Derrick May: Still The Innovator

Innovator; Pioneer; Originator; Rebel; Eccentric; Genius. Call him what you will, Derrick May is THE man. Who is he? In a nutshell, he’s one of the three key players (the others being Juan Atkins and Kevin Saunderson) who invented a new style of electronic music in the early and mid 80s which came to be known to the world as ‘techno’. Quietly creating these tracks in their bedroom studios in Detroit, this ‘holy trinity’ are amongst the most revered electronic musicians on the planet. For Derrick May’s part, early tracks such as ‘Strings Of Life, ‘It Is What It Is’ and ‘Nude Photo’ changed the face of music-making in terms of concept, style and methodology. Those tracks also ignited dancefloors in Britain and Europe, handily kick-starting the global dance music scene we are currently party to.

Atkins, May and Saunderson saw their vision of electronic music at first as recreating the spiritual vibe and feeling of watching their favourite DJs – Ron Hardy and Frankie Knuckles, play. However, their music was also embedded with a futuristic philosophy and somehow had captured the essenceof the musical soup that was Detroit: the soul of Motown, the funk of George Clinton, the electronic sonics of Euro deities Kraftwerk and somewhat eerily, the very soul of Detroit, a troubled city. Whether these three, ‘holy trinity’, meant for their music to spurn so much academic posturing from so many journalists over the past decade is debatable. Certainly, the word ‘techno’ only caught on when ‘Techno: The New Dance Sound Of Detroit’, a compilation containing tracks form the three, was launched in the UK, accompanied by press from overenthusiastic journos which made techno out to be an intellectual genre. From that date onward every English major wanting to get a handle on writing about dance culture chose to base lengthy academic diatribes around techno, ascribing all sorts of postmodern, neo-realist, neo-futurist interpretations to a genre which arose out of three spiritual kids who wanted to make dance music.

Being such a pioneer musically and philosophically may have guaranteed May some degree of dance music immortality, but for many, there’s probably a whole generation who have never heard of Derrick May. Never gone out and sought one of his releases, never felt respect or been filled with awe at the contribution and pioneering activities of this man to a genre and a scene that is now a global party soundtrack. For those who aren’t aware of the history involved, the Web and bookstores offer a plethora of options – for instance Dan Sicko’s ‘Techno Rebels’ or Simon Reynolds’ ‘Generation Ecstasy’.

May, as a true rebel, is content to walk alone, however the lack of knowledge of the history of dance culture, especially on the part of people who should know better, i.e big name DJs, is something which troubles May and weaves a thread through much of his conversation. Another theme May touches upon is the changing nature of dance culture into a ‘strictly business’ orientation, and his reaction to this is surprisingly philosophical. Because of the many facets of Derrick May and quantity of subject matter we discussed, this interview is partitioned in sections, each highlighting different aspects of Derrick May – producer, rebel, DJ, philosopher and yes, businessman and label owner.

May’s musings on a number of subjects are driven by extreme passion. His infectious energy, coupled with and overwhelming drive confirmed to interview Derrick May is to be in the presence of a brilliant person.

Derrick May the DJ
From personal experience, I’ve seen Derrick in my hometown once before and he was absolutely explosive. His performance would have to rank up there as one of the best nights of my life. To see someone put their whole heart and soul into a performance which twisted techno, classics, house and even samba all imbued with such depth, passion and timelessness, was breathtaking. Machines yearned for each other, and the whole club was moved, not only by the music but by Derrick’s dynamic and electric presence behind the decks.

Derrick sees himself as different from a large percentage of other DJs because of “experience, plain and simple. Also, my knowledge as a music producer helps.” Having played records since before DJs were pin-ups also helped, so too did May’s baptism of fire listening to his chief inspiration: Chicago’s Ron Hardy. Why? “Because of a feeling he generated and his creativity,” explains Derrick. “It was seeing people go wild to him, seeing the way he played and how they responded.” It was these experiences and feelings, along with May’s own passion and modes of thought which he aimed to meld together when making music.

Derrick’s first big coup as a DJ was to play at The Music Institute, a club he started in Detroit. It only ran for two brief years, but it was able to capture such an infectious vibe that it became legendary: a true spiritual experience.

Whilst on a lengthy hiatus from music production, May threw himself back into DJing, and has gone onto play almost everywhere globally. As always, he was the perennial pioneer, setting foot in Eastern Europe and China first, as well as playing at scintillating venues such as Mt Fuji in Japan and remote areas of Chile. “Now, people go to China more regularly, but when I first went to China nobody was going to China. When I first went to Eastern Europe there was very few people going to Eastern Europe. It’s places like that where the experience has been moving, really inspirational. Being around people that value the quality of life and look beyond the frivolous tedious things that people imagine or think that make there lives special.” After all these years, he still feels in touch with the people he plays to, even if some of them have to take pills to ‘understand’ his music. “I try to see through that,” comments Derrick on the issue of drugs. “I try to tap into the people that are aware of the night, aware of the moment. I don’t want to get too personally involved with that issue because that’s an individual choice, it has nothing to do with me. I can’t control how people choose to live their lives at any moment.”

