Mike Banks (musician)
Encyclopedia
Michael Anthony Banks, better known as "Mad" Mike Banks, is an American techno
producer. He is the co-founder, along with Jeff Mills
, of US
record label Underground Resistance
and was a key player in the "second generation" of Detroit techno
.
Banks lives in Detroit, Michigan
and is a former studio musician (bass/guitar), having played with Parliament
/Funkadelic
among others. He worked in the second half of the 1980s with the collective Members of the House, releasing several 12" singles. Banks and Mills founded the label Underground Resistance in the late 1980s, and the pair, along with Robert Hood
, produced most of the label's early releases. After Hood and Mills's departure from Underground Resistance, Banks headed the label himself, releasing material from acts such as Drexciya
and Sean Deason
in addition to his own productions.
He is also co-founder and co-owner with Christa Robinson of Submerge Distribution since 1992. Submerge, along with Underground Resistance, is an independent record label
which distributes Detroit-based techno worldwide.
Among Banks's early influences are Derrick May, Juan Atkins
and Marshall Jefferson
; his later work shows his increasing interest in acid house
and industrial
. Banks has hewn strictly to an ethic of the underground
and refuses to be photograph
ed in public as part of this ethic. His releases often deal with elements of political and social commentary, which have made him a controversial figure from within the Detroit electronic music scene. Banks quit playing live shows in the late 1990s due to continuing problems with customs
agencies, but began doing live shows again in the mid-2000s.
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
producer. He is the co-founder, along with Jeff Mills
Jeff Mills
Jeff Mills is an American techno DJ and producer.-Career:Starting in the early 1980s, Mills, using the name "The Wizard", was a recurring guest DJ on "The Electrifying Mojo" radio show on WJLB...
, of US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
record label Underground Resistance
Underground Resistance
Underground Resistance is a musical collective from Detroit, Michigan, in the United States of America. They are the most militantly political example of modern Detroit Techno, with a grungy, four-track musical aesthetic and a strictly anti-mainstream business strategy...
and was a key player in the "second generation" of Detroit techno
Detroit techno
Detroit techno is an early style of electronic music beginning in the 1980s. Detroit, Michigan has been cited as the birthplace of techno music. Prominent Detroit Techno artists include Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson...
.
Banks lives in Detroit, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and is a former studio musician (bass/guitar), having played with Parliament
Parliament (band)
Parliament was a funk band most prominent during the 1970s. It and its sister act Funkadelic, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
/Funkadelic
Funkadelic
Funkadelic was an American band most prominent during the 1970s. The band and its sister act Parliament, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
among others. He worked in the second half of the 1980s with the collective Members of the House, releasing several 12" singles. Banks and Mills founded the label Underground Resistance in the late 1980s, and the pair, along with Robert Hood
Robert Hood
Robert Hood is an American electronic music producer and DJ. He is a founding member of group Underground Resistance as a 'Minister Of Information' with Mad Mike Banks & Jeff Mills. He is often considered to be one of the founders of minimal techno....
, produced most of the label's early releases. After Hood and Mills's departure from Underground Resistance, Banks headed the label himself, releasing material from acts such as Drexciya
Drexciya
Drexciya was an electronic music band from Detroit, Michigan. The late James Stinson was the only officially identified member of Drexciya, but it was considered an open secret that he had a partner, Gerald Donald.- Style :...
and Sean Deason
Sean Deason
Sean Deason is an American techno producer from Detroit. His aliases include Project X, Sounds Intangible Nature, Freq, and X-313....
in addition to his own productions.
He is also co-founder and co-owner with Christa Robinson of Submerge Distribution since 1992. Submerge, along with Underground Resistance, is an independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
which distributes Detroit-based techno worldwide.
Among Banks's early influences are Derrick May, Juan Atkins
Juan Atkins
Juan Atkins is an American musician. He is widely credited as the originator of techno music, specifically Detroit techno along with Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson...
and Marshall Jefferson
Marshall Jefferson
Marshall Jefferson is an American musician, working in house music, in particular, the subgenres of Chicago house and deep house.-Biography:...
; his later work shows his increasing interest in acid house
Acid house
Acid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics. Acid house's core electronic squelch sounds were developed around the mid-1980s, particularly by DJs from Chicago who experimented with...
and industrial
Industrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
. Banks has hewn strictly to an ethic of the underground
Underground music
Underground music comprises a range of different musical genres that operate outside of mainstream culture. Such music can typically share common values, such as the valuing of sincerity and intimacy; an emphasis on freedom of creative expression; an appreciation of artistic creativity...
and refuses to be photograph
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
ed in public as part of this ethic. His releases often deal with elements of political and social commentary, which have made him a controversial figure from within the Detroit electronic music scene. Banks quit playing live shows in the late 1990s due to continuing problems with customs
Customs
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods including animals, transports, personal effects and hazardous items in and out of a country...
agencies, but began doing live shows again in the mid-2000s.
