After the sound went worldwide, the phrase “Detroit techno” embodied a sonic aesthetic more than a place of origin. One of the
early adopters and innovators of the sound, Orlando Voorn, first
caught wind of the music in his native Amsterdam two decades ago. Since
then, Voorn has quietly lived and worked in Seattle, bridging the
gap between his adopted city, the birthplace of techno, and his own
Dutch origins.
Voorn started his career as a hiphop/electro DJ, famously
storming the stage after a second-place finish at the
1986 World DMC Championships. After that, he moved into electronic
music production.
“I got into [techno] ’cause I did hiphop and got tired of nobody
rappers that think money falls from trees,” Voorn says via online chat
(the reclusive producer demanded our conversation remain virtual). “So
I figured out how to make a product by myself, no others needed.”
Without the burden of collaboration, Voorn’s output quickly won him
attention stateside. The Detroit connection was initiated after only a
few years, with Voorn eventually working with each member of the
heralded Belleville Three, the inventors of techno.
“[Detroit producer] Blake Baxter came to Holland,” he says of his
initial introduction to the masters. At the time, one of Baxter’s
favorite tracks was “Solid Session,” a Voorn production under the
moniker Format #1. “I got to see him DJing that night, had a friendly
talk, and two weeks later I went off to Detroit,” Voorn says. “I
brought tracks with me.” Included in that batch of tracks was “Flash”
(under the guise Fix), which was released on Kevin Saunderson’s KMS
Records. He also released an EP for Derrick May on Fragile, and
collaborated with Juan Atkins as Infiniti, who he connected with
through his releases on Lower East Side Records.
Sporting dozens of production aliases, Voorn’s discography is a
lengthy read, with the classic “Flash” standing out as part of the
Detroit techno canon and the entire body of work revealing an
appreciation for melody and stylistic variety. Decades of the
production grind can wear down even the most creative producer, and
Voorn is no exception, leaving Amsterdam in 2003 after becoming
disillusioned with the scene. His destination: Detroit, where he lived
before moving to Seattle in 2005.
“Detroit was cool for a year, but then I realized that it would be a
hard pill to swallow to stay there,” Voorn says. “It’s a rough place. I
lived there and experienced why this grimy sound got born. You can
copy the beat, but you can’t copy the realness of somebody living
in a grimy-ass city like Detroit.”
Since moving to Seattle, Voorn has focused his attention on
production and A&R for his labels, Triangle and Nightvision. Four
releases are being prepped for this month, evidence Voorn is looking to
get quality music out to the masses, even if the music isn’t his
own.
“Right now I like to focus on just good music,” he says. “I really
don’t care what your name is—if I feel it, you’re in. A
lot of artists or labels don’t work that way. They’ll jump on things
because they [want] to get rich. I like my artists—all of
’em—and it motivates me to keep pushing the envelope.” 
Orlando Voorn plays Sun Jan 20 at Oi Vay at the Baltic Room, 9
pm–2 am, free, 21+.