Kevin
"Master Reese" Saunderson (DJ
& Producer)
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'Computer Soul, Made With Love'.
Kevin Saunderson is a legend in his own right, known and respected around
the world, as one of the three Artist/ Producers/DJ's from Detroit, who
originated Techno/House music, which helped to reshape the future of Dance
music as we know it.
Kevin was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1964, but moved at the age of nine to
the place known as the 'Motor City', Detroit! He attended Belleville High
School, and then moved onto Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, where
he played Football. After 2 years Kevin quit playing football in order to
pursue a musical direction, so he joined his high school pals, Derrick
May & Juan Atkins, which unknown at the time would be the move that
would help Kevin's career escalate.
He started as a DJ and developed new skills that led him into producing
records, which he released on his own label KMS Records. The demand for
his Artist/DJ/Producer derived records was overwhelming overseas as well
as right here in the States, cities like Chicago and New York were open
to Kevin's new brand of music. He introduced acts like 'Kreem', 'Reese',
'Inter-City', and 'Reese & Santonio. Kevin has many other aliases such
as ;- 'Tronik House', 'Reese Project', 'Essaray', 'E-Dancer', & Kaos,
which he uses to show his versatility in being able to create different
modes of Dance music.
Kevin's biggest achievement so far and most commercially recognized project
has been Inner City who have come full circle after eight years as one of
the world's most important dance acts. Since emerging as one of the most
influential prime movers in the house and techno revolution of 1988, Kevin
Saunderson and Paris Grey have been to the top, struggled and bounced back
to the top of the pile. Now in their ninth year together, the duo have proven
they're one of dance's great survivors with a new dazzling renaissance.
And they're justifiably proud of a healthy career spanning early pioneering
hits like "Big Fun" and "Good Life" through Hallelujah
and "Pennies From Heaven" to recent brainstormers "Do Ya"
and "Share My Life". and out now your love which has entered the
top 40 in the uk at 28.
Signed to Brum's sublime Six6 label after leaving Virgin, Inner City have
proved cynics wrong by staying fresh & innovative. They've also proven
that old adage "you can't please all the people all Whereas fans of
their anthemic style of uplifting dance classics have been delighted with
recent singles like "Do Ya" and "Share My Life" they
weren't keen to hear the group's weird experimental techno jam "Ahnongay".
On the other hand, those fans whose tastes are more in keeping with the
original Detroit techno vibe were delighted with "Ahnongay"! Inner
City, 1996 - style, are working on new material which highlights BOTH styles.
Amazingly, the good life of being one of the world's top dance groups came
to them by accident.
In l987 Kevin, then a 22- year-old Detroit college telecommunications student
struggling to pass his exams and at the same time make a success of his
fledgelling indie record label KMS, recorded a backing track in a makeshift
studio stuck in the basement of his apartment. He needed a girl vocalist
who could also supply lyrics and his friend Chicago house producer Terry
"Housemaster" Baldwin suggested Windy City Chanteuse Paris Grey.
She agreed, flew into Detroit, came up with lyrics & "Big Fun"
was born. Incredibly the tape was then filed away & almost forgotten
until months later UK dance afficiando Neil Rushton visited the Motor City
to put together a compilation album, "Techno - The New Dance Sound
Of Detroit" for Virgin. He freaked & made sure "Big Fun"
was on the LP and soon afterwards it was released as a single and went on
to become a worldwide smash. But despite its sudden success, Paris hung
on to her job as a sales assistant in a Chicago store - only quiting when
the follow-up, "Good Life" even outsold "Big Fun".
The third single "Ain't Nobody Better" retained Kevin's techno-logic
microchip feel topped by Paris' soulful voice. Their debut album, "Paradise"
cemented this prosperity and highlighted the Detroit techno blueprint of
mesmerising rhythms that owed more to the white European synth groups of
the 70's and early 80's, like Kraftwerk, Can & Depeche Mode than to
the black dance music roots of the 60's and 70's that Chicago house and
New Jersey garage related to.
Kevin's youthful urge to make music had been fuelled at Belleville High
School in West of Detroit, where he befriended two like-minded students.
Far from being despondent, they were voted by Mixmag readers as the best
International act of the year and a "homecoming" deal with their
manager Neil Rushton's SIX6 label was finalised.
By now Kevin's work with his other group THE REESE PROJECT was greeted with
equal glee by journalists and clubbers alike. To close the Virgin chapter,
the label released the "Testament '93" remix album to celebrate
their time together. Featuring remixes of their best-known songs from the
likes of CJ Mackintosh,Unity, Leftfield and Future Sound of London, it hit
the stores at Easter '93 as the group toured the UK alongside the REESE
PROJECT.
Back in the States they produced a "stop-gap" single - a stylish
cover of Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway's "Back Together Again".
Paris sung a duet with new Network artist Ronnie Simon on the track. Another
UK tour followed in August '93, including a headlining appearance on The
Reading Festival's dance stage and the top slot at the European Dance Weekender
in Paris the following month. Two pirate shows at the annual In The City
music industry seminar in Manchester was backed up by two commercially-unavailable
promos that stunned the underground. "Ahnongay" boasted no vocal
input from Paris and featured Kevin mouthing the title over a spinetingling
slab of surreal Detroit techno far removed from their popular anthemic style.
And when a set of dub mixes of "Share My Life" was promoted to
djs a month later, fans began wondering whether they'd dumped the format
that made tunes like "Hallelujah" and "Pennies From Heaven"
all-time classics.
They needn't have worried because the duo released two anthems during 1994
"Do Ya" early in the year and the scintillating "Share My
Life" in the summer featuring some stunning mixes from Graeme Park
and a brilliant ambient/techno remix from Aquarel.
To date, Inner City have had eight top 40 hits in the UK, as well as having
had two top twenty albums with combined sales of more than 6 million. Inner
City have also achieved many many awards for outstanding accomplish-ments,
such as being voted the 'Best Dance Act' in the world by DMC in 1989 &
1992. Inner City have also received 4 Gold Singles & 1 Gold Album.4
number one billboard club hits &7 number one club hist in the uk.
In 1996 we shall see the release of Inner City's new album entitled "Hiatus".
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KEVIN SAUNDERSON PRODUCTIONS
Inner City
Kms-015 "Big Fun" 12 / Ep
Reese & Santonio
Kms-010 "The Sound B/W How To Play Our Music" 12 / Ep
Kms-012 And Santonio "Bounce Your Body To The Box Force Field/The Sound
(Remix)" 12 / Ep
Kms-014 "The Groove That Wont Stop The Power Sound Remix" 12 /
Ep
Kms-017 "Truth Of Self Evidence / Grab The Beat" 12 / Ep
Reese Project
Essaray
Kms-052 "Forces" 12 / Ep
E-Dancer
Kms-033 "Pump The Move/Grab The Beat"12 / Ep
Inter-City
Kms-008 "Grooving Without A Doubt" 12 / Ep
Kaos
Kms-021 "Definition Of Love"12 / Ep
Kms-025 "Definition Of Love (Remix)" 12 / Ep
Reese
Kms-022 "Rock To The Beat"12 / Ep
Kms-024 "Your Mine/ Your Mine (Remix)"12 / Ep
Tronik House
Kms-036 "Up Tempo"12 / Ep
Kms-045 "Straight Outta Hell" 12 / Ep
information orginally compiled on the Submerge web site....view their full
site from our links page |
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