Innovator and originator of the Detroit sound, Stacey Pullen is a true legend. Coming from the second wave of Detroit techno Stacey was educated under the mentorship none other than Derrick May, Juan Atkins and Kevin Saunderson. His father, a vocalist in a Motown band, inspired Stacey to be a part of the music scene; an influence that is still heard today in Stacey’s eclectic Detroit sets. Touring Australia for the 14th year in a row, inthemix’s Tom Griffin spoke with Stacey from his second home in Amsterdam.

Thanks for chatting with inthemix. So how’s everything going, what’s news with Stacey Pullen?
No problem. You know I just arrived in Amsterdam yesterday, I’m here for ADE, Amsterdam Dance Event. It’s good to be back in my second home. I was in London before this for the Fabric 11th birthday Party, so it was good to get in a couple of days before ADE to get rested up for a long week ahead!

I was actually in Amsterdam a few weeks ago and absolutely loved it. How are you finding the scene there at the moment, is it as still energetic as when you first arrived two decades ago?
Oh yeah. Coming over to Amsterdam and coming over to Holland, I’ve talked to a lot of promoters and people, I read what’s going on. For Holland a 10 or 15 thousand person festival is considered small. So I’m really amazed at that situation when you can throw a 15 thousand person party and still call it small. They got a good crew of DJ’s over here, that are really pretty big all over the world as well. So with so much coming through, Amsterdam’s a bit spoiled.

Well let me take you back a bit. Back to the beginning. You were always musically inclined, you played flute in high school and your father was in a Motown band – what was it that drew you into techno and DJing as opposed to something more conventional such as playing in a band.
Well I kind of did both, I played in a band playing drums and playing flute. But I remember going over to a friend’s house after band practice at school and he had three turntables and a mixer. We’d stay mixing records until night, and mum was looking for me because I hadn’t even been home from school yet. We were listening to Jeff Mills on the radio and The Electrifying Mojo. When Jeff Mills on was on he really showed Detroit what you could do with two turntables and a mixer. And once we heard that, we were pretty much hooked. We saved our money up to buy maybe one record a week. We had competitions about who could do the best mix. It was one of those things where we just wanted to do it, and wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Your father was in a Motown band called the Capitals – how big an influence on you was your father?
Yeah, yeah. It was funny because my Dad’s a vocalist and for me to get involved with mainly instrumental and electronic music was quite a contrast you know. But at the same time, since music was around the house since day one, he warned me but at the same time embraced it with open arms. I remember going to rehearsal with him when I was seven or eight years old. I got to see those guys living there dream and I kind of picked up from there.