The MSU Museum, in partnership with WKAR and with support from MSU Federal Credit Union, is excited to announce the launch of RISE: Detroit’s Machine Music, a new podcast series inspired by the exhibition Techno: The Rise of Detroit’s Machine Music.
Hosted by Dr. Julian Chambliss, Professor of English and Val Berryman Curator of History at the
MSU Museum, the podcast expands on the exhibition’s themes by highlighting the artists, cultural movements, and visionary thinking that gave rise to Techno in Detroit.
“This podcast is a natural extension of the work we have done in the exhibition space,” said Devon Akmon, Director of the MSU Museum. “It allows us to deepen the conversation and reach new audiences by highlighting the people, politics, and philosophies behind Techno music and its evolution.”
Each episode features thought-provoking conversations with artists, scholars, and cultural leaders and Underground Resistance member and community curator John Collins. The series examines the genre’s roots in Black identity, speculative futures, and sonic experimentation.
“Techno has always been a blueprint for reimagining the future,” said Chambliss. “Through these conversations, we are exploring how Detroit artists have used music and culture as tools for resistance, resilience, and radical imagination.”
Initial episodes include:
- “Techno is Black Speculative Sound” – In the episode, we explore how sound is understood to be an Afrofuturist practice and its unique manifestation in Detroit.
- “The City and the Sound” – In this episode, we explore how Detroit legacy as a city of innovation and culture provides a fertile ground to give rise to techno.
- “The Machines and the Music”—In this episode, we learn about the machines that made techno (and house) music and how they came into the hands of black youth in Detroit.
RISE: Detroit’s Machine Music is available at wkar.org and streaming platforms including Spotify and Apple Podcasts; and in the free NPR app.
The exhibition, Techno: The Rise of Detroit’s Machine Music is free and open to the public through July 12, 2025, at the MSU Museum’s temporary location at 311 Abbot in downtown East Lansing.
