Techno 30370 226170017 2008-07-17T03:40:40Z Just64helpin 1666610 m {{Infobox Music genre <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Music_genres --> | name = Techno |bgcolor = silver |color = black | stylistic_origins = [[Electro music|Electro]]<br/>[[industrial Music|Industrial]]<br/>[[Synthpop]]<br/>[[Electronic music]]<br/>[[Chicago house]]<br/>[[Funk]] | cultural_origins = mid-1980s [[Detroit, Michigan|Detroit]], [[Michigan]], [[United States|USA]] | possible_creators = [[Juan Atkins]], [[Kevin Saunderson]], [[Derrick May]], [[Eddie Fowlkes]] | instruments = [[Keyboard instrument|Keyboard]], [[synthesizer]], [[drum machine]], [[music sequencer|sequencer]], [[sampler (musical instrument)|sampler]] | popularity = Moderate, largely in late-1980s and 1990s [[Europe]], more popular in [[Eastern Europe]] and [[Brazil]] currently| derivatives = [[Intelligent dance music|IDM]], [[trance music|trance]], [[acid house]],[[hardcore techno|hardcore]] | subgenrelist = List of electronic dance music genres | subgenres = [[Acid techno|Acid]], [[ambient techno|ambient]], [[minimal techno|minimal]], [[wonky techno|wonky]], [[industrial techno|industrial]] | fusiongenres = [[Microhouse]], [[ghettotech]], [[tech house]], [[tech trance]], [[techstep]] | regional_scenes = [[Detroit techno]], [[Nortec]], [[Schranz]], [[Yorkshire Bleeps and Bass]], [[Jtek]] | local_scenes = | other_topics = [[Electronic musical instrument]] &ndash; [[computer music]] &ndash; [[list of electronic music record labels|record labels]] &ndash; [[rave party|raves]] &ndash; [[free party]] &ndash; [[teknival]] }} {{dablink|For the comic book character previously known as Techno, see [[Fixer (comics)]]. For the prefix, see [[wikt:techno-|techno-]].}} '''Techno''' is a form of [[electronic dance music]] (EDM) that emerged in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]], [[United States|USA]] during the mid to late 1980s. The first public use of the word techno, in reference to a [[genre]] of music, was in 1988.<ref>Brewster B. & Broughton F., ''Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey'', Avalon Travel Publishing,2nd ed., 2006, (p. 354)</ref> Many styles of techno now exist, but [[Detroit techno]] is seen as the foundation upon which a number of subgenres have been built.<ref>Keyboard Magazine Vol. 21, No.7 (issue #231, July 1995).</ref> The initial take on techno arose from the melding of [[Eurocentric]] [[synthesizer]]-based music with various [[African American]] styles such as [[Chicago house]], [[funk]], [[electro (music)|electro]], and [[Jazz fusion|electric jazz]]. Added to this was the influence of [[futurism (art)|futuristic]] and fictional themes that were relevant to life in American late [[capitalist society]]: most particularly the book ''[[The Third Wave (book)|The Third Wave]]'' by [[Alvin Toffler]].<ref>Sicko, D.(1999), ''Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk'', Billboard Books,(p.28).</ref> Techno music pioneer [[Juan Atkins]] cites Toffler's phrase "techno rebels" as inspiring him to use the word ''techno'' to describe the musical style he helped to create. This unique blend of influences aligns techno with the [[aesthetic]] referred to as [[Afrofuturism|AfroDiasporic Futurism]].<ref>Kodwo, E., ''More Brilliant Than the Sun: Adventures in Sonic Fiction'', Quartet Books, 1998.</ref> To producers such as [[Derrick May (musician)|Derrick May]], the transference of spirit from the body to the machine is often a central preoccupation; essentially an expression of technological [[spirituality]]. In this manner: "''techno dance music defeats what [[Adorno]] saw as the alienating effect of mechanisation on the modern consciousness''".<ref>Mc Leod, K.,"Space oddities: aliens, futurism and meaning in popular music", Popular Music (2003) Volume 22/3. Copyright 2003 Cambridge University Press, pp. 337–355.</ref> Music journalists and fans of techno are generally selective in their use of the term; so a clear distinction can be made between sometimes related but often qualitatively different styles, such as [[tech house]] and [[trance music|trance]]. "Techno" is also commonly confused with generalized descriptors, such as [[electronic music]] and [[dance music]].