313ONELOVE

I am often asked, “Why Detroit?”

In 2010, I flew to the Motor City for the first time, my first ever flight all the way to the USA. 

I was a newly graduated photographer from Berlin.  

I cannot remember if I had high expectations, but what I do remember is that I was filled with great anticipation, more than just excitement.  

It was that butterfly kind of feeling in my stomach, that feeling that makes you just slightly queasy.

At that time, I only knew Detroit through the media and through stories.

It was my job at the Tresor Club that introduced me to the Berlin Detroit Connection.

There was a lot of media hype that Detroit was dangerous, dead, and poor. 

When I arrived, I couldn’t seem to find any of these attributes portrayed by the media. 

I saw a different side of Detroit. 

From the beginning and evermore, it was love at first sight. Unconditional love.

Tom Linder along with Bill Stacey were my first contacts with Detroit. 

We met at Tresor in the beginning of 2010. 

I met the rest of the Detroit Techno Militia crew during a photoshoot on the roof. 

From the beginning, Angie and Tom Linder were like a family to me. 

They always had a bed for me, introduced me to the artists, and Tom accompanied me to almost all the shooting. 

Initially they made all of this possible. Without the two of them, I would have needed another six years to finish this book. 

At the beginning of this project, Cornelius Harris also was a huge supporter. 

He connected me with the very first artists I photographed, and he was practically my tour manager on my very first Detroit trip. 

My initial focus was on the artists’ hands and ears. 

Yes, I know it sounds odd, but if you think about it, hands and ears are their tools — in addition to their creative minds and hearts. 

But I am not a doctor who can freeze images of a mind and a heart in time. 

Hands are special to me, not just that we use them every day to get through life: they are more than everyday tools for me. 

They exude life, almost like wrinkles. 

I am very fascinated by them, and I still find the combination of hands and ears to be fantastic. 

Upon my return to Berlin, I was completely overwhelmed by my first overseas adventure in the Motor City. 

I had many gigabytes of pictures and film in my luggage, but how would I continue? 

When an artist starts a project, there is often an end goal, perhaps an exhibit. 

No, I wanted to do something special. 

Create something, something that would last and continue on, something one can hold in their hands, something to show their children one day, a piece of history to hang on to, and something that could not just be deleted in this digital world. 

For these reasons, I decided on a book. 

A book that is not just about a period of time in the history of electronic music described in the form of pictures, but a book that will give back to the community that made it possible. 

The proceeds from this book were used to support music projects for children and teens in Detroit. 

Today, I am still wildly fascinated by the city of Detroit. 

A city that is wild, creative, strong and protective of its own, aspiring, sanguine, and authentic, just like the people of this incredible city! 

I had the privilege and the honor to meet many special people, people who have changed my life. 

I am thankful for every encounter, every conversation, every feeling … 

There were so many unforgettable moments: Ann Saunderson dedicated “Blackwater” to me at the Inner City Concert.

I was part of different jam sessions deep in the heart of Detroit ...

… and I, along with Felton Howard and Pirahnahead, escaped to the Urban Bean Co. restroom when we could not find a quiet place to make a phone call with the Electrifying Mojo. 

From the very beginning, Detroit opened its arms to me with support for my project and a welcoming spirit that was there every time I returned.

I hope you get a sense of Detroit from it. 

I hope you see the beauty in the city as I do. 

And, I hope that the pictures spark your curiosity and that you decide to see the Motor City with your own eyes.

To uncover the history and roots of electronic music, to engage the people, to talk to them, and to feel the spirit of Detroit while drinking a Mexican Hot Chocolate at the Urban Bean Café. 

Look at what this project is and what it has become. 

Perhaps you know someone with talent who could be supported by this book project.

It is a love affair with electronic music.

A love affair with Detroit.