ElecSoul — When You Need Me
Remembering Cevin Fisher and Juan Atkins
Cevin Fisher
Jaun Atkins
This episode also feels particularly poignant. I talk briefly about two artists whose passing has recently been announced: Cevin Fisher and Juan Atkins.
Cevin Fisher, who died on 29 October 2026, was a hugely influential figure in house music. His productions and DJ sets carried that unmistakable combination of groove, energy and dancefloor connection. Records such as The Freaks Come Out became enduring club anthems, while his wider work helped shape the sound of house across New York and beyond.
Juan Atkins, who died on 31 October 2026, leaves behind a legacy that is almost impossible to overstate. As one of the founding figures of Detroit techno, alongside Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson, Atkins helped create a sound that changed electronic music forever.
His work as Cybotron and Model 500 was futuristic, machine-driven and deeply imaginative. Tracks like Alleys of Your Mind and Clear helped establish the foundations of Detroit techno, while his later collaborations continued to push electronic music into new territory.
The inclusion of Night Drive (Time, Space, Transmat) by Model 500, Lightyears by Juan Atkins, Moritz von Oswald and Borderland, and the Cybotron classics Clear and Alleys of Your Mind is a small tribute to that remarkable contribution.
A book I’m reading: The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists
Alongside the music, I share a little about the book I’m currently reading: Robert Tressell’s The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists.
I’ve found it a genuinely fascinating read. First published in 1914, the novel is a powerful portrayal of working-class life, poverty and inequality in Edwardian Britain. Tressell was himself a house painter and decorator, and the book draws heavily on the experiences of working people.
What makes it especially striking is that it reads almost like a manifesto for the socialist thinking of its time. Through the lives of working men and their families, Tressell explores exploitation, class, economic injustice and the ways people can become trapped in systems that work against their own interests.
There’s a particularly remarkable detail behind its publication: Tressell died on 3 February 1911, three years before his book was published. He never lived to see the work reach its readers.
Why read it today? Because many of the questions it raises remain relevant. The relationship between labour and wealth, the cost of living, insecurity at work, inequality and the difficulty of imagining a different economic system are still very much part of contemporary life.
Reading it now, more than a century after its publication, is a reminder of how long these debates have been with us—and how literature can preserve the experiences and voices of people who are often overlooked.
The music in this weeks show
This episode moves between soulful house, jazz, Brazilian influences, broken beat, electro and Detroit techno. It’s a reminder that the music we love rarely sits neatly within one genre.
Teotima — But I Can’t (K15 Remix)
This track has a particularly special place in my musical journey. During lockdown, I recorded an ElecSoul outside broadcast from the Malvern Hills. I still remember the atmosphere of that moment: standing out in the landscape, looking across the hills and letting the music become part of the surroundings.
Playing But I Can’t (K15 Remix) while gazing out across that incredible view was one of those moments when music and place seemed to come together perfectly. There was something deeply reflective and almost otherworldly about it. It’s a track that takes me straight back to that experience, and one I’m always happy to revisit.
Tracklist — When You Need Me
- Laville, DuBois — Sunshine
- Minus & MrDolly, Luca Argel — A Queda
- Astrud Gilberto, Stanley Turrentine — Ponteio (with Stanley Turrentine)
- Espen Horne — Nhu Begin'n
- Emanative, Liz Elensky, Dan Jose, Deoke, Awkward Corners — Love & Light (Awkward Corners Life & Death Mix)
- D.General, Nastic Groove — City Streets
- Ibibio Sound Machine — Black Notes
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Teotima — But I Can’t (K15 Remix)
This track has a special place for me. During lockdown, I recorded an ElecSoul outside broadcast from the Malvern Hills. Playing this remix while gazing out across the landscape was incredibly atmospheric. It’s one of those moments where music and place became inseparable, and the track still takes me straight back there. - Mr. Fingers, Brianna — When You Need Me
- FreshMula — FUORI DI TESTA
- Loqate — Miracles
- Moritz Dunkel — Magic Melody (Deep House Mix)
- Cevin Fisher — The Freaks Come Out (Cevin’s Freakin’ Dub)
- Cybotron — Clear (Jose Animal Diaz Remix)
- Cevin Fisher — Take You to the Skies
- Cevin Fisher — Pump It
- Model 500 — Night Drive (Time, Space, Transmat)
- Juan Atkins, Moritz von Oswald, Borderland — Lightyears
- Cybotron — Alleys of Your Mind
Thanks for listening
When You Need Me is a mix of soulful moments, deep grooves and electronic history—with a little reflection on music, books and the world around us.
As always, thank you for taking the time to listen and for being part of the ElecSoul journey.
Listen to ElecSoul, explore the playlists and discover more at djrobbieduncan.com/elecsoul.
Coming up: Stroud Shindig
I’m delighted to be returning to Stroud Shindig at The Sub Rooms on Saturday 14 November 2026. Expect a brilliant night featuring Antwerp Gipsy Ska Orkestra, Year of the Dog and more, with me bringing the jazz, soul, funk and house selections to the party.
📍 The Sub Rooms, Stroud
🕢 Doors 7:30pm | Event starts 8pm
🎟️ £22 advance / £27 on the door