<ref>{{cite news | first=Michael | last=Critzon | title=Eat Static is bad stuff |date=2001-09-17 | publisher= | url =http://www.cm-life.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticlePrinterFriendly&uStory_id=18da0484-aa27-4c21-9e8e-a2abdbb39b94 | work =Central Michigan Life | pages = | accessdate = 2007-08-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Electronic Energy|journal=The Miami Herald|date=2001-03-23|first=Michael|last=Hamersly|volume=|issue=|pages=page 6G }}</ref><ref>{{citation|periodical=Newsweek|date=1997-02-10|title=Electronic Eden|last=Schoemer|first=Karen|page=60}} ''Every Monday night, Natania goes to Koncrete Jungle, a dance party on new York's lower East Side that plays a hip, relatively new offshoot of dance music known as drum & bass—or, in a more general way, ''techno'', a blanket term that describes music made on computers and electornic gadgets instead of conventional instruments, and performed by deejays instead of old-fashioned bands.''</ref> ==History== ===Origins=== [[Image:Image-Belville4.jpg|thumb|left|The "Belleville Four"]] The initial blueprint for techno was developed during the mid 1980s in Detroit, [[Michigan]], by [[Juan Atkins]], [[Kevin Saunderson]], [[Derrick May (musician)|Derrick May]] (the so-called Belleville Three), and Eddie Fowlkes, all of whom attended school together at Belleville High, near Detroit. By the close of the 1980s, the four had operated under various guises: Atkins as [[Model 500]], Flinstones, and Magic Juan; Fowlkes simply as Eddie "Flashin" Fowlkes; Saunderson as Reese, Keynotes, and Kaos; with May using the aliases Mayday, R-Tyme, and [[Rhythim Is Rhythim]]. There were also a number of joint ventures, the most commercially successful of which was the Atkins and Saunderson (with [[James Pennington]]) collaboration on the first [[Inner City]] single, [[Paradise (Inner City album)|Big Fun]]. ====School days==== Prior to achieving notoriety, the budding musicians, [[DJ mix|"mix"]] tape traders, and aspiring DJs<ref>{{cite news| title=Techno music pulses in Detroit |date=2003-02-13 | publisher=CNN | url =http://www.cnn.com/2003/TRAVEL/02/10/techno.exhibit.ap/|accessdate = 2007-08-11}}</ref> found inspiration in ''[[Midnight Funk Association]],'' an eclectic five-hour late-night radio program hosted on various Detroit radio stations, including [[WCHB]], [[WGPR]], and WJLB-FM from 1977 through the mid-1980s by DJ Charles "[[The Electrifying Mojo]]" Johnson.<ref name="BriefHistory">[http://www.gridface.com/features/a_brief_history_of_techno.html A Brief History of Techno] – Gridface overview from 1999</ref> Mojo's show featured heavy doses of electronic sounds from the likes of [[Giorgio Moroder]], [[Kraftwerk]], and [[Tangerine Dream]] alongside the funk of [[Parliament (band)|Parliament]] and the new wave sounds of the [[B-52s]].<ref>{{cite book | last = Shapiro | first = Peter | title = Modulations: A History of Electronic Music, Throbbing Words on Sound | publisher = Caipirinha Productions, Inc. |date=2000 | pages = 108-121 | isbn = 1-1891024-06-X }}</ref> Atkins has noted that:{{Cquote|''He [Mojo] played all the Parliament and [[Funkadelic]] that anybody ever wanted to hear. Those two groups were really big in Detroit at the time. In fact, they were one of the main reasons why disco didn't really grab hold in Detroit in '79. Mojo usd to play a lot of funk just to be different from all the other stations that had gone over to disco. When 'Knee Deep'<ref>Funkadelic's, 1979 release, [http://www.discogs.com/release/653957 ''(Not Just) Knee Deep''] </ref> came out, that just put the last nail in the coffin of disco music.''<ref name=atkins>Atkins Interview, from ''Music Technology Magazine'', December 1988.