http://www.freep.com/article/20110829/FROMPRINT08/108290418/Journalist- shared-Detroit-s-techno-music-world
Journalist shared Detroit's techno music with world Aug 29, 2011 | BY B.J. HAMMERSTEIN Before the Motor City became home to Movement, there was Dan Sicko, the pioneering journalist who provided one of the world's first definitive looks at the exploding underground electronic music scene. Mr. Sicko died of ocular melanoma, a rare form of eye cancer, Sunday at his home in Ferndale. He was 42. Mr. Sicko worked as a freelance writer for magazines such as Urb and Wired and released the acclaimed book "Techno Rebels" in 1999. "Really, I know this is a serious statement, but he was the first guy who legitimized Detroit's techno history," Jason Huvaere, director of Movement: Detroit's Electronic Music Festival, told the Free Press on Sunday. "Now, the world is drowning in Detroit techno coverage. But before that, there was Dan, who not only understood the history of the city and electronic music, but he was the historian who put it all down on paper." Mr. Sicko, who wrote "Techno Rebels" after being inspired by the experimental underground scene he witnessed firsthand in Detroit during the 1980s, went back to documenting artists such as techno's founding fathers Juan Atkins, Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson after the popularity for the genre and its Motor City roots soared to new heights. In 2010, through the Wayne State Press, "Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk" was released, an expanded and cleaned-up second edition that explored in even greater detail Detroit's role of shaping techno. John Cathel, best known as DJ Powdr Blu, said Mr. Sicko paved the way for DJs and fans alike. "He might not have been a programmer, but through his language, as a writer, he played all the right keys," Cathel said. Sicko's wife, Amy Lobsiger, said that she and her 11-year-old daughter Anabel are extremely grateful for the support that has been shown to them both financially and spiritually through www.mattsicko.blogspot.com . It's there that Lobsiger details the challenges Mr. Sicko and his family faced while fighting cancer, including medical costs. "I was always interested in Dan's work before, but over these last few days we're now starting to grasp the impact he had," she said. "This whole thing has been mind-boggling, a real stinker," Lobsiger said of the 2008 diagnosis. "But the community has been so supportive. It's really meant a lot to us." Lobsiger said the "Dan's Story" Web site will continue to be used to keep people informed and that Dan's co-workers at the marketing firm Organic, where he was an assistant creative director since 2005, are looking into developing a Web page for his book. As of Sunday evening, Lobsiger said funeral arrangements at St. James Church in Ferndale are still pending. She said visitation likely will be at Spaulding & Curtin in Ferndale on Wednesday. ----------- http://blogs.metrotimes.com/index.php/2011/08/city-slang-rip-dan-sicko/ City Slang: RIP Dan Sicko August 29, 2011 By Brett Callwood We are saddened to learn today that writer Dan Sicko passed away on Sunday, having battled ocular melanoma, a form of eye cancer, since he was diagnosed in 2008. He was just 42. Sicko was a freelance writer with publications like Wire, but hell be best remembered for his book, Techno Rebels. In it, Sicko documented the story behind the pioneering Detroit electronic music scene, while profiling the cast of notable characters in the scene. It will stand up with time as a book that tells an otherwise untold tale. Personally, I remember Dan, myself, plus Gary Graff and Tom Weschler, doing a joint book signing at Record Time in Roseville. Sicko was signing Techno Rebels, while I had my MC5 book, and Graff and Weschler their Seger book. It was an odd combination of books, but all covered Detroit music and all were published by Wayne State Press. We had a blast, and Ill remember Dan Sicko fondly. He is survived by his wife, Amy, and their daughter Anabel. City Slang sends our love and best wishes to Dans family and friends. ------------ http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/genre/dance/dan-sicko-detroit-music- journalist-techno-1005331982.story Dan Sicko, Detroit Music Journalist, 'Techno Rebels' Author, Dead at 42 August 29, 2011 By Billboard Staff Dan Sicko a Detroit-based music journalist who chronicled Detroit's techno music died Sunday (Aug. 28) from ocular Melanoma at his home in Ferndale, Mich., according to the Detroit Free Press. Sicko, may be best know for his book "Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk" (1999, Billboard Books), one of the first books to chronicle in-depth the advent and rise of techno music in Detroit and beyond. As Sicko wrote about the book, now in an expanded second edition, on his Tehcho Rebels site, "when it was originally published Techno Rebels became the definitive text on a hard-to-define but vital genre of music." He also worked as a freelance writer for electronic/dance music magazines such Wired and Urb as well as Rolling Stone, according to the Create Digital Music site. Recently he had worked at the Detroit office of Organic, Inc as the Creative Director, He was also responsible for the launch of Reverb, an early digital music magazine. A site that had been set up to raise funds for the Sicko's illness yesterday posted news of his Sicko's death: "We are deeply saddened to let you know that Dan passed away peacefully this morning. We have no way to adequately express our gratitude to all of you who reached out to help Dan. You responded in a way we never could have imagined. Your notes and thoughts have kept us going. We are blessed to feel all the love people have for Dan. Thank you to each and every one of you. Arrangements are pending." Despite his lingering illness, Sicko remained engaged with the Detroit music scene and in a blog post on his Techno Rebels site he wrote about attending the first day for this year's Detroit Movement Fest: "Really great to be down at Hart Plaza for part of the 12th festival. 12th!," Sicko wrote. "I've been thinking about that a lot lately-Detroit Techno itself is a pretty improbable occurrence, but the odds against a city- sanctioned festival in its honor to go on this long are astronomical. Unfortunately I could only make it for the first day, but I got to see Movement 2011 come alive as the afternoon turned to evening. It didn't look like there'd be a record turnout, but that's indeed what happened. Jason Huvaere, director of Movement: Detroit's Electronic Music Festival told the Free Press that Dan Sicko was "the first guy who legitimized Detroit's techno history....Now, the world is drowning in Detroit techno coverage. But before that, there was Dan, who not only understood the history of the city and electronic music, but he was the historian who put it all down on paper." ========== http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/techno-journalist-dan-sicko- dead-at-42-20110829 Techno Journalist Dan Sicko Dead at 42 Pioneering critic was a scholar of electronic music Matthew Perpetua August 29, 2011 6:05 PM ET Former Rolling Stone writer and techno journalist Dan Sicko died on Sunday at his his home in Ferndale, Michigan at the age of 42. Sicko had been suffering from ocular melanoma. Sicko was the author Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk, a pioneering work of music journalism on the topic of techno music that legitimized the Detroit techno scene of the Eighties for many readers. The book was originally published in 1999, but was reissued and expanded last year. In addition to Techno Rebels and his work at Rolling Stone, Sicko also wrote for Wired and Urb, and founded the early digital music magazine Reverb. Sicko also gave lectures on the techno music scene and served as Creative Director for the Detroit office of Organic, Inc. Sicko's ongoing insights on techno can be found on his book's website. His family is also taking donations to help cover his medical costs.
