DANCE PLANET

Kevin Saunderson, Hiroko Yamamura + Club Night Club

Paragon990 Broadway Brooklyn, NY · Map

This night happened — Sat 2 Sep 2023

Paragon

Press play

Who was billed4 artists

In the order the promoter listed them.

Set times were not published.

Most of these pairings were meeting for the first time that night.

the pairs that have met

5 of the 6 pairings on this bill were first meetings.

Kevin Saunderson and Hiroko Yamamura — 1 shared bill before that night, first on Sat 2 Sep 2023.

Who they are

Kevin Saunderson
Detroit · 13 bookings since Sep 2023
“His influence runs deep, through both adopted hometown of Detroit, and music culture as a whole: as one of the Belleville Three, the high school trio which also includes Juan Atkins and Derrick May, he irreparably changed the face of electronic music; with Inner City, he gave it some of its most memorable tunes.”
their own biography
the whole biography
His influence runs deep, through both adopted hometown of Detroit, and music culture as a whole: as one of the Belleville Three, the high school trio which also includes Juan Atkins and Derrick May, he irreparably changed the face of electronic music; with Inner City, he gave it some of its most memorable tunes. The genesis of today’s enormous techno scene can be retraced straight to Kevin, Derrick and Juan, as their formative experiments on rudimentary hardware sketched a blueprint for a genre that was yet to exist. By absorbing Kraftwerk, cutting-edge funk, local radio stalwart The Electrifying Mojo’s electicism, and all manner of new synthesiser and drum machine-led pop music, the Belleville Three broke new ground as musicians and DJs in the 80s. Saunderson’s comparatively late start as a producer – kicking off in ’87 under the moniker of Kreem, with E-Dancer and Reese two of the more well-known names to follow – inadvertently gifted him a headstart. With the eruption of house music a few hours down the I-94 in Chicago, Saunderson married Detroit’s raw sound to more tactile, pop-leaning sensibilities. Inner City was born, and global success followed. Between “Big Fun”, “Good Life”, debut album Paradise and a number of follow-up singles, Inner City (Saunderson and vocalist Paris Grey) amassed 12 UK top 40 hits and over six million records sold worldwide during their peak. A dancefloor-dominating remix by Luciano in 2008, and a globetrotting reunion tour in 2012, underscores the longevity of Inner City’s classic sound. His nickname of ‘The Elevator’ is apt: for his role in transporting Detroit’s new sound to a wider audience; as anyone who has seen him perform live can attest, his high-energy, high-spirit and high-impact DJ sets; and for spending the past 35 years of his life progressing the culture he helped create. Operating in tandem to his golden run as a producer in the late 80s and early 90s, Saunderson’s own KMS record label – a remarkable 30 years strong in 2017 – has chronicled the early footsteps of R-Tyme, Blake Baxter, MK, Chez Damier, Derrick Carter, Bicep and even Saunderson’s son and regular DJ partner Dantiez more recently. A special 12” series in 2008 called History Elevate, released in tandem with fellow polymath Carl Craig’s Planet E label, brought contemporary names like Mathew Jonson, Simian Mobile Disco and Loco Dice into the fold, proving his nous for fostering relationships with each new wave to come through techno’s gates. 25th anniversary compilations and numerous reissues have followed suit. Saunderson has a behind-the-scenes role to play, too: he is intertwined with the history of Detroit’s flagship Movement (formerly Detroit Electronic Music Festival / Fuse-In). Having produced the event in the mid-2000s, the last handful of years have seen repeated invites from Movement to display his ORIGINS showcase at the festival, bringing acts like Delano Smith, Phuture and DJ Minx under his curatorial umbrella. And of course, with a stacked international touring schedule over the decades, playing in nearly every country and at nearly every festival or club worth mention, he has not stopped pushing the feeling of techno on and on. The Groove That Won’t Stop, indeed.
SoundCloud ↗Discography ↗
Their RA profile lists TrustTheDJ, fabric Records, Planet E, KMS and 3 more.
often with KXAH, Kweku Saunderson, Ne/Re/A, none of them here that night
Hiroko Yamamura
Chicago · 21 bookings since Sep 2023
“Taking inspiration from classic science fiction and dark anime, Hiroko’s introverted life and immersion in fringe, nerdy alongside an introspective outlook are evident in her demeanor and the way she gravitates to outsiders within the community.”
their own biography
the whole biography
Taking inspiration from classic science fiction and dark anime, Hiroko’s introverted life and immersion in fringe, nerdy alongside an introspective outlook are evident in her demeanor and the way she gravitates to outsiders within the community. Once she hits the decks, the isolation melts away as she lights up dance floors with an homage to the House, Acid and techno sounds that shaped the Chicago Rave Sound. One of her main missions is to demonstrate how much can help you cope with the darker times in life, creating an expressive outlet, and people that feels like they might not fit… have their important place in the culture.
SoundCloud ↗
Their RA profile lists !K7, Planet E, Trax Records, Octopus Music and 5 more.
often with Philippa Pacho, Berghain, Mari Sakurai, none of them here that night
Toma Kami
Central, France · 2 bookings since Aug 2023
“DJ and producer based in Paris, founder of the label mb studio”
their own biography
SoundCloud ↗Bandcamp ↗
Their RA profile lists Livity Sound and mb studio.
Last at Bossa Nova Civic Club in Aug · often with Beatrice M, BNYX, DJ Khalipha, none of them here that night
DJ Healthy
Tokyo, Japan · 58 bookings since Aug 2023
SoundCloud ↗Bandcamp ↗
Abstract on 1. styles on their catalogued releases
Recently at Bossa Nova Civic Club, The Bar at Café Kitsuné, public records · often with Emsho, Amelia Holt, Mariposa, none of them here that night