The sound of Inner City is the sound of Detroit. For over 30 years, Kevin Saunderson’s pioneering group has channeled the musical heartbeat of the city and taken it across the world, making an impact that continues to resonate across dancefloors today. And as Inner City enters a new era, the music shows no signs of stopping.
“Inner City is for life” is the mantra that is propelling the band into the future. And these days, it’s a proper family affair: Kevin Saunderson is joined on production and DJ duties by his son, Dantiez, with Ann Saunderson adding vocals and vocal production. The group is completed by Detroit vocalist Steffanie Christi’an and together Inner City forges forward with the intention of keeping real house and techno alive.
This energy has manifested in recent remixes for Aluna + Jayda G and Cakes Da Killa, original releases on Defected, Armada and Kevin Saunderson’s legendary KMS, collabs with icons like Idris Elba and incendiary DJ sets and live performances at venues like Hï Ibiza, Warehouse Project and Paradise City and for promoters such as Glitterbox and Ministry of Sound. The group are also frequently – and rightly – platformed as house music pioneers and asked for their take on the current scene by the likes of GQ, Billboard, Forbes, Mixmag and Resident Advisor. Inner City remains a global force with the tracks to back their reputation up: newest single ‘Reach’ is contemporary house music at its finest and comes backed with remixes from Will Clark, Raw Soul and DJ Minx.
What keeps the group relevant is that they never knowingly set out to make a hit – they know how to craft music that’s naturally soulful, positive and uplifting. It’s literally in their DNA. And fans of Kevin Saunderson will know that he’s not one to rest on his laurels. Inner City’s music and live show is constantly refreshed and updated to showcase where house and techno is at right now. While their legendary singles ‘Big Fun’ and ‘Good Life’ were released in 1988 and remain dancefloor staples, Inner City continue to be focused on making more fresh and timeless music for the future.
The group are sitting on a wealth of new material, have been building out their live show and DJ sets (which see Kevin and Dantiez go B2B) and will be releasing via KMS to ensure full creative freedom. It goes without saying that more collabs and remixes from cutting-edge Detroit talent will be happening. By this point, Inner City is an institution. But their dedication to the art of house and techno has never been greater. As they say: Inner City is for life.