[http://www.mobeus.org/archives/juanatkins/]</ref>}} Despite the short-lived disco boom in Detroit, it had the effect of inspiring many individuals to take up mixing, Juan Atkins among them. Subsequently, Atkins taught May how to mix records, and in 1981, "Magic Juan", Derrick "Mayday", in conjunction with three other DJ's, one of whom was Eddie "Flashin" Fowlkes, launched themselves as a party crew called Deep Space Soundworks <ref>Brewster B. & Broughton F., ''Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey'', Avalon Travel Publishing,2nd ed., 2006, (p. 350)</ref><ref>''Generation Ecstasy'' (Reynolds 1998 pp. 16–17)</ref> (also referred to as Deep Space).<ref>Sicko, D.(1999), ''Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk'', Billboard Books,(pp. 56-58).</ref> In 1980 or 1981 they met with Mojo and proposed that they provide mixes for his show, which they did end up doing the following year.<ref name=atkins>{{citation|url=http://www.mobeus.org/archives/juanatkins/|title=Future Shock (Juan Atkins Interview)|publication=Music Technology Magazine|last=Trask|first=Simon|date=December 1988}}</ref> The music was initially conceived as party music that was played on daily mixed radio programs and played at high school club parties in Detroit. Late 1970s/early 1980s high school clubs such as Brats, Charivari, Ciabattino, Comrades, Gables, Hardwear, Rafael, Rumours, Snobs, and Weekends<ref>Snobs, Brats, Ciabattino, Rafael, and Charivari are mentioned in ''Generation Ecstasy'' (Reynolds 1998 p. 15); Gables and Charivari are mentioned in ''Techno Rebels'' (Sicko 1999 pp. 35, 51–52). Citations still needed for Comrades, Hardwear, Rumours, and Weekends.</ref> created the incubator in which techno was grown. These young promoters developed and nurtured the local dance music scene by both catering to the tastes of the local audience of young people and by marketing parties with new DJs and their music. As these local clubs grew in popularity, groups of DJs began to band together to market their mixing skills and [[Sound system (DJ)|sound systems]] to the clubs in order to cater to the growing audiences of listeners. Locations like local church activity centers, vacant warehouses, offices, and [[YMCA]] auditoriums were the early locations where underage crowds gathered and the musical form was nurtured and defined.<ref>{{citation|title=Techno Rebels|last=Sicko|first=Dan|publication-year=1999|publisher=Billboard Books|isbn=0-8230-8428-0|pages=33–42,54–59}}</ref> [[Image:Cybotron+clear.jpg|thumb|right|''Clear'', [[Cybotron]]'s 1983 [[electro music|electro]] classic]] ====Juan Atkins==== {{main|Juan Atkins}} Of the four individuals responsible for establishing techno as a genre in its own right, it is Juan Atkins who is recognized as "The Originator";<ref>Dr. Rebekah Farrugia paraphrasing Derrick May in a review of ''High Tech Soul: The Creation of Techno Music'' (Directed by Gary Bredow. Plexifilm DVD PLX-029, 2006). Published in ''Journal of the Society for American Music'' (2008) Volume 2, Number 2, pp. 291–293.</ref> a fact acknowledged in 1995 by the American music technology publication [[Keyboard Magazine]] who honored Atkins as one of ''12 Who Count'' in the history of keyboard music.<ref>Keyboard Magazine Vol. 21, No.7 (issue #231, July 1995).</ref> In the early 1980s Atkins began recording with musical partner [[Rick Davis|Richard "3070" Davis]] (and later with a third member, Jon-5) as [[Cybotron]]. This trio released a number of [[electro music|electro]]-inspired tunes, the best known of which is "Clear." According to a recent bio on MySpace, Atkins ''...coined the term techno to describe their music, taking as one inspiration the works of [[Futurist]] and author Alvin Toffler, from whom he borrowed the terms 'cybotron' and 'metroplex.' Atkins has used the term to describe earlier bands that made heavy use of synthesizers, such as Kraftwerk, although many people would consider Kraftwerk's music and Juan's early music in Cybotron as electro.''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.myspace.com/68657561|title=Juan Atkins official Myspace page|accessdate=2008-04-02|author=Unknown author}}</ref> Eventually, Atkins started producing his own music under the pseudonym [[Model 500]], and in 1985 he established the record label [[Metroplex (record label)|Metroplex]].