Keith Tucker

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Keith Tucker
Image:Kt19941.jpg Somewhere in Detroit
Background information
Also known as	DJ K-1, KT-19941, Optic Nerve
Origin	Detroit, Michigan,
Genre(s)	Detroit Techno, Electro, Techno-Bass
Instrument(s)	Casio CZ-101, Roland TR-808, Boss DR-660
Years active	1990-Present
Label(s)	Puzzlebox
Associated acts	AUX 88, Auxmen, Alien FM, Frequency
Website	http://www.optic-universe.com

Keith Tucker is an American electronic musician and DJ from Detroit, Michigan.

[edit] Career

Tucker began his career playing cover versions of Juan Atkins’ Electro hits from the 1980s with his childhood friend Tommy Hamilton. The live ensemble were famous for combining break-dancing, and Tucker's mobile DJ-ing while manually playing electronic basslines live by hand, which had originally between sequenced. They later became known as Regime, then RX-7, and finally, in 1994 became AUX 88. They were joined by BJ Smith (Posatronix) and Lamont Norwood (DJ Dijital).

His first 12" EP was a collaboration with Atkins and Jesse Anderson, under the name “Frequency” in 1990. AUX 88 released the album "Bass Magnetic" and were the first group to revive Electro in the mid-to-late 1990s, eventually inspiring the genre known as Electro-Clash, and the release of Electro-style records by famous pop stars such as Madonna and Kylie Minogue. They described their own sound as Techno-Bass, a fusion of Detroit Techno, Electro, Miami Bass and Trance.

As co-founder of Puzzlebox recordings in 1996 with Anthony “Shake” Shakir, Tucker also joined the tradition of independent dance music publishing and vinyl record pressing in Detroit, utilizing, along with other artists, the National Sound Company vinyl lathe which had previously been used to produce the records of labels such as Motown.

[edit] Music

Keith Tucker cites among his influences 1970’s Funk such as Parliament, Kraftwerk and classical music, particularly Johann Sebastian Bach. The uniqueness of his solo work and production contributions, is in his blending and refinement of syncopated, minimalist Electro and Techno rhythms influenced by the tonal undulations of Miami Bass and the Roland TR-808 drum machine. Like much Detroit techno, it is emotive of a machine-like consciousness and a mental imagery of solipsism, and urban decay. It is, as Kraftwerk once described their music – “Electronic blues made with a jazz improvisation technique.”