Name: Inner City
Members: Kevin Saunderson, Dantiez Saunderson, Steffanie Christi'an
Nationality: American
Current release: Inner City's "Reach" is out via KMS. There is also an EP with remixes by Will Clarke, Reggie Dokes, and DJ Minx.

If you enjoyed this Inner City interview and would like to stay up to date with their music, visit them on Instagram.

We also recommend our earlier Inner City interview about their creative process and roots.



House and techno have traditionally been a “music of the future”. But it seems like Inner City have also always asked: Where did we come from? How do you look back on the past 30 years and how far you as artists and the scene as a whole have come?

Kevin: Everything evolves from the past. We can't have a future without our past. So my inspirations always were New York, growing up in New York at first and then moved to Detroit. It's kind of like a crossbreed musically.

Disco was an important part of my life, especially when I was around age 17/18. I used to visit Larry Levan, and I always found it amazing that Larry could play records in the club that you had on the radio, but had these extended edit versions that were designed for the club, and some had a lot of lyrics, some had little lyrics and it's always great to hear music like Chaka Khan and Stephanie Mills. So inspiration always came from them.

And then my philosophy of writing uplifting music and making people feel happy, was a different direction than what was being played on radio. In most cases wasn't always about love or sex. From disco, the creation of house music and techno music was almost parallel. Very close, let's put it that way.

Dantiez: I can’t comment on the past 30 years because I was just a baby 30 years ago, but I’ve been writing music and actively in the scene for about 12 years and I grew up in the scene. So I’ve seen some evolutions of dance music.

Back then they were coining all the genres as EDM, and EDM was getting the most recognition. It then shifted 10 year later to more underground music becoming popular and mainstream-ish. Tech house festivals and selling out huge clubs as an underground artist – I think that’s really cool to see it evolve and come full circle. Plus, there’s a lot more youth in the scene and in America, more kids are getting on to this music.

Steff: What I love about house, techno and Inner City specifically is the ability to reinvent itself and stay relevant. Inner City makes music that has an uplifting message and isn't exclusionary. Inner City makes music for everyone to dance to.

In terms of the past, it seems there is still a need for the intersection between Black history and dance music culture to be brought to light. You briefly addressed this in a recent interview – could briefly expand your thoughts on this?

Steff: I just think that it is important and integral to the art that people realize and are informed of where this music comes from and that is Black people from Detroit, New York and Chicago. Respect has to be paid where it is due.

Kevin: I think it's important. Black History of Music is lost a lot over time. It has been some years, and dance music keeps evolving, technology keeps evolving. So over time, you’ve got different writers, different DJs who all were inspired differently. There are people who are out to write off the success of a record that was created years ago by sampling, or by ripping it off and recreating it their own way. And the new audience, they do not think about all that, it’s just all about music.

So black music can get lost, and I know the roots of house and Detroit, especially when you talk about techno, gets lost because most people have no clue that black people were the innovators and the talent behind this unique sound that took the world by storm. And it's still evolving and growing.

Dantiez: We’re always educating and there’s always room for people to learn Black history and gay culture. It was Black music culture that helped bring this music to light and create this music. It’s very important to continue to educate and document the roots.

I think over time as far as I’ve seen, it’s getting better and people are learning. There are different media outlets covering and educating people and movies and documentaries being done, so the content is out there. It’s good to take the time to learn and become aware, but the gap is definitely being bridged.

There is a fine line between cultural exchange and appropriation, especially when it comes to black history and dance music. What are your thoughts on the limits of copying, using cultural signs and symbols and the cultural/social/gender specificity of art?

Dantiez: I think at the end of the day, the music was created for everyone to enjoy, move and dance together. I think it’s an inclusive genre of art, but it’s important to know the roots in where it came from as I said before, and also make sure enough black artists are getting a chance to share their art and getting opportunities to perform and get bookings and release on labels.

House and techno were once immensely political as well as musically powerful. How do you see their role and impact today, especially in the light of genres like hip-hop which have gained a wider influence over the past decades?

Kevin: Well, I think house and techno are not as political. You are from the underground, they made some political statements with house music, in most cases, and Hip Hop comes from the street.

Even though house and techno were created by blacks, It has a different street impact in comparison. A lot of us were still maybe from the hood, but also suburbanites, or became suburbanites before we even created the genre. So we have a different take on it. It's not as visual, it's not as socially widespread or political.

Steff: I will second Kevin here.

Dantiez: I try not to get into the politics in music too much, but there is obviously politics in everything, I just don’t pay too much attention to that. I just make what I love and do what I like musically. It’s still musically more powerful than ever house and techno, and you see a lot of genres crossing and incorporating house and techno sounds into hip hop and pop into country songs now.

There are a lot of hybrid tracks being made. That shows the power of the music still.