<ref>Sicko, D. (1999), ''Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk'', Billboard Books,(p.76).</ref> In the same year, he released a seminal work entitled "No UFOs," one of the first Detroit techno productions to receive wider attention and an important turning point for the music.<ref>''In 1985 Juan Atkins released the first record on his fledgling label Metroplex, ‘No UFO's’, now widely regarded as Year Zero of the techno movement.'' Cox, T. (2008), [http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature-read.aspx?id=907 Model 500:Remake/remodel], interview with Atkins and Mike Banks hosted on www.residentadvisor.net </ref><ref>Interview with Detroit producer Alan Oldham hosted at [http://www.spannered.org/music/722/ Spannered.org]</ref> Of this time, Atkins has said: {{Cquote|''When I started Metroplex around February or March of '85 and released "No UFOs," I thought I was just going to make my money back on it, but I wound up selling between 10,000 and 15,000 copies. I had no idea that my record would happen in Chicago. Derrick's parents had moved there, and he was making regular trips between Detroit and Chicago. So when I came out with 'No UFOs,' he took copies out to Chicago and gave them to some DJs, and it just happened.''<ref name=atkins>Atkins Interview, from ''Music Technology Magazine,'' December 1988.[http://www.mobeus.org/archives/juanatkins/]</ref>}} ====Chicago==== {{main|House music}} The music's producers, especially May and Saunderson, admit to having been fascinated by the Chicago club scene and influenced by house in particular.<ref>{{citation|title=Techno Rebels|publisher=Billboard Books|last=Sicko|first=Dan|isbn=ISBN 0-8230-8428-0|pages=77–78}}</ref><ref>{{citation|publication=Detroit Free Press|title=Detroit Electronic Music Festival salutes Chicago connection|date=2002-05-22|first=Brian|last=McCollum|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-8849128_ITM|accessdate=2008-04-04}}</ref> May's 1987–88 hit "''Strings of Life''" (released under the nom de plume ''Rhythm Is Rhythm''), for example, is considered a classic in both the house and techno genres.<ref>{{Citation | last =Harrison | first =Andrew | publication-date =July 1992 | title =Derrick May | periodical =Select | publication-place =London | pages =80–83}} “RIR singles like ‘Strings of Life’…are among the few classics in the debased world of techno”</ref><ref>"Strings of Life" appears on compilations titled ''[http://www.discogs.com/release/788003 The Real Classics of Chicago House 2]'' (2003), ''[http://www.discogs.com/release/6413 Techno Muzik Classics]'' (1999), ''[http://www.discogs.com/release/483465 House Classics Vol. One]'' (1997), ''[http://www.discogs.com/release/48064 100% House Classics Vol. 1]'' (1995), ''[http://www.discogs.com/release/64669 Classic House 2]'' (1994), ''[http://www.discogs.com/release/13123 Best of House Music Vol. 3]'' (1990), ''[http://www.discogs.com/release/30645 Best of Techno Vol. 4]'' (1994), ''[http://www.discogs.com/release/146494 House Nation - Classic House Anthems Vol. 1]'' (1994), and [http://www.discogs.com/artist/Rythim+is+Rythim numerous other compilations] with the words "techno" or "house" in their titles.</ref><ref>{{citation|publication=Detroit Free Press|title=Detroit Electronic Music Festival salutes Chicago connection|date=2002-05-22|first=Brian|last=McCollum|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-8849128_ITM|accessdate=2008-04-04}}</ref> Atkins also believes that the first [[acid house]] producers, seeking to distance house music from [[disco]], emulated the techno sound.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.timlawrence.info/linernotes/2005/acidhousesj.php|title=Acid? Can You Jack? (''Soul Jazz'' liner notes)|date=2005-06-14|accessdate=2008-04-03|last=Lawrence|first=Tim}}</ref>There is also evidence that the Chicago house sound developed as a result of [[Frankie Knuckles]]' using a drum machine he bought from Derrick May.