It somewhat frustrates the great man that these days, a lot of big name DJs are not approaching matters from the perspective of the greats, and thus they contribute nothing back to the culture. “That’s half the problem,” says May, referring to the lack of knowledge on the part of some of the more ‘Hollywood’ DJs. “A lot of these DJs don’t know their history. Everybody wants to be a DJ; it’s the cool thing now, and these guys, they do it for the wrong reasons. They’ve got basic mixing skills and they think that’s all there is to know.” May’s dislike for some of the current crop of DJs, and their lack of awareness of the broader culture beyond pay cheques and maximising their media exposure doesn’t typecast him as bitter or disillusioned – just someone who’s been there from the beginning and has seen DJ culture twisted and usurped.

The endless proliferation of dance music, much of copied and mangled from May’s original blueprint, seems also to blame. Derrick believes the standard of DJs has dropped, and people are unfortunately having to accept this. “No matter what music you make, somewhere in the world a DJ will play it. Also, too many people start believing the bullshit, especially DJs when they get to a certain level.” The concept of ‘timelessness’ is also paramount to the May doctrine, as he quips: “How many of these producers and DJs can make a record that is timeless?” This is perhaps the reason why May can drop classics such as ‘Icon’ and ‘Sinister’ and have their ideas and intent come across as fresh as if they were made today.

Derrick’s approach to content is of course, refreshing. A kaleidoscope of good music is what Australian audiences can expect. “That’s pretty much the way I feel about music so I’m still gonna come from the same angle where I’ve always came from – if it feels right, I play it. That’s pretty much it. I don’t really get caught up into trends, I get caught up into good music.”

Derrick May: Producer, Philosopher and Businessman
“I believe I want to be successful in what I do. I want to make money at what I do; I want to have all the opportunities to live a happy life from what I do and I want to do it well so that people enjoy it. I feel like a have a talent to give and I want to be received well for my talent. That’s the world we live in. This is an art, but this is also a business, and, to not realise that it’s a business means that you’ve been taken advantage of in the art. Somebody else will follow and come behind you, and pick up where you didn’t , where you left off and do everything you should’ve done.”

This quote may be a shock to some who have read interviews with Derrick from many years ago, but it heralds the start of May coming to terms with the reality he helped engender through his music, as well as coming to terms with the reality of why he hasn’t recorded new music for so many years.

The answer seems simple yet painful – Derrick May agreed to record an artist album for label R&S many years ago, but due to creative differences, he refused to go ahead, and the subsequent litigation has stopped him recording any new material. For someone who made such a big impact with just a handful of tracks written in the late 80s and then to not follow has always been a curious step, and one raised gingerly with Derrick. Now, we understand why. Derrick puts it thus: “I see myself as making a new album with new music and I’ve said it before and before and before. But I’ve also got some litigation problems which has really been the reason why I haven’t been able to do music all these years. I’ve been trying and hoping to deal with it, but it becomes exasperating and after a while, you just have to eventually deal with it, that’s where I’ve come now. I’ve come to a point where I have to deal with it, and not just wait for it to go away, ‘cos it’s not going to go away. I’m ready to make music and I can’t – this is driving me up the fucking wall.”

“It’s concerning a record label that I’m associated with that I signed years ago to do an album and I didn’t do it because I didn’t like the fact that they had changed their opinion on how they were gonna work with myself and my record label Transmat. I always wanted an association with anything that I did, with Transmat. They had originally felt the same way but then they changed their mind and that put me off the whole concept. I basically stood my ground because I wasn’t going to have myself be divided from my record company.”

2002 could very well see new material from May, but with a decade between him and his last original composition, what will eventuate, where’s Derrick’s head at? He wouldn’t be drawn on this one, only stating categorically that he is not nervous about what he’ll do or how the buying public will perceive his new output. “I get a little bit of block because I’m sometimes thinking about the fact that dance music has become so common in one sense; it’s on radio, it’s on television, it’s in the doctor’s office, it’s everywhere. So I’m thinking that I have to do something that is really interesting and that’s not the way to think. Think like that and you’ll never do it. You just have to think I’m going to do something that I feel and it feels good.” Isn’t he worried though that most of his original ideas have been copied and regurgitated a thousand fold – will people view his music as a copy of the copy? “That’s a quality question,” answers Derrick. “When I get ready to finish off my tracks and mix ‘em I’ll be looking to make them sound more unique, to my liking, but as far as trying to do some super outer space eclectic stuff, I plan to stay within the boundaries of this world.”

Acutely aware that innovators often push the envelope too much and lose everybody, don’t expect any space manoeuvres from May. Output could be seen within the next year, as May aims to get started as soon as possible, “once I get out of this litigation. That’s the only thing that’s held me up all this time. I made a lot of excuses, but that’s the real reality of why I haven’t been able to do anything. It’s unfortunate for me.”

