Detroit Icons Inner City Bring the Classic Sound of House to Loveland Festival

Inner City’s performance at Loveland Festival is a reminder of the immortality of their music. Over 30 years on from their debut release, the Detroit outfit – consisting of techno pioneer Kevin Saunderson, vocalist Steffanie Christi'an, and his son Dantiez – continue to dominate clubs and festivals worldwide. On stage, their synths ring out alongside decks, keyboards, live percussion, and vocals to birth a colorful and soulful sound brimming with melodic uplift.

Inner City was born in 1987 when Kevin Saunderson sought to rework the dark and mechanistic form of Detroit techno into something new. Teaming with Chicagoan vocalist Paris Grey (née Shanna Jackson), the pair created music that was neither too upbeat for the underground, nor too gritty for commercial success.

Combining Detroit techno’s driving rhythms and pop’s shimmering major keys, the duo’s earliest releases were met with immediate and massive success. “Big Fun” and “Good Life” dominated the clubs and charts, sweeping top 10s across Europe, and starting a run of four consecutive No. 1s on the US Billboard Dance Chart.

Today, their legacy continues, as a plethora of classic Inner City tracks continue to gain extensive radio play and DJ support across the globe. After a hiatus spanning the 2000s, the group reemerged to the delight of fans in the early 2010s with gigs at key clubs and festivals internationally, featuring both Paris Grey and Ann Saunderson on dual vocal roles. In 2017, a further chapter to the Inner City saga began with the addition of Kevin’s son Dantiez.

Since 1995, Loveland has been producing a range of hugely influential dance and lifestyle events across the Netherlands. Fueled by a tireless love for music, the company now organizes six annual events: Loveland Festival, Loveland Van Oranje, Loveland ADE, 909 Festival, Diynamic Festival (with Solomun), and Music On Festival (with Marco Carola).

To experience the greatness of Inner City in person, keep your eyes peeled for their upcoming shows. The group are set to play the 40th anniversary of legendary venue Hacienda at The Warehouse Project in Manchester and a TBC location for Flash-OFF in Washington DC.