The more we look at Detroit’s response to the God Said Give ‘Em Drum Machines film, the more questions just keep piling up. For starters, there’s the curious coverage of the Detroit Free Press – who also just happen to be one of the sponsors for the premiere of the fim in the city.

They had space on their website the other day to mention the multiple allegations of sexual abuse from multiple sources being faced by Derrick May since 2020 – and had apparently spoken to May asking whether he was attending the event. But they omitted to mention why they hadn’t covered the allegations even once in their hallowed pages over the past two years.

So what’s the reason that the Detroit Free Press – not to mention other Detroit media outlets – declined to cover the claims at the time? The city frequently reminds the world about their role in the development of techno, yet editors at publications decreed their readers apparently didn’t need to be made aware of these allegations.

Is it because, as Ears To The House has discovered over the past 17 months or so, that once you start digging, yet more stuff turns up? Just when you think the gaping chasm you’ve opened has revealed everything inside it, yet another skeleton pops out of another closet. We’re aware some people think we write too often on the subject – but a lot remains unpublished to this day.

Detroit techno’s origins are in a credit card scam in the 1980s, the proceeds of which were used to pay for expensive equipment to make music. This history contains a long list of claims of thievery – Thomas Barnett claiming Derrick May stole “Nude Photo” of him is just one claim of this.

The history of techno in Detroit is a story well worth telling in its grubby entirety. But the Detroit techno scene isn’t generally willing for the truth to be told – and the local media are more than happy to go along with them, it seems…