Techno City: The Belleville Three & The Birth of a Genre (1985–1989)

In the mid-80s, three teenagers from the suburbs found some discarded drum machines in a pawn shop. They didn't have a manual, so they invented their own rules. Episode 4 tells the story of The Belleville Three: Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson. We explore how they took the funk of P…

The Mothership & The Electrifying Mojo: How Radio Changed the World (1973–1985)

Motown left town, but the music didn't die—it just got weird. In Episode 3, we bridge the gap between the guitar riffs of the 60s and the drum machines of the 80s. We track the landing of George Clinton’s P-Funk Mothership and the arrival of Kraftwerk’s German robots. But the real hero of this st…

Kick Out the Jams" (1967-1972)

The factory breaks down. Following the 1967 rebellion, the youth rejected polished Soul for industrial noise and aggression. We dive into the Grande Ballroom, the MC5, and Iggy Pop—the "high energy" proto-punk sound that taught Detroit how to be raw. More Info

Motown Was Built Like a Car Factory

Before the world heard the “Motown Sound,” Berry Gordy saw it on a factory floor. In this premiere episode of Motor City Frequencies, we strip away the polished image of the Supremes and Temptations to reveal the industrial engine that powered them. We trace the direct line from the Lincoln-Mercur…