Platinum-selling recording artist, label boss, festival promoter, true innovator in the pantheon of popular music, cultural champion, international DJ: there’s a lot to be said about Kevin Saunderson. 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 tracks that still ignite dance floors worldwide.
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 cutting-edge sounds , incorporating the new synthesiser and drum machine-led pop music, the Belleville Three broke new ground as musicians and DJs in the 80s. With the eruption of house music, 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 which still continues equally as strong today.
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, driven alongside his own KMS record label that has become a stable for many major names in the industry.
The Everyday Agency provided a cohesive social media strategy, social media management, content curation and graphic design, taking Kevin’s tone of voice and continuing to drive his engagement with his global fan base.