<ref>Brewster B. & Broughton F., ''Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey'', Avalon Travel Publishing, 2nd ed., 2006, (p. 353)</ref> Juan Atkins claims that: {{Cquote| ''Derrick sold Chicago DJ Frankie Knuckles a TR909 drum machine. This was back when the Powerplant was open in Chicago, but before any of the Chicago DJs were making records. They were all into playing Italian imports; 'No UFOs' was the only U.S.-based independent record that they played. So Frankie Knuckles started using the 909 at his shows at the Powerplant. Boss had just brought out their little sampling footpedal, and somebody took one along there. Somebody was on the mic, and they sampled that and played it over the drumtrack pattern. Having got the drum machine and the sampler, they could make their own tunes to play at parties. One thing just led to another, and Chip E used the 909 to make his own record, and from then on, all these DJs in Chicago borrowed that 909 to come out with their own records.''<ref name=atkins>Atkins Interview, from ''Music Technology Magazine,'' December 1988.[http://www.mobeus.org/archives/juanatkins/]</ref>}} ====Acid house and rave==== {{seealso|Acid house|Rave}} [[Image:TechnoCover.jpeg|thumb|left|Cover for the 1988 release. [http://www.discogs.com/release/57919 ''Techno! The New Dance Sound of Detroit'']]] Relatively quickly, techno began to be seen by its originators and up-and-coming producers as an expression of [[Alvin Toffler#His ideas|''Future Shock'']] [[Post-industrial society|post-industrial]] [[angst]].{{Fact|date=June 2007}} It also took on increasingly high-tech and [[science fiction]]-oriented themes but it was the success of house music, and in particular acid house, on the UK club scene, that paved the way for the Detroit sound. Following the release in 1988 of an album compiled by Neil Rushton (an [[A&R]] scout for ''10 Records'')<ref>[http://www.discogs.com/label/Ten+Records+Ltd.+(10+Records) 10 Records catalog on Discogs website]</ref> and Derrick May, titled ''Techno! The New Dance Sound Of Detroit,''<ref>Tracklisting for [http://www.discogs.com/release/57919 ''Techno! The New Dance Sound Of Detroit'']</ref> the music press began to characterize techno as Detroit's relatively high-tech, mechanical brand of [[house music]], as it retained the same basic structure as the soulful, minimalist post-[[disco]] styles that were forged in [[Chicago]] and [[New York City]] at the start of the decade. Derrick May views this as one of his busiest times and recalls that it as a period where he {{Cquote|''was working with [[Carl Craig]], helping Kevin, helping Juan, trying to put Neil Rushton in the right position to meet everybody, tyring to get Blake Baxter endorsed so that everyone liked him, trying to convince Shake (Anthony Shakir) that he should be more assertive...and keep making music as well as do the Mayday mix (for the show Street Beat on Detroit's WJLB radio station) and run Transmat records...For years no one cared about what Juan and I were doing in Detroit, and then I found myself dealing with people that were jealous, out of the clear blue sky.''<ref>Sicko, D. (1999), ''Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk'', Billboard Books, (p. 98)</ref> }} Despite [[Virgin Records]] disappointment with the poor sales of Rushton's compilation, the record was successful in establishing an identity for techno. The release served as a means to distinguish the Detroit sound from Chicago house and various other dance music derivatives that emerged during the rave era of the late 1980s and early 90s and in so doing established a platform in the UK for a number of prominent Detroit producers.<ref>Sicko, D. (1999), ''Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk'', Billboard Books, (pp. 95-120)</ref> ====Music Institute==== In mid 1988, developments in the Detroit scene lead to the opening of nightclub called the Music Institute (MI), located at 1315 Broadway in downtown Detroit. The venue was secured by George Baker and Alton Miller with Darryl Wynn and Derrick May participating as Friday night DJs, and Baker and Chez Damier playing to a mostly gay crowd on Saturday nights. The club closed on [[November 24]], [[1989]], with Derrick May playing "Strings of Life" along with a recording of clock tower bells.