Cybotron - Biography
Cybotron were an electro group best remembered today for their hit, "Clear" as well as for serving as the launch pad for techno innovator, Juan Atkins.
Cybotron was an early electro group formed in 1980 by Juan Atkins and Richard "3070" Davis in Detroit, Michigan. Guitarist John "Jon 5" Housley joined soon afterward. Their shared influences include P-Funk, Kraftwerk, electro-pop, Italo-Disco and futurist writings of Alvin Toffler. It was Atkins who coined the group’s name, a portmanteau of “cyborg” and “cyclotron.”
Their first singles "Alleys of Your Mind" and "Cosmic Cars" were released through Atkins' Deep Space Records. Afterward, the group signed to the Berkeley’s Fantasy and released its debut album, Enter (1983 Fantasy), in 1983. Although the preceding singles had demonstrated a knack for perfectly balanced funky electro, the tracks on the album were split between proto-techno tracks like “Clear” and Techno City,” and funk-rock like “Enter,” reflecting the two core members’ diverging artistic paths.
In 1985, after the rrelease of "R-9,” Atkins left the group due to artistic differences with Davis. He went on to record under several monikers, most notably Model 500 and Infiniti. Davis at first pursued a funk-rock direction. In 1986, as 3070, a solo Davis released the single, "Vision" b/w "Megiddo." After which, he revived the Cybotron name and eventually released two rather left-field albums, Empathy (1993 Fantasy) and Cyber Ghetto (1995 Fantasy). Cybotron/Davis is currently working on a DVD tentatively titled Apocalypse Joy.
