Cybotron
ListenAlleys of Your Mind · 1981
Cybotron — Alleys of Your Mind, from the 1981 Deep Space single.
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1981 · Deep Space Records
Alleys of Your Mind / Cosmic Raindance
A dark room full of glowing synthesizers brought Juan Atkins and Rik Davis together. Their first Cybotron single turned that shared fascination into one of Detroit’s defining early electronic records. [2] [3]
| Accession | OMMA-0126 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Cybotron |
| Release | 1981 · United States |
| Label | Deep Space Records · No printed catalogue number |
| Format | 7-inch vinyl single · 45 rpm · stereo |
| Issue | Original commercial issue · red and white labels |
| Runouts | A: 107043X A 3 QCA KM B: 107043X B 2 QCA RS |
| Recorded grade | VG+ |
Release history and significance
Atkins met Richard “Rik” Davis while attending Washtenaw Community College. On his first visit to Davis’s studio, he found the curtains drawn and the equipment lights shining in the darkness. Years later, he recalled the room as resembling a spaceship. [2] [3]
The partnership worked through an exchange of ideas: each developed music separately, then added parts to the other’s work. Atkins recalled building the foundation of “Alleys of Your Mind,” with Davis contributing synthesizer material and lyrics. “Cosmic Raindance,” their first piece together, became the B-side when the single appeared in 1981. [1] [2]
The unfamiliar voice effects were made with a rapidly moving stereo-panning effect rather than a vocoder. The sound reached a wider Detroit audience through the Electrifying Mojo’s radio show. Alongside “Sharevari” by A Number of Names, the single helped establish the electronic language from which Detroit techno emerged. [2] [3]
Market context
A Deep Space 7-inch copy sold for US$68 on 4 August 2019 after 14 bids. Carolina Soul graded it VG++, noting faint label wear and a slight dish warp that did not affect play. [4]
Physical Description
Black vinyl with red and white Deep Space labels. Side A contains “Alleys of Your Mind”; side B contains “Cosmic Raindance.” The release has no printed catalogue number. [1]
Condition
The disc is graded VG+, with numerous superficial sleeve scuffs and hairlines visible under strong light. The labels are clean and crisp. Playback is recorded as strong and stable, without clicks, crackle or skips, and graded EX−/VG++. The sleeve is VG+.
Provenance
Acquired from BeattrooperRecords, trading on eBay as beat_trooper, on 26 June 2026.
Sources
- Discogs, Cybotron – Alleys of Your Mind, release 1367297. Original US Deep Space issue, track pairing and label configuration.
- Vanessa Jane Brown, Techno’s Godfather Speaks: An Interview With Juan Atkins. Reverb, 26 March 2021; Atkins’s account of the studio, collaboration and vocal effects.
- Sam Beaubien, Sam’s Jams: This Track from Detroit Techno Pioneers Changed Music History. WDET, 16 October 2019; college meeting, local release and radio reception.
- Popsike, Funk Electro 45 – Cybotron – Alleys of Your Mind. Carolina Soul auction, US$68, 4 August 2019; seller’s condition description.
Catalogue text reviewed 13 September 2026.