Keith Tucker | |
---|---|
Also known as | DJ K-1, KT-19941, Optic Nerve, Aux 88,Alien Fm, Aux 88 Presents Black Tokyo |
Origin | Detroit, Michigan, |
Genres | Detroit techno, electro, bass, EDM |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instruments | Casio CZ-101, Roland TR-808, Juno 106 |
Years active | 1988–present |
Labels | Puzzlebox |
Associated acts | AUX 88, Auxmen, Alien FM, Frequency |
Website | www.optic-universe.com |
Keith Tucker is an American electronic musician and DJ from Detroit, Michigan.
Tucker began his career playing cover versions of Juan Atkins' electro hits from the 1980s with his childhood friend Tommy Hamilton. The live ensemble achieved local renown for combining break-dancing, and Tucker's mobile DJ-ing while manually playing repetitive, high-speed synthesizer basslines. They later became known as Regime, then RX-7, and finally, in 1994 they became Aux 88. They were joined by BJ Smith (Posatronix) and Lamont Norwood (DJ Dijital).
Tucker's first 12" EP was a collaboration with Juan Atkins and Jesse Anderson, under the name "Frequency" in 1990. Aux 88 released the album "Bass Magnetic" and were the first group to revive Electro in the mid-to-late 1990s. As such they have been credited with eventually inspiring the genre known as electroclash. In the mid-nineteen ninteties they described their own sound as Techno-Bass, a fusion of influences from Detroit techno, electro, Miami bass and EDM.
As co-founder of Puzzlebox recordings in 1996 with Anthony "Shake" Shakir, Tucker also joined the tradition of independent dance music publishing and vinyl record pressing in Detroit. He utilized, along with other artists, the National Sound Company vinyl lathe which was used to produce the records of legendary Detroit Soul labels such as Motown.
In 2006, Tucker's song "Plastic People" was featured on the DJ mix album A Bugged Out Mix by Miss Kittin, which charted at number one-hundred seventy on the French Albums Chart.