More fortunate for him is perhaps the reignition of the Transmat label, which he is keen to push. Aril Brikha’s ‘Deeparture in Time’ has made it to worldwide release, a ‘Time: Space 2’ compilation is to follow featuring fresh material from the labels’ artists. Works are already in the can for a new crop of artists: John Arnold, Louis Haiman, Stephen Brown, Tony Drake, Rodenbush and Michael Trommer could all be names on music industry lips very soon. They would of course, join the very successful artists who have already recorded on Transmat: Carl Craig, Stacey Pullen, Joey Beltram, Dr. Motte, Kenny Larkin and Australia’s Philip McGarva.

As far as his role as businessman goes, Derrick has this piece of advice to offer fledgling producers. “I think people get blinded by their passion and they forget that this is also a business,” he contends. “You can have your passion, but you’ve got to realise this is a business and if you’re not making that money, unfortunately somebody’s making it for you.” More importantly, he adds, “it does not take any credibility away from you to go away with money in your pocket and also have passion for your work, and do it well.”

This seems to be a philosophical position ascertained by May by looking at the commercial monolith dance culture has become, with corporations eager to profit or gain exposure or credibility through a slice of the pie. “You have to somehow be in there with your gloves on and set up the rules from the beginning.” How to achieve this? Simple, making music! “Making music… is my number one weapon that I don’t even use right now,” Derrick remarks definitively. “When I decide to record music again, when I’m able to, that’s my number one weapon, that’s the weapon that’s going to put me in another level of the industry which people have forgotten about. A lot of people have forgotten that I make music; I have to remind people and it may be one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but there will be a stage when that’ll be my secret weapon.”

Many would say Derrick May has changed over the years, and he may be among the first to agree, but one thing remains a constant. “I’m still a walking rebel. I’m still out here on my cause, my mission. I’m going to be like that for the rest of my life – I’ve committed my life to being on one mission. If not none mission, another mission.” For someone so great, so unique, it would be easy to develop a megalomania complex. It’s not prevalent with May, and part of his ‘forward to the future’ philosophy doesn’t allow him to stop and reflect. To see what he has achieved. “I’ll never know, because I don’t take time to look,” he asserts. “I just keep going. Maybe one day I’ll stop and look behind me and see what I’ve done and what I haven’t done, but I’m not stroking myself or nobody I know is stroking themselves thinking they’ve accomplished anything – we’re too busy trying to do it.”

Derrick May On…

The growth of so many manufactured electronic genres? “It’s media oriented. The media creates these things to sell magazines. And the artist falls for it because it’s a chance to make some money. You can’t blame anybody. Everybody wants their 15 minutes.”

Two step?
“I don’t think much of it – they can’t two step their ass right outta the way. Two step? It sounds like some country and western dance.”

Drum ‘n’ bass?
“I like it. In many ways I believe it’s a pumped up extension of Detroit techno.”

The proliferation of all-in-one music machines like the Groovebox, and the Electribe?
“Those are part of the things I’m talking about. People use them, they make a track and think they’ve done something. I think those are machines of deception. People don’t’ realise how easy it is to use these machines.”

“The public is not that intelligent but they’re also not that stupid. You can pull the wool over their eyes for a while but they’ll realise what’s happening and that shit will get flushed down the toilet. The whole point of those machines is the novice effect, the novice mentality of it. It’s an expensive toy that if used properly could be a very successful instrument, but most guys don’t use it like that.”

Does bad music pollute?
“I don’t think bad music pollutes as much as people buying bad music.”

Inspirations nowadays?
“None. You become the inspiration.”

Detroit
“Detroit is a very ‘choked’ city. It’s a union city that’s still got lots of Mob connections and it’s a city in pain.”

The ‘explosion’ of rave culture in America
“It’s largely false, largely media-led. Everyone’s talking it up so they can establish a position of being there when it does explode but from my perspective it hasn’t happened.”

The recent interest of many wanting to document May’s role in ‘techno’ – too late?
“No. Because I’ve got a lot of years left, a lot of things to do, a lot of music I still want to make. Such as, most of the guys that I’m associated with feel… a lot of the guys feel like they’ve not even out their best years behind them yet because they’ve been waiting for the opportunity, like a snake in the grass, just waiting to jump up and bite this commercial ass motherfucker so we can make em collapse. We just feel that when the time comes, it comes.”

Who controls the music industry – record companies or media?
“I think the media controls the music industry – I don’t think record companies control it anymore. Because media’s much more powerful and much more immediate. Media can decide what trends will become before they become.”

Touring
“I spend some time in Detroit working with the record label developing and planning the release of new material with the all of our artists, developing the artwork and involved in whatever projects I can be involved with, with the city, and then I’m on the road.”

His production equipment?
“Every now and then, I pick up a piece here and there. I’m not the kind of guy to go out and buy 20 new pieces all at once but I do buy the collector’s piece or the quality piece here and there.”

Who is carrying the banner forward?
“There’s really no one artist. There are guys out there who are making
good music but no one really stands out as unique.”

Is techno still for thinkers?
“There is a portion of it out there that will always attract thinkers.”

Do we still need rebels?
“Oh yeah. You need dreamers, you need rebels. You need those that want to turn left instead of turning right. It keeps the soul honest, it makes us all think.”

Check ITM News for Derrick May Tour Dates. He will also be appearing at the Stardust Festival in Adelaide on Saturday March 2nd.