Rhythim Is Rhythim

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Rhythim Is Rhythim is one of the artist names of Derrick May, an American electronic musician from Belleville, Michigan, born in 1963. At secondary school he became friends with Juan Atkins and Kevin Saunderson. Together they are known as the Belleville Three, the three pioneers of Detroit techno. Their examples were the electronic sounds of Kraftwerk and the disco they heard on the radio, and they played that music at parties and in clubs.

Music and breakthrough

May began his recording career in 1987 with Nude Photo and then followed it with Strings of Life, the track that made techno known worldwide. The title was given to it by Frankie Knuckles. His own label Transmat also released Kaos and It Is What It Is, most of the tracks between 1987 and 1989. In Detroit the three friends played at the club The Music Institute. Although May released little in the 1990s, he continued to DJ and helped other makers get a label, among them Carl Craig and Stacey Pullen.

Influence

Strings of Life sounds different from much dance music of the time, because strings and piano from a sampler carry the track, and not a heavy bass. In School of Rock it is listed as a listening tip for the chapter on electronic music.

Listening

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

• Mixtape 8: Electronic Music^NL Reader