The MSU Museum newest exhibit ‘Techno: The Rise of Detroit’s Machine Music,’ is open from Feb. 4-April. 30 at 311 Abbot on the sixth floor. The exhibit features various audio and video elements as well as objects that symbolize the history of the origins of Techno in Detroit.
Just an hour and half away from Michigan State University’s campus is the city of Detroit, a city rich in history and culture. This semester, the MSU Museum is showcasing a piece of that history that students may not realize is so close.
Running from Feb. 4 to April 30, the exhibition, "Techno: The Rise of Detroit’s Machine Music," will be showcased at 311 Abbot Rd. The lead exhibition curator and MSU english professor Julian Chambliss worked with community curator and administrative team member at the Underground Resistance (UR) John Collins to curate this exhibit.
"The exhibition is focused on techno, which was created in Detroit," Chambliss said. "One of the first sounds that was identified as Afrofuturist was techno."
The connection between techno music and Afrofuturism is one of the prime themes of the exhibit, along with what techno means to the Detroit community. Collins described Afrofuturism and its connection to techno as the theme of liberation and freedom.
"(Techno) was about in the future, things would be better," Collins said. "I know Octavia Butler, I think, is credited with creating Afrofuturism, but for me, it dates back to slavery."
Music emphasized liberation and freedom did not die when slavery ended, but continues in techno. The job of UR is to place an emphasis on artists who are writing these impactful lyrics.
"It is a label that drops knowledge," Collins said. "Which made UR stand out among other labels that were purely dance music labels."
The exhibit represents all of the aspects techno is rooted in, such as knowledge and liberation, by being a multimedia experience. The exhibit features a 45-minute sound installation by UR, a video installation by Detroit based artist Andrew Charles Edman (ACE) and objects relevant to Detroit’s techno beginnings. Throughout the semester there will be live DJs and a poetry slam hosted in the exhibit.
"When you’re listening to it all the way through, you’re getting a kind of journey of what techno is and was and how it went from a sort of Detroit based thing to a global phenomenon," Chambliss said.
The music ties in with the visual installation by ACE, a historical journey in time with the music. The objects represent the history of the technology, the clubs and the people who made Techno.
"Altogether the sounds, visuals and objects (are) trying to tell you and put you on a journey around techno and Detroit," Chambliss said.
Philosophy senior and MSU Museum Collaborator Sydney Urbaniak watched the exhibit come to life. Being from Detroit herself, Urbaniak admitted she never had full knowledge of techno’s history.
"I didn’t quite understand the whole history of (techno) and everything beyond it being just a Detroit style music," Urbaniak said.
As a result of the exhibit, Chambliss and Collins hope students want to learn more about techno.
Collins encouraged students to schedule a tour of 'Exhibit 3000' in Detroit. Collins serves as a tour guide at 'Exhibit 3000,' which gives a detailed history of techno from its start to the present day. Chambliss mentioned reading books as a great way for students to engage, with "Techno Rebels" by Dan Sicko being one he recommends.
"Detroit has gone through a lot. But, in the future music takes us to where we are doing better," Collins said. "It’s not that they walk away learning the true history of techno, but more specifically that it was created by Black people."
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