Detroit Techno Tourist: Motown Historical Museum

Detroit Techno Tourist: Motown Historical Museum

23 May, 2008 | 6.39PM

• Section: Music News Topics: Movement 2008
• Written by: lizwarner

Have you ever wondered just why Detroit techno oozes with such a heavy dose of soul?

Written in between the lines of the relatively recent music form is a historical reference that steps its way quite easily into the electronic world, and it goes by the name of Motown.

Fortunately for us, although Motown moved its official label HQ to Los Angeles in the 1970s, we have a blueprint of the operation that’s still found in Detroit called the Motown Historical Museum.

The connection points to the Motown Historical Museum become quite remarkable upon close examination.

First, there’s the funk.

Motown, founded in 1959, was built on a pop mentality that, no doubt because of its industrial surroundings, was built largely out of the idea of the assembly line.

In other words, Motown created pop stars like Ford created new models; it became a queue system in which the best man won (so to speak).

Only those cuts that were the absolute cream of the crop rose to the top.

It’s an ethic that has taken over in much of what’s heard out of Detroit: only those cuts that carry the most weight are worth anything, and the rest fall to the ashes.

Funk has since classically been a quick method to the prize.

Then there’s the DIY ("Do It Yourself") approach.

When Motown started, it didn’t operate as other record labels had; it did its own thing, in its own way and with its own rules.

With the end goal in sight, the label did whatever needed to be done in order to accomplish that goal, regardless of what else was being done.

The result was a new set of rules and a new way to look at (and listen to) music, with repercussions for years and genres (inside and outside of Detroit) to come, including, of course, techno.

To seal the deal, there’s the fact that Mike Banks (AKA Mad Mike) used to play as a session musician and with George Clinton’s band, going on to set up Underground Resistance.

In retrospect, it all makes perfect sense.

It’s further fitting that the Underground Resistance building known as Submerge is located just a few blocks away at 3000 E. Grand Boulevard — which itself is worth a visit during guest hours.

The Museum, also referenced by the name on the house that welcomes its visitors, “Hitsville USA”, is the house (literally) to the former Motown studios, and tours and a gift shop are available.

Location: 2648 W. Grand Boulevard, west of I-10 (The John C. Lodge Freeway) and online at www.motownmuseum.com

Supplies: A car, spending money and a camera

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