Music
Lenny Burden
· techno producer, live electronic musician
Co-founder of Octave One, the Detroit brothers' act behind the techno anthem “Blackwater” and the 430 West label.
- Also known as
- Octave One
- Detroit years
- birth–present
- Field
- Music
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Lenny Burden is one of five Detroit brothers who make up Octave One, one of the best-known live acts of the city's second techno generation. With his brother Lawrence he debuted on Derrick May's Transmat label in 1989 with “I Believe”, which was included the next year on the influential compilation Techno 2: The Next Generation. In 1990, together with their brother Lynell, the family started its own label, 430 West Records, to release The Octivation EP; 430 West also became an early home for Detroit electro acts such as Aux 88. Octave One tour the world performing their music live on hardware rather than as DJs. Their biggest success, “Blackwater” (2000), became a crossover anthem; a 2002 version with live strings by London's Urban Soul Orchestra entered the UK singles chart twice. The brothers have remixed Massive Attack, Inner City and DJ Rolando, among others.
Highlights
- Debut single “I Believe” on Transmat (1989).
- Co-founded 430 West Records in 1990.
- “Blackwater” (2000) became Octave One's biggest hit; the 2002 string version reached UK No. 47.
- Remixed Massive Attack, Inner City and DJ Rolando.