<ref>{{citation|title=Techno Rebels|last=Sicko|first=Dan|publication-year=1999|publisher=Billboard Books|isbn=0-8230-8428-0|pages=92–94}}</ref> May explains that:{{Cquote|''it all happened at the right time by mistake, and it didn't last because it wasn't suposed to last.Our careers took off right around the time we [the MI] had to close, and maybe it was the best thing. I think we were peaking - we were so full of energy and we didn't know who we were or [how to] realize our potential.We had no inhibitions, no standards, we just did it. That's why it came off so fresh and innovative, and that's why...we got the best of the best.''.<ref>{{citation|title=Techno Rebels|last=Sicko|first=Dan|publication-year=1999|publisher=Billboard Books|isbn=0-8230-8428-0|pages=93–94}}</ref>}} Though short-lived, MI was known internationally for its all-night sets, its sparse white rooms, and its juice bar stocked with "[[smart drinks]]" (the Institute never served liquor). The MI, notes Dan Sicko, along with Detroits early techno pioneers, ''helped give life to one of the city's important musical subcultures - one that was slowly growing into and international scene.''<ref>{{citation|title=Techno Rebels|last=Sicko|first=Dan|publication-year=1999|publisher=Billboard Books|isbn=0-8230-8428-0|page=94}}</ref> ===Detroit sound=== [[Image:George Clinton-Computer Games (album cover).jpg|thumb|right|[[George Clinton (funk musician)|George Clinton]]: Computer Games (1982)]] In merging a European [[synth-pop]] aesthetic with the sensibilities of [[soul music|soul]], [[funk]], [[house music|house]], and [[electro]], the early producers pushed dance music into unchartered terrain. The initial pioneers of the emerging genre melded the beat-centric styles of their [[Motown]] predecessors with the music technology of the time to create characteristically intense grooves and percussive basslines. The resulting Detroit sound exerted an influence on widely differing styles of electronic music but also maintained an identity as a genre in its own right, one commonly referred to as "[[Detroit techno]]." Derrick May famously described the sound of techno as something that is ''"...like Detroit... a complete mistake, it's like [[George Clinton (funk musician)|George Clinton]] and [[Kraftwerk]] are stuck in an elevator with only a sequencer to keep them company."''<ref>Quote taken from the inner sleeve details of ''Techno: The New Dance Sound of Detroit'' hosted in full at [http://www.ele-mental.org/ele_ment/said&did/techno_liner_notes.html elemental.org]</ref> ===Proto-techno=== {{seealso|Kraftwerk|Italo disco|Euro disco|Synth-pop|New romantic|Electro|Electronic music}} [[Image:KraftwerkCW.jpeg|thumb|right|[[Kraftwerk]]: Computer World (1981)]] In exploring techno's origins writer [[Kodwo Eshun]] maintains that ''Kraftwerk are to Techno what Muddy Waters is to the Rolling Stones: the authentic, the origin, the real''.<ref>Kodwo, E. (1998), ''More Brilliant Than the Sun: Adventures in Sonic Fiction'', Quartet Books, (p. 100).</ref>Juan Atkins has acknowledged that he had an early enthusiasm for [[Kraftwerk]] and [[Giorgio Moroder]], particularly Moroder's work with [[Donna Summer]] and the producer's own album ''E=MC2.'' Atkins also mentions that ''"...around 1980 I had a tape of nothing but Kraftwerk, [[Telex (band)|Telex]], [[Devo]], Giorgio Moroder and [[Gary Numan]], and I'd ride around in my car playing it."'' <ref name=atkins>Atkins Interview, from ''Music Technology Magazine'', December 1988.[http://www.mobeus.org/archives/juanatkins/]</ref> However, Atkins has claimed he was unaware of Kraftwerk's music prior to his collaboration with Rick Davis, which was two years after he had first started experimenting with electronic instruments.<ref>Sicko, D. (1999), ''Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk'', Billboard Books, (p.79)</ref> Regarding his initial impression of Kraftwerk, Atkins notes that they were ''clean and precise'' relative to the ''weird UFO sounds'' featured in his seemingly ''psychedelic'' music.