The Detroit electronic music group Inner City, one of the most influential dance acts of all time, commemorates 30 years.
The story of Inner City is intractably linked with its founder Kevin Saunderson, widely created as one of the progenitors of techno and a landmark figure in dance music. But while it intertwines with his career, the group’s longevity – spanning wildfire success, indelible club classics, a handful of full-length albums, and sales of over six million worldwide – is a result of multiple independent chapters over a remarkable 30-year run time. The marriage of Detroit techno’s propulsive, insistent rhythms and pop’s vibrant, melodic uplift proved a winner; it was neither too positive for the underground nor too gritty for commercial success. What followed was a whirlwind. ‘Big Fun’ and ‘Good Life’ dominated clubs and the charts, sweeping top 10s across Europe and starting a run of four consecutive No 1s on the US Billboard Dance Chart. And so to the present day, with over three decades in the game under their collective wing: with a renewed commitment to live performances featuring a solid family core, and two generations of Saunderson men in the studio, Inner City looks set to enjoy the good life as much in 2023 as they did in 1987.
