Mike Schommer reflects on the Detroit motel that was muse to a dub techno classic
The Deepchord Records co-founder recently remastered the dub techno classic dc15, now available on vinyl for the first time.
As Mike Schommer helped pioneer dub techno music in the United States with creative partner Rod Modell in the late 90’s and early 2000’s, Detroit’s transient subculture was his muse.
Considered by many to be the “second wave” of the Basic Channel sound that ushered in the new subgenre in Berlin a handful of years earlier, the duo’s Deepchord Records once again put the city at the forefront of music innovation by refining that sound in combining the echo-heavy production of dub music with the minimalist structure of techno. If the story of Berlin and Detroit’s creative overlap in the world of techno music sounds familar, it’s because it is.
Being referred to as one of the most influential artists making dub techno during that time leaves Schommer with mixed emotions today. At the height of Deepchord’s productivity in 2002, Schommer went on a 15-year hiatus from making music after releasing a mostly-anonymous album that might be considered one of his masterworks today, dc15.
“So many years went by, and I had no idea people were bootlegging this project on Discogs and talking so much about it,” Schommer said. “Today, it gives me a lot of joy that so many musicians were positively influenced by this modest release back then and that people still enjoy it today.
“On the other hand, I also think about what could have been. What if I hadn’t stepped away from music after this project? What would have been the next musical progression for me? What paths could have been forged and new ground explored?”
Nearly 25 years later, those hypothetical questions remain unanswered, but Schommer and Deepchord Records have remastered dc15, bringing the album’s seedy backdrop and Schommer’s perception of it into focus for the first time. It’s among his most ambitious and an all-encompassing representation of the duo’s heyday — an ominously fascinating work inspired by the city’s barren, gritty backdrop and those who inhabit it.
Recorded under his Von Schommer moniker, dc15 [remastered] captures the world inspired by a building Schommer always found intriguing: The Crown Motel on Woodward Avenue in the city’s Highland Park neighborhood. Schommer holed himself up in one of the motel’s rooms, finding inspiration in crafting lonely tones from his Korg PS3100 modular synthesizer and mixing them with his rudimentary DIY electronics.
Modell served as the project’s visual creator by experimenting with panoramic photography of Schommer and the Crown Motel that is included in the remastered album’s artwork.
For the uninitiated, dc15 [remastered] feels like an appropriate introduction to the wide range of sounds dub techno can produce. While it might be tempting to pigeonhole music of its kind as slow, echoing techno music, Schommer defies that generalization by executing a diverse sonic palette he wanted to put on display on the all-encompassing album.
While the album’s mood and sound are unified, what stands out on dc15 [remastered] is just how varied each of the tracks are, with some, including early standout Untitled 3, taking on several life forms with its fascinating build-up. Untitled 4 reveals incredible sonic detail as ambient noise refracts and crackles in the background like Burial tune. On the next track, you’re transported into a dream-like backdrop with a metronomic beat that crashes and dissolves while a hard-hitting bass beat attempts to recreate the remnants of a rave. The epic Untitled 11 closes the album out with a cavernous ambient drone that periodically bounces off the walls before introducing ambient static feedback that ushers out the 14-minute track.
The stunning remaster package does justice to both the audio and visual aspects of the project, which is available on vinyl for the first time, providing a proper treatment for the release that initially was only available as a limited edition preorder CDR for members of the Hypereal 313 maillist. A second pressing of the record is now available on Rubadub, Juno and Decks.
Schommer, who largely stopped recording after the release, has since returned to creating, releasing a pair of EPs in 2024 in collaboration with vocalist Milly James. While Schommer says his creative process has changed significantly from the days of making music at the Crown Motel, getting back into making music again has been “incredibly gratifying.”
Schommer took some time with Radio Amor to reflect on the process of creating dc15 at the Crown Motel in 2001, while offering thoughts on Deepchord’s legacy and what he’s been up to these days as an artist and business owner.
Radio Amor: Can you describe the process for capturing this project visually at the Crown Motel?
Mike Schommer: (Rod Modell and I) used to drive around Detroit a lot during the early 2000s, taking pictures and super 8mm movies, so when I was planning out the crown project, it was naturally important to me that the environment had a visual representation. Rod was experimenting with panoramic photography then and offered to photograph the project for me in real-time. I thought the wide format would be a perfect medium for capturing the essence of the Crown. While I explored the courtyard and recorded in the motel room, Rod would fire off panos throughout the day, documenting the musical process and the environment that inspired me at the same time.
After I recorded the project, I sent the film off to Meteor for processing. When the slides returned, I put them on my lightbox and was thrilled with the results. The grit and grime of the room and the loneliness of the Crown's transient life were unmistakable. I started layering the numerous images on each other and found two unique combinations that spoke to me. I put them in protective sleeves and wrote instructions for the lab to combine them when creating the internegative. Those two images appear on the front and back of dc15 [remastered].
RA: Why was this specific location important to you? Was there a particular feel you were going for visually to accompany this project? Why was the visual element of this project so important on dc15?
Schommer: I grew up north of Detroit, and as a child, I remember watching aerial images of the city on TV from Chopper 4 on Devil's Night. There were hundreds of houses on fire. The city would be engulfed in flames every year. It was haunting to see. The nightly news coverage of the city was always terrible during that time, filled with murders, beatings, and stories of missing women and dead prostitutes. Those reports shaped my view — right or wrong — of the city for many years.