<ref>Sicko, D. (1999), ''Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk'', Billboard Books, (p.71).</ref> Derrick May has also identified the influence of Kraftwerk and other European synthesizer music in commenting that ''it was just classy and clean, and to us it was beautiful, like outer space. Living around Detroit, there was so little beauty... everything is an ugly mess in Detroit, and so we were attracted to this music. It, like, ignited our imagination!''.<ref name=Silcott>Silcott, M. (1999). ''Rave America: New school dancescapes''. Toronto, ON: ECW Press.</ref>May has commented that he considered his music a direct continuation of the European synthesiser tradition. <ref name=BREW>Brewster B. & Broughton F., ''Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey'', Avalon Travel Publishing, 2000, (p. 349)</ref> Kevin Saunderson has also acknowledged the influence of Europe but he claims to have been more inspired by the idea of making music with electronic equipment: ''I was more infatuated with the idea that I can do this all myself''.<ref name=BREW/> Undoubtedly, the [[Euro disco]] and [[Italo disco]] music of various acts including Moroder, [[Alexander Robotnick]], and [[Claudio Simonetti]] (referred to as ''progressive'' in Detroit) and [[new romantic]] [[synth pop]] performers such as [[Visage]], [[Human League]], and [[Heaven 17]] were popular on the Detroit high school party scene from which techno emerged <ref>Sicko, D. (1999), ''Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk'', Billboard Books, (pp. 45-49).</ref> but a number of commentators have attempted to redefine the origins of techno, by incorporating musical precursors to the Detroit sound as part of a wider historical survey of the genres development.<ref>Kodwo, E. (1998), (p. 100.)</ref><ref>Brewster B. & Broughton F. (2006), ''Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey'', Avalon Travel Publishing,(pp. 343-346).</ref><ref>Reynolds, S. (1998), ''Energy Flash: a Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture'', Pan Macmillan, (p. 190).</ref> This results in a chronologically distinct point of origination being removed. To support this view, they point to examples such as ''Sharevari'' (1981) by A Number of Names,<ref>Gillen B.M. (2001), [http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=2691 ''Name that number:The history of Detroit's first techno record''], Metro Times Detroit, news article published on 11/21/2001. </ref>danceable selections from [[Kraftwerk]] (1977&ndash;83), the earliest compositions by [[Cybotron]] (1981), [[Donna Summer]] and [[Giorgio Moroder|Giorgio Moroder's]] ''I Feel Love'' (1977), Moroder's ''From Here to Eternity'' (1977), and [[Manuel Gottsching|Manuel Gottsching's]] proto-techno masterpiece<ref>Reynolds, S. (1998), ''Energy Flash: a Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture'', Pan Macmillan, (p. 190).</ref> ''E2-E4'' (1981). Another example is a record entitled ''Love in C minor'', released in 1976 by Parisian Euro disco producer Jean-Marc Cerrone; cited as the first so called ''conceptual disco'' production and the record from which house, techno, and other EDM styles flowed.<ref>Sicko, D. (1999), ''Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk'', Billboard Books, (p.48)</ref> It seems apparent that certain electro-[[disco]] and European synth pop productions share with techno a dependence on machine-generated beats and dance floor popularity. However, for some, the comparisons remain contentious, as do the efforts to regress further into the past to find antecedents. The logical extension of this rationale entails a further regression to the sequenced electronic music of [[Raymond Scott]], whose "The Rhythm Modulator," "The Bass-Line Generator," and "IBM Probe" are considered early examples of technolike music.