Techno: The Rise of Detroit’s Machine Music at the MSU Museum

April 11, 2025 News

Back in February, during Black History Month, the MSU Museum opened a new exhibition titled Techno: The Rise of Detroit’s Machine Music. Curated by Dr. Julian Chambliss, Val Berryman Curator of History, in collaboration with acclaimed DJ John Jammin’ Collins of the pioneering Detroit collective Underground Resistance, this immersive experience explores the origins of techno in Detroit and its evolution into a global phenomenon. The exhibition also highlights artifacts that represent this rich, yet often under-appreciated, history.

Promotional graphic for the Michigan State University Museum exhibition titled "Techno: The Rise of Detroit’s Machine Music." The design features bold, distorted typography for the word "Techno," an illustration of a hand placing a vinyl record on a turntable, and a skyline of Detroit in the background. Text includes exhibition dates from February 4, 2025, to July 12, 2025, location at 311 Abbot Road, East Lansing, MI 48823, and the info line: museum.msu.edu. MSU Museum and MSUFCU logos appear in the top corners.

Detroit holds a prominent place as the birthplace of Techno music, a defining Afrofuturist sound. Examining Techno uncovers layers of identity, place, and community within the history of Afrofuturism. The city has nurtured globally famous innovators and unsung pioneers, documenting the shifting urban-industrial landscape of the 20th century. The rise and transformation of Techno in Detroit was a platform for Black voices to reflect on cultural change, offer creative intervention, and foster visions of new futures. Beyond the beats, Techno captures how specific moment in Detroit served as a communal archive of Black life and contributing to the foundation of black speculation about the future.   

A standout feature of the exhibition is an original, 60-minute sound installation by the legendary Underground Resistance, accompanied by a video installation from Detroit artist Andrew Charles Edman. Both works were specially commissioned by the MSU Museum for this project.

Visitors gather at the entrance of the "Techno: The Rise of Detroit’s Machine Music" exhibition at the MSU Museum. A large wall display introduces the exhibit on the left, while a group of people interact with a staffed information table in the center. Additional visitors walk by or read signage near the entrance, in a brightly lit, industrial-style space with exposed ceilings and modern finishes.
Two visitors engage with an interactive display at the "Techno: The Rise of Detroit’s Machine Music" exhibition at the MSU Museum. The background features colorful digital art and signage for the exhibit, while the visitors, a man in a dark hoodie and a woman in a black top with gold hoop earrings, look intently at the screen in a dimly lit, industrial-style gallery space.
Exhibition view of "Techno: The Rise of Detroit’s Machine Music" at the MSU Museum. The gallery features display cases with vintage techno flyers and music equipment, including a red synthesizer. Two large projection screens in the background display the exhibit title in bold white text against a starry black backdrop. Informational panels are placed beside the cases in the sleek, dimly lit space.

The exhibition has been enriched by a dynamic series of public programs, including exclusive talks and live performances featuring some of the leading voices in Detroit’s electronic music scene. Participants have included Stacey “Hotwaxx” Hale, DJ Minx, DJ Holographic, DJ La Femme, AbuQadim Haqq, Jeff Mills, John Collins, Carl Craig, and Mad Mike Banks.

DJ Stacey "Hotwaxx" Hale performing live, wearing headphones and a leather jacket over a colorful t-shirt that reads "Black Future." She is smiling while adjusting controls on a sound mixer against a blue background.
Group photo featuring DJ Le Femme, DJ Minx, John Collins, DJ Holographic, and Stacey ‘Hotwaxx’ Hale, standing together and smiling in front of a colorful backdrop at a techno culture event.
Jeff Mills speaking into a microphone during a talk, wearing a dark jacket, gesturing with one hand, and seated against a background of exposed brick wall.
Curator Dr. Julian Chambliss, seated on the left, holds a microphone and speaks with artist AbuQadim Haqq, seated on the right, during a live conversation at the MSU Museum. AbuQadim Haqq wears a black outfit with a yellow emblem and reflective goggles, while Dr. Chambliss is dressed in a light gray blazer and sweater. The audience is visible in the foreground, with a blue curtain backdrop behind the speakers.
John Collins, Jeff Mills, and MSU Museum curator Julian Chambliss standing in front of a brick wall, all wearing dark jackets and smiling for the camera.

Widely praised and attracting audiences from across the country, the exhibition will remain on view through July 12, 2025. We’re deeply grateful for the extensive media coverage and enthusiastic response it has received.

Michigan State University Museum to Host New Exhibition on Detroit Techno (MixMag)

Techno: The Rise of Detroit’s Machine Music features an original sound installation from Underground Resistance (Resident Advisor)

Detroit’s techno music scene celebrated at new MSU Museum exhibit (WKAR Media)

Her Sound, Her City: DJs share their passion for electronic music (State News)

Detroit’s machine music comes alive in East Lansing (City Pulse)

Screenshot of a City Pulse online article titled "Detroit’s machine music comes alive in East Lansing." The article features an image of the MSU Museum’s "Techno: The Rise of Detroit’s Machine Music" exhibition, showcasing an industrial gallery space with video screens and illuminated display cases containing artifacts. The caption mentions that the exhibit includes a 45-minute sound installation by Underground Resistance and glass cases displaying the machines that helped create techno music. The right sidebar features a newsletter signup form.