Mike Banks: podcast appearances and interviews

Michael Anthony Banks, known as Mad Mike Banks, is an American record producer and a key figure in Detroit techno. He is the co-founder of the record label Underground Resistance, established in the late 1980s with Jeff Mills. Banks was a prominent part of the second generation of Detroit techno and has been involved in producing music that often includes political and social commentary. He has also co-founded and co-owns Submerge Distribution with Christa Robinson, which, alongside Underground Resistance, distributes Detroit-based techno worldwide. Banks's early influences include Derrick May, Juan Atkins, and Marshall Jefferson, and his later work explores acid house and industrial sounds. Prior to his work in techno, Banks was a studio musician specializing in bass and guitar, having performed with Parliament/Funkadelic among others. He played with the collective Members of the House in the 1980s, releasing several singles. After Hood and Mills departed from Underground Resistance, Banks led the label, releasing material by acts such as Drexiyia and Sean Deason. Known for maintaining a strict underground ethic, Banks has historically avoided public publicity, including photographs. His career has included periods of not performing live due to customs-related logistical issues, but he resumed live performances in the mid-2000s. Based in Detroit, Michigan, Banks has been influential in shaping the landscape of electronic music through his productions and his commitment to the underground ethos.