As I got older, in my late teens and 20s, I would drive into Detroit for different shows. I found that the more I visited, the more I developed a bizarre, almost romantic fascination with the city's less desirable attributes. I loved looking at bombed-out buildings and exploring areas like the old train station, but two places always caught my attention on Woodward Avenue: The Normandie Hotel and the Crown Motel. Both epitomize the city in my mind and I wanted to capture what those locations impressed on me with my music.
Initially, I wanted to do two projects, one in each, but I only completed the first half at the Crown. Even though I was in my early 20s at the time and had little fear, after hearing that either a serial killer had lived at the Normandie or murdered someone there, I just couldn't bring myself to do the second half of the project.
RA: What role do your surroundings have in your recording process normally and how was this project different by immersing yourself in the environment of the Crown Motel?
Schommer: My surroundings always influence my music, whether it's a physical location like the Crown or, more importantly, today, a mental space or a memory of an experience. I receive greater joy and satisfaction when connecting a musical track to a personal life event because the process becomes more than just creating tracks for me. It becomes a meaningful expression.
RA: How does dc15 differentiate itself from your other projects? Did your surroundings contribute to a unique sound? Did you want the record to have a cohesive sound reflective of the urban landscape?
Schommer: I used wavetable synthesizers, such as the Wave, during that period. However, for this project, I wanted to take an exclusive analog bias in addition to the gritty and noisy elements that often characterized my early Deecphord Records releases. I started by building my own analog kick drum rack, then chose the main centerpiece.
You couldn't watch a YouTube video to hear various synths back then. You had to get your hands on one and play with it yourself, so in preparation for the project, I headed over to New to You, a used synth shop in Ferndale, and experimented with just about every synthesizer he had in the store. Eventually, I discovered a Korg PS3100. Its semi-modular design would lend perfectly to creating tones in a motel room on the fly.
A lot of additional planning went into the project (pre and post), differentiating it from my other Deepchord Records releases. Still, dc15 shares a common bond with some of my early Von Schommer, LUX, and Techniker EPs I recorded while living in Detroit's Eastern Market. There were so many sights and sounds there. We lived above the Rocky Peanut loft, and I remember waking up every other night by a truckload of cattle being delivered to the slaughter in our alley. Homeless people would pound on the dumpster beneath my window, so I'd run food out to them. Occasionally, we'd have to walk through a drug deal to get out to our car, or our windows would get busted out, but for the most part, it was all good. It wasn't until my wife got chased around the market by a crack whore one evening that we decided to move. I like to think that experiences like those directly translated into the music I created at that time.
RA: Enthusiasts of dub techno have remarked that this album is an essential document of the second wave of the Basic Channel sound. How do you process those types of generalizations related to legacy and your place (as well as Rod's place) in furthering the genre? Does that sort of thing matter to you?
Schommer: BC are genuinely pioneers and revolutionaries when it comes to this sound. Undoubtedly, we owe a great deal to Mark (Ernestus) and Moritz (von Oswald) for their contributions over the years. I suppose if there had not been a second wave, the "dub techno" genre might never have solidified as it has, so if some were to say that I helped codify the existence of a newly-emerging genre, that would be an incredible honor.
Today, the genre is primed and ready for a new generation to pursue and explore it further than any of us have up to this point, and I want to encourage newcomers to explore and push it further into new territory.
RA: I also wanted to know about your other more current work. Can you describe how much time you devote to making music these days? What is your process like and has it changed or evolved through the years?
Schommer: Today, I have significantly less time to work on music than I did when I was younger. The main reason I stepped away years ago was that I struggled to balance work, family and music, which forced me to change my priorities.
After years of reflection, I realized that it was possible to find a balance, but I could no longer produce music the same way. I can't lock myself in a studio for days at a time. Focusing on process is crucial for me now. I need to be highly efficient and intentional in everything I do.
Additionally, with my recent return to performing live, I've had to explore new approaches to balance studio work and live production. I find myself asking: "How or should my studio work translate into a live performance? Am I overlooking any helpful methods? What is the most enjoyable way for me to share my work with others?"
RA: You've kept pretty busy with some new releases this year, including the "Rulers of This World" and "Leaving the Ground" EPs. Could you describe the process of creating these works and where the inspiration for the material came from?
Schommer: I have thoroughly enjoyed working on these particular records, especially with vocalist Milly James. Our collaboration mirrored many modern long-distance projects. I started with a few sketches and sent them to Milly. She then took some time to write lyrics and record the vocal tracks. Afterward, I would rework everything into a final arrangement, often leading us down unexpected creative paths. Although the process takes a lot of time, collaborating with Milly has been incredibly gratifying. She is a joy to work with. As for the inspiration behind the lyrics, that responsibility belongs to Milly. In addition to being a talented singer, she is also an actress and a writer, her creativity is far reaching.
RA: I also understand you run your own business. I wondered if you could tell me a bit about that and how that factors into your "day job" vs. making music?
Schommer: Balancing family and work life is a significant challenge for me as I pursue my music career at this stage in my life. I often think of my late father, an artist who ran several businesses. He always found time to dedicate to his art, often working late into the night and early in the morning so he could be there for his family. He managed to keep everything moving forward harmoniously, and I strive to follow his example. I remind my children that their most abundant asset in early adulthood is their free time, and they shouldn't waste it.