Kevin ging mit Juan Atkins und Derrick May auf die Belleville High School in Detroit („The Belleville Three“). Er gilt als Mitbegründer der Stilrichtung Detroit Techno und hatte mit Inner City (gemeinsam mit Paris Grey) große Chart-Erfolge.
Zudem gründete er das Label KMS Records (siehe unten)

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Santonio, der sicherlich nicht so bekannt ist wie Kevin, schreibt:

But, today Kevin Saunderson claims that he is Reese and Santonio and the other half of the fame group (Santonio) which is a untrue claim.

Santonio Echols

Übrigens Santonio’s Bruder Antonio Echols gründete 1992 das Label Serious Groove Records auf dem neben Santonio auch Chez Damier u.a. veröffentlicht haben.

Auch ohne Kevin hat Santonio einige tolle Tracks veröffentlicht.
Ein Beispiel:

„Dear friends, fans and members of the music industry.
Today I’m giving away as a free download one of the productions I am most proud of: Reese & Santonio “The Sound”.

I recorded “The Sound” back in 1987 and released it on my own KMS Records label. It was a massive hit at New York’s Paradise Garage and in Chicago and of course Detroit. Once it hit the UK it became one of the earliest Detroit anthems right around Europe, a huge underground record across the globe – a true desert island techno track. It is such a special record to me because it was one of my first really successful productions and I hope that you all will enjoy this free, fresh digital download of my original 1987 version.

The reason I have decided to give this track away for free is because of a situation that recently developed involving the unauthorized sampling of “The Sound” by Italian producers Giacomo Godi & Emiliano Nencioni (Supernova) in their release “Beat Me Back” on Nirvana Recordings. It came to my attention that they are licensing and selling, with considerable success, this track which is nothing more than a continuous loop of the main hook from “The Sound.”

For me to hear ‘Supernova’ taking an extended loop of “The Sound” and claiming that this is their own original composition and production is both dishonest and disrespectful.

Der Song von Supernova
„Beat me back“ von 2011.
(Emiliano Nencioni, Giacomo Godi)

My first thought was that they were perhaps naive, but as they have apparently been recording together since 2002 this seems unlikely. In any event this is completely unacceptable, we cannot continue to let this kind of wholesale rip off go unchallenged and tolerate “artists” who completely sample recordings, add nothing of their own and then release the results as their own work.

I have a huge affection for sampling, it’s how some of the most inspiring and ground breaking tracks of our times were created. We’ve pretty much all sampled records at some time, and cleared the sample so we can use it on our releases, but it is just not cool to take someone else’s music, create a big old loop of it and then put your name on it and try to have success entirely off the back of another artist’s efforts. This really has got to stop. For this reason, I have uploaded the Godi/Nencioni version of “The Sound” to Soundcloud so that you all can download this for free if you so wish. These producers and their record label should not be profiting from my back catalogue… this is not their track to sell.“

Kevin Saunderson

Label: KMS – #KMS 017

1. Truth Of Self Evidence
2. Grab The Beat
   Mixed: Kevin „Master“ Reese
3. Structure
   Mixed: Santonio Echols

Writen, Producer: Kevin Saunderson #1,2 & Santonio Echols #1,3

Mastered at Sunshine Sound, N.Y.C.
(P)(C) 1988 Drive On Virgin Songs BMI | Distributed by Music Master, Inc.

Notes: „Truth Of Self Evidence“ enthält Elemente aus Martin Luther King’s Rede „I have a dream…“.

Bei der UK-Veröffentlichung auf FFRR (FFRX 15) ist die B-Seite „Structure“ die A-Seite.

Label: Kool Kat Music #KOOL T15

1. The Sound (Exclusive Motor City) (Remix)
   Remix: Master Reese
2. The Sound (Original Version)
3. How To Play Our Music (Remix)
   Remix: Mayday
4. (Reese & Mayday) Groovin Without A Doubt (Remix)
   Remix: Mayday

Written: Saunderson (#1-3), Echols (#1-3), Mayday (#4), Pennington (#4)
Mastered: Damont Audio | (p) Kool Kat Music | (c) Drive On Music
Licensed from KMS Records Detroit | Manufactured and distributed by PRT

Label: KMS – #KMS 022

1. Rock To The Beat (Mayday Mix) 6:44
   Remix, Producer [Added Prod.] – Mayday
2. Rock To The Beat (Original Mix) 2:55
   Mixed: Kevin „Master Reese“ Saunderson
   Vocals: Latonya Saunderson
3. You’re Mine 7:17
   Edited: Damon „Audiomix“ Booker
   Producer, Mixed: Power 41
4. Rock To The Beat (Hitman Mix) 5:18
   Remix, Producer [Added Prod.]: Mike „Hitman“ Wilson
   Vocals: Ann Karen Joy Saunderson | Samples: Kraftwerk
5. Grab The Beat 5:49
   Mixed: Mike „Hitman“ Wilson

Rock to the Beat:
Written: Kevin Saunderson, Santonio Echols | Producer: Kevin Saunderson

CD1

1. Reese – Bassline 6:21 [Fragile Rec. FRG 4]
2. Tronikhouse – The Savage And Beyond 3:40 [IR 009]
3. E-Dancer – Pump The Move 4:18 [KMS 033]
4. Reese & Santonio – Force Field 5:12 [KMS 012]
5. Tronikhouse – Up Tempo 4:05 [KMS 032]
6. Reese – Funky, Funk, Funk 6:01 [Fragile Rex FRG 4]
7. Reese & Santonio – How To Play Our Music 6:28 [KMS 010]
8. Kevin Saunderson – The Groove That Won’t Stop 7:28 [KMS 014]
9. Reese & Santonio – Bounce Your Body To The Box 5:18 [KMS 012]
10. Reese & Santonio – Truth Of Self Evidence 7:49 [KMS 017]
11. Kreem – Triangle Of Love 4:18 [KMS 007]

CD2

12. Reese – Rock To The Beat 2:52 [KMS 022]
13. E-Dancer – Feel The Mood 5:38 [KMSPIAS 001 CD]
14. Intercity – Groovin‘ Without A Doubt 4:51 [KMS 008]
15. Keynotes – Let’s, Let’s, Let’s Dance 6:20 [IR 80187]
16. Reese & Santonio – The Sound 6:46 [KMS 010]
17. Reese – Just Another Chance 5:07 [IR 111787]
18. E-Dancer – The Human Bond 8:55 [KMS 062]
19. Tronikhouse – Smooth Groove 3:33 [IR 009]
20. Inner City – Ahnongay 7:05 [Six6 SIX TP 106]
21. Tronikhouse – Straight Outta Hell 6:34 [KMS 045]
22. E-Dancer – Velocity Funk 5:10 [KMS 061]

IR = Incognito Records, ein Detroit Techno Label, gegründet von Clifton Thomas