency” in 1990. Aux 88
AUX 88
AUX 88 is an electro group from Michigan, USA. AUX 88 is composed of Tom Tom and Keith Tucker The group was originally formed as "RX-7" in 1985. The group also formed another project known as Sight Beyond Sight, before forming AUX 88 in 1993. In 1995, Tucker went solo and Hamilton continued as...
released the album "Bass Magnetic" and were the first group to revive Electro in the mid-to-late 1990s. As such they have been credited with eventually inspiring the genre known as electroclash
Electroclash
Electroclash is a style of music that fuses New Wave and electronic dance music. It emerged in New York and Detroit in the later 1990s, pioneered by acts including I-F and those associated with Gerald Donald, and is associated with acts including Peaches, Adult, and Fischerspooner...
. In the mid-nineteen ninteties they described their own sound as Techno-Bass, a fusion of influences from Detroit Techno
Detroit techno
Detroit techno is an early style of electronic music beginning in the 1980s. Detroit, Michigan has been cited as the birthplace of techno music. Prominent Detroit Techno artists include Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson...
, Electro, Miami Bass
Miami bass
Miami bass , is a type of hip hop music, that became popular in the 1980s and 1990s. Its roots are directly linked to the Electro-funk sound of the early 1980s, pioneered by Afrika Bambataa & The Soulsonic Force and later on by UK-based musician Paul Hardcastle...
and Trance.
As co-founder of Puzzlebox recordings in 1996 with Anthony “Shake” Shakir
Anthony Shakir
Anthony "Shake" Shakir, who also uses the aliases Sequence 10 and Da Sampla, is an American techno producer, best known for his contributions to Detroit techno....
, Tucker also joined the tradition of independent dance music publishing and vinyl record pressing in Detroit. He utilized, along with other artists, the National Sound Company vinyl lathe which was used to produce the records of legendary Detroit Soul labels such as Motown.
In 2006, Tucker's song "Plastic People" was featured on the DJ mix album A Bugged Out Mix
A Bugged Out Mix (Miss Kittin album)
A Bugged Out Mix is the third DJ mix album by French recording artist Miss Kittin released in the United Kingdom on April 17, 2006. A number of electronic music recording artists were featured on the album, including fellow electroclash musician Princess Superstar, Squarepusher, and Saint Etienne.-...
by Miss Kittin
Miss Kittin
Miss Kittin is an electronic music DJ, vocalist, and songwriter. Since rising to prominence in 1998 for her singles "1982" and "Frank Sinatra" with The Hacker, she has worked with other musicians such as Chicks on Speed, Felix da Housecat and Golden Boy...
, which charted at number one-hundred seventy on the French Albums Chart
Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique
The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry...
.
Music
Among his influences, he cites 1970s FunkFunk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
such as Parliament
Parliament (band)
Parliament was a funk band most prominent during the 1970s. It and its sister act Funkadelic, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
, Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
and classical music, particularly Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
. The distinction of his solo work and production credits, is in their blending and refinement of syncopated, minimalist Electro and Techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
rhythms influenced by the tonal undulations of Miami Bass
Miami bass
Miami bass , is a type of hip hop music, that became popular in the 1980s and 1990s. Its roots are directly linked to the Electro-funk sound of the early 1980s, pioneered by Afrika Bambataa & The Soulsonic Force and later on by UK-based musician Paul Hardcastle...
and the Roland TR-808
Roland TR-808
The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer was one of the first programmable drum machines . Introduced by the Roland Corporation in early 1980, it was originally manufactured for use as a tool for studio musicians to create demos. Like earlier Roland drum machines, it does not sound very much like a real...
drum machine.
True to the Detroit techno tradition, Tucker's music is often emotive of a machine-like consciousness and a mental imagery of solipsism, urban alienation and decay. This is often expressed, masked or sublimated through metaphors of high technology, science fiction and space travel and conveyed through affected analogue synthesizer timbres. This harks back to Kraftwerk's description of their music – “Electronic blues made with a jazz improvisation technique.”
External links
- optic-universe.com - Keith Tucker's website Optic Universe
- aux88.com - official website of AUX 88
- Keith Tucker at Last.fmLast.fmLast.fm is a music website, founded in the United Kingdom in 2002. It has claimed 30 million active users in March 2009. On 30 May 2007, CBS Interactive acquired Last.fm for UK£140m ....