Productions
- Members Of The House - Keep Believin' (1987)
- Members Of The House - Share This House (1988)
- Underground ResistanceUnderground ResistanceUnderground Resistance is a musical collective from Detroit, Michigan, in the United States of America. They are the most militantly political example of modern Detroit Techno, with a grungy, four-track musical aesthetic and a strictly anti-mainstream business strategy...
- Your Time Is Up , Direct Me (1990) - X-101 - Sonic Destroyer (1991)
- Underground Resistance - Waveform EP (1991)
- Underground Resistance - Nation 2 Nation (1991)
- Members Of The House - Reach Out For The Love , These Are My People (1991)
- X-102 - Discovers The Rings Of Saturn (TresorTresorTresor is an underground techno nightclub and record label. The club was founded in March 1991 in the vaults of the former old Wertheim department store in Mitte, the central part of the former East Berlin, next to the famous Potsdamer Platz, however the history of the club goes back to 1988 when...
, 1992) - Underground Resistance - Acid Rain II; Belgian Resistance; Kamikaze; Message To The Majors; The Seawolf; Piranha; Death Star; Happy Trax No. 1 (1992)
- Underground Resistance - World 2 World (1992)
- Underground Resistance - Revolution For Change (1992)
- The MartianThe MartianThe Martian, by George du Maurier, published in 1898 is a long , largely autobiographical, novel that describes the lives of two bosom friends, Barty Josselin and Robert Maurice, starting from their school days in Paris in the 1850s...
- Meet The Red Planet (1992) - Davina - Don't You Want It (1992)
- Galaxy 2 GalaxyGalaxy 2 GalaxyGalaxy 2 Galaxy is a live electronic and jazz music collective featuring members of Underground Resistance. The name comes from an EP created by Mike Banks in 1993...
- Galaxy 2 Galaxy (double-maxi comportant les morceaux Hi-Tech Jazz (The Science), Hi-Tech Jazz (The Elements), Journey Of The Dragons, Star Sailing, Astral Apache,Deep Space 9, Rhythm Of Infinity, Metamorphosis) (1993) - The Martian - Cosmic Movement / Star Dancer (Red Planet) (1993)
- The Martian - Journey To The Martian Polar Cap (Red Planet) (1993)
- The Martian - Sex In Zero Gravity (Red Planet) (1993)
- The Martian - The Long Winter Of Mars (Red Planet) (1994)
- Members Of The House - Party Of The Year (1994)
- The Martian - Ghostdancer (1995)
- L'Homme Van Renn - The (Real) Love Thang (1995)
- The Martian - Firekeeper / Vortexual Conceptions (1996)
- The Martian - Particle Shower / The Voice Of Grandmother (1996)
- L'Homme Van Renn - Luv + Affection (1996)
- URUnderground ResistanceUnderground Resistance is a musical collective from Detroit, Michigan, in the United States of America. They are the most militantly political example of modern Detroit Techno, with a grungy, four-track musical aesthetic and a strictly anti-mainstream business strategy...
- The Hostile / Ambush (1997) - UR - Codebreaker (1997)
- UR - Radioactive Rhythms (1997)
- UR - The Turning Point (1997)
- UR - Millennium To Millennium (2001)
- UR - Inspiration / Transition (2002)
- UR - Illuminator (2002)
- UR - The Analog Assassin (2002)
- UR - Actuator (2003)
- The Martian - Pipecarrier (2003)
- The Martian - Tobacco Ties / Spacewalker (2003)
- Perception & Mad Mike - Windchime (Underground Resistance, 2004)
- UR - My Ya Ya (2004)
- The Martian - The Last Stand EP (2004)
- UR - Presents Galaxy 2 Galaxy - A Hi-Tech Jazz Compilation (2005)
- Mad Mike - Scalper (Underground Resistance, 2005)
- Mad Mike - Attack Of The Sonic Samurai (Somewhere In Detroit, 2006)
- 040 - Never (Underground Resistance, 2006)
- Mad Mike - Hi-Tech Dreams / Lo-Tech Reality (Underground Resistance, 2007)
- X-102 - Rediscovers The Rings Of Saturn (Tresor, 2008)
External links
- Mike Banks discography at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
.