Detroit made techno. It was born in Black brilliance, forged in sweat, steel, and speaker stacks. The early days were gritty, raw, and unapologetically underground.

Raves in asbestos-riddled warehouses. DJ booths balanced on plywood. Sweaty bodies packed into buildings with no heat, no permits, just purpose. The Packard Plant, Mack and Bellevue, and the Eastown Theatre were places the city gave up on. But the music briefly revived them. Bass shook the dust loose. Rhythm fought its way through the speakers. It was joy, communion and resistance, but on a subterranean level.

Then came a turning point: the first Detroit Electronic Music Festival in 2000, led by Carl Craig, which is known today as Movement. For once, an underground scene had risen to the surface. Slowly, the world took note. Detroit — the birthplace of techno — was getting its due.

But not completely. Even now, it is hard to make a living in Detroit as an electronic music artist and many leave for cities like Los Angeles and Berlin. So what will it take to change that?

DJ and producer John Collins of Underground Resistance — a group built from the city’s renegade spirit and refusal to be erased — joined The Metro to discuss Detroit’s techno legacy and the artists preserving and growing it.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

More stories from The Metro

What’s happening Detroit! Chris Campbell from The Progressive Underground and it’s time for our Pick of the Week. This week’s pick comes from eclectic South London British Nigerian artist Obongjayar, who has built a reputation of fusing afrobeat and electronica to great effect.

He has been working on an album set to drop this month titled “Paradise Now,” which will feature cameos and collaborations with UK rapper Little Simz and artist/producer Kwes. We’ll check out the leadoff single, which is a laid-back musical ride packed with swagger and energy called “Sweet Danger,” and its my Pick of the Week.

That was Obongjayar with “Sweet Danger,” the lead-off single from his upcoming album “Paradise Now.” If you dig elevated vibes like this, tune into the Progressive Underground every Saturday evening at 6 on 101.9 WDET where we drop an eclectic weekly mix of future soul, afrobeat, electronica, b-sides and rare grooves, curated just for you. For the Progressive Underground, I’m Chris Campbell and we’ll see you next time.

We’re just over a week away from Movement, Detroit’s annual electronic music festival. The event draws techno lovers from across the globe for three days of music, dancing, and for many people — heavy partying. 

While Movement discourages and prohibits illegal or illicit drugs at the event, research from the National Institute of Health shows that electronic music festivals are typically “high-risk scenes for drug use.”

Passenger Recovery is a Hamtramck organization offering recovery and mental health support and sober programming for musicians and/or other individuals in the local music scene.

Bryan Wolf, director of programming at Passenger, joined The Metro on Wednesday to share some resources and outreach efforts planned for Movement weekend. 

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

More stories from The Metro