DJ K-1 a.k.a.
Keith Tucker began his career playing cover versions of Juan Atkins' Electro hits from the 1980s with his childhood friend Tommy "Tom Tom" Hamilton. The live ensemble were famous for combining break-dancing, and Tucker's mobile DJing while manually playing electronic basslines live by hand. The two became known under the name Regime, then RX-7, until finally in 1994 they changed their name to
Aux 88.
Tucker had already released his first 12" under the name Frequency in 1990 on Juan Atkins' legendary Metroplex label, but it was
Aux 88's 1994 debut album "Bass Magnetic" that put the two Detroit producers into the international spotlight. The album's single "Technology" became a huge hit and was mainly responsible for the electro revival of the mid-90s.
Before the release of
Aux 88's second album, Tucker chose to leave the group to found his own label
Puzzlebox - together with
Anthony "Shake" Shakir - and record as a solo artist under his various guises
DJ K-1, KT-19941 and his techno alias
Optic Nerve. After a brief stint as the
Auxmen, Hamilton and Tucker officially regrouped as
Aux 88 in 2005.