The Clubber Mix 008: Alan Oldham a.k.a. DJ T-1000

A lifelong cartoonist and graphic designer, a young Oldham published his own indie comic book „Johnny Gambit“ in 1987 to local notoriety. Hired that same year by his childhood friend Derrick May to illustrate several memorable pieces for his new Transmat label, this led to Oldham’s very first involvement in the fledgling Detroit Techno scene.

More art requests quickly followed, most famously from the Djax-Up-Beats label (NL), where his art took center stage for many years (the lone EP that Oldham produced for Djax, under the name Signal To Noise Ratio, brought home a 1991 Detroit Metro Times Music Award for best single in „Detroit Is Burning“).

At the same time, college-student Oldham was hired at local radio station WDET-FM, hosting Detroit’s first-ever all-electronic radio program, „Fast Forward,“ introducing artists like UR, Richie Hawtin, Kenny Larkin, and Carl Craig to local airwaves. Mixing Detroit Techno, Chicago House, European Body Music, New Wave, the late ’80s militant hip-hop of Public Enemy and Paris, and the chillout vibes of early 4AD records all under Oldham’s exuberant air personality, „Fast Forward“ was a groundbreaking radio show that has yet to be duplicated over 20 years later.

In the early ’90s, Oldham found himself under the tutelage of UR’s Mad Mike Banks. Initially hired as UR’s „Minister of Information,“ working side-by-side with Rob Hood and others in the office, helping to craft UR’s image and media message, Oldham eventually got the call of duty to replace his departing friend Jeff „The Wizard“ Mills as DJ on UR’s „Revolution for Change“ tour (quitting WDET in the process; the station wouldn’t even let him broadcast a farewell show!), and UR codename DJ T-1000 (and his label Generator, distributed by Submerge) was born. Big shoes to fill, but he was up to the task.

The Clubber Mix #8 – Alan Oldham a.k.a. DJ T-1000 by The Clubber Magazine on Mixcloud