Few faces are as essential to Detroit music and Detroit techno as John “Jammin” Collins, an institution behind the decks, stalwart of Underground Resistance, and the literal tour guide at Submerge’s techno museum Exhibit 3000. We learned this weekend that the soul of Detroit moved onto another plane.
It feels a little like the soul of both techno capitals is hurting this weekend, from Berlin after the events at CSD to Detroit losing an iconic human being. It comes not long after Collins played TEC-TROIT in the Motor City.
Photo at top from DJ John Jammin Collins’ Facebook profile. Detroit Techno Militia shared this statement:
It is with heavy hearts and great sadness that we must announce the passing of our friend, mentor, and Detroit legend, DJ John Jammin Collins. John was a constant presence in shaping Detroit music and nightlife culture, dating all the way back to Cheeks Nightclub in the early 1980’s. Words are kind of failing me at the moment on the impact that he had, both back in the day and up to the current day with the work he did at Submerge/UR over the past 20+ years, but this culture of ours would look a lot different and nowhere near as good as it is had he not been there to help guide it.
To Dennis and the rest of John’s family, please accept our deepest condolences. We love you all.
John, thank you for everything. Words can never say how much we owe you and how much we love you. Rest well, dear friend.
Underground Resistance just chimed in:
We have lost a true, relentless soldier of the underground. John Collins did it all. An ambassador for Detroit in every way. We pay tribute to him through his record UR-080 “All we need”.
“So tired of fakes trying to represent a sound so real.
In an effort to let you experience the truth, UR presents DJ John Collins.Because it’s simple, all we need is some funky music.”
Let’s remember him and show some love to the spirit he’s given the music world time and again. Soul Tracks writes a beautiful and fitting obituary:
R.I.P. Detroit music legend John “Jammin” Collins
Michael Lawson over at Resident Advisor did a great job pulling some of the remembrances:
John ‘Jammin’ Collins, Detroit techno pioneer and Underground Resistance affiliate, dies
Detroit Electronic Quarterly has a must-read, deep-dive interview from 2019 by Mike Rubin which goes through his career and gives a window into his mind:
There’s this great interview, too:
There is this short glimpse of what the tour guide experience was like:
Here’s some music from his essential sets, which keep soul as the foundation of every house and techno groove.
Collins’ productions are often overlooked, maybe because people aren’t wired into the soul in the music. But if you don’t feel this, you’re possibly not human.
Unrelated to anything, but someone has actually put together a “techno workout” with his music, and hey, why not?
Collins told DEQ that one of his all-time favorites was Aretha Franklin’s “Never Grow Old,” which “took me right out.” One of these days is just going to live on and on and on. I’ve heard about it.
Sorry, that’s probably not going to leave a dry eye in the house. I wish you a good Sunday.