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Innovator by Derrick May album cover
11620th Century

Innovator

Derrick May

1997 · Detroit techno

Sony · SRCS 7980~1

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Why it's here

Transmat's entire catalogue in one place; Strings of Life's author finally collected

Innovator collects Derrick May's Transmat catalogue in one place, which means it holds 'Strings of Life' and most of the reason Detroit techno exists. The influence here isn't really the album, it's the twelve-inches inside it, the singles that taught a genre how to feel. It ranks at a hundred and sixteen because it's a compilation of a career rather than a conceived album, but the career it documents is foundational, and no collection of the city's music can do without these tracks.

Also ranked

Dancefloor
№ 19
Influence
№ 126
External poll
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Tracklist

  1. 1-1"Rest"0:15
  2. 1-2"Rest"1:08
  3. 1-3Strings Of The Strings Of Life8:22
  4. 1-4Another Kaos (Beyond Kaos)0:51
  5. 1-5Free Style4:31
  6. 1-6"A Rest" Beyond Kaos1:29
  7. 1-7The Dance7:12
  8. 1-8Spaced Out (Love Hate Mix)0:57
  9. 1-9It Is What It Is7:11
  10. 1-10Some More Spaced Out1:06
  11. 1-11Beyond The Dance (Cult Mix)7:09
  12. 1-12Feel Surreal Ends (The Feel Of Surreal!)0:55
  13. 1-13"To Rest"0:19
  14. 1-14R-Theme6:02
  15. 2-1The Beginning Of The End (Of The End Of The Beginning) / Montage (Sensitive Mix)6:00
  16. 2-2Phantom (A Relic Mix)1:26
  17. 2-3Phantom (A Relic Mix)0:19
  18. 2-4Kaotic Harmony (A One Time Live Recording In Detroit)6:34
  19. 2-5More Phantom1:12
  20. 2-6Salsa Life5:28
  21. 2-7Nude Photo / The Beginning14:35
  22. 2-8Another Relic (From The Relics)1:02
  23. 2-9Drama4:29
  24. 2-10Strings Of Life (MS-4 Version)22:31
  25. 2-11"The Beginning" (Ken Ishii Remix)7:09
  26. 2-12"Wiggin" (Juan Atkins Remix)6:13