It Is What It Is

Derrick May released the track in May 1988 under his Rhythim Is Rhythim alias on Transmat. The original 12-inch credits Mayday as producer and mixer, with the release edited by Juan on the lead mix. The track arrived as one of the defining Detroit techno records of 1988 and appeared on the landmark compilation Techno! The New Dance Sound of Detroit. Its shimmering, expansive production helped separate the Detroit sound from Chicago house in the ears of UK club culture. The track remains a core Derrick May recording and a touchstone for the melodic side of Detroit techno. It is still cited in retrospectives on the genre and in accounts of the sound that fed later rave and techno scenes.