Nadir Omowale’s recording studio and rehearsal space is nestled in a nondescript building on Grand Boulevard west of New Center. You wouldn’t know it from looking at it, but inside houses some of the most important techno artifacts and memorabilia in the world. Rare record pressings hang on the same wall as the original machines Detroit’s architects of techno used to create a whole new genre of music. There’s a by-appointment-only record store underground, too.
The fact that Nadir’s musical operation is based here may strike some as odd, seeing as Nadir – a songwriter, bassist, and bandleader among other things – describes his own music as a fusion of soul, funk, and rock. After all, what does electronic music and live music have in common?