<ref>{{cite news|title=Raymond Scott's Manhattan Research|date=2006-02-21|url=http://raymondscott.com/mripr.html|accessdate=2007-08-11}}</ref> It is also noteworthy that the possible influence of electronic music found in American [[sci-fi]] movie soundtracks, such as the work of [[Louis and Bebe Barron]] for the film [[Forbidden Planet]], appears to be unconsidered. ===Developments=== [[Image:URcoverWire.jpg|thumb|left|[[Underground Resistance|UR]] Featured on the cover of ''[[The Wire (magazine)|The Wire]]'', November 2007]] As the original sound evolved it also diverged to such an extent that a wide spectrum of stylistically distinct musics was being referred to as techno.<ref>Sicko, D. (1999), ''Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk'', Billboard Books, (p.102)</ref> This ranged from overtly pop oriented acts such as [[Moby]]<ref>Moby's track ''Go!'' , a work featuring a sample from the [[Twin Peaks]] opening theme, entered the top 20 of [[UK Charts]] in late 1991 - Reynolds, S.(1998), ''Energy Flash: a Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture'', Pan Macmillan, (p. 131).</ref> to the distinctly anti-commercial sentiments<ref> Reynolds, S.(1998), ''Energy Flash: a Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture'', Pan Macmillan, (pp. 219-222). </ref> of the appropriately named [[Underground Resistance]]. Derrick May's experimentation on works such as ''Beyond the Dance'' (1989) and ''The Beginning'' (1990) were credited with taking techno ''in dozens of new directions at once and having the kind of expansive impact John Coltrane had on Jazz''.<ref>Sicko, D. (1999), ''Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk'', Billboard Books, (p.80)</ref> By the late 1980s and early '90s, the original techno sound had garnered a large underground following in the [[United Kingdom]], [[Germany]], and [[Belgium]]. The growth of techno's popularity in Europe between 1988 and 1992 was largely due to the emergence of the party scene known as [[rave]] and a thriving club culture.<ref>Sicko, D. (1999), ''Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk'', Billboard Books, (pp. 95-120).</ref> ====Exodus==== In America, apart from regional scenes in Detroit, [[New York]], and Chicago, interest was limited. Producers from Detroit, frustrated by the lack of opportunity in their home country, looked to Europe for their future livelihood.<ref>Reynolds, S.(1998), ''Energy Flash: a Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture'', Pan Macmillan, (p. 219). </ref> This first wave of Detroit expatriates was soon joined by a number of up-and-coming artists, the so called "second-wave", including [[Carl Craig]], Jay Denham, Kenny Larkin, and Stacey Pullen, with [[Underground Resistance|UR]]'s [[Jeff Mills]], [[Mike Banks (musician)|Mike Banks]], and [[Robert Hood]] pushing their own unique sound. A number of New York producers were also making an impression at this time, notably [[Frankie Bones]], Lenny Dee, and [[Joey Beltram]]. In the same period, close to Detroit ([[Windsor, Ontario]]), [[Richie Hawtin]], with business partner [[John Acquaviva]], launched the influential imprint [[Plus 8]] Records.<ref>Sicko, D. (1999), ''Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk'', Billboard Books, (pp. 121-160</ref> Arguably, it was developments in American-produced techno between 1990 and 1992 that fueled the expansion and eventual divergence of techno in Europe, particularly in Germany.<ref>Sicko, D. (1999), ''Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk'', Billboard Books, (pp. 161-184).</ref><ref name=REYN>Reynolds, S.(1998), ''Energy Flash: a Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture'', Pan Macmillan, (pp. 228-229).</ref>In [[Berlin]], following the closure of a free party venue called UFO, the club [[Tresor]] opened in 1991. The venue was for a time the standard bearer for techno and played host to many of the leading Detroit producers, some of whom relocated to Berlin.<ref>Reynolds, S.(1998), ''Energy Flash: a Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture'', Pan Macmillan, (p. 215).</ref> By 1993, as interest in techno in the UK club scene started to wane, Berlin was considered the unofficial ''techno capital'