Juan Atkins

Few figures loom as large in the history of electronic music as Juan Atkins. Widely regarded as one of the original architects of Detroit techno, the Metroplex founder helped shape a sound that would travel from the Motor City to dancefloors around the world. Through pioneering projects such as Cybotron and Model 500, Atkins fused electro, funk and futurist machine rhythms into a blueprint for modern techno. Decades on, his influence remains immeasurable. As a DJ, he moves fluidly between past and future, threading together the genre’s roots with its ever-evolving possibilities — a reminder that techno’s original vision of science fiction, soul and circuitry still resonates today. In addition to DJing on the RADAR stage, Atkins performs live as Infiniti on Thursday evening, marking 30 years since the release of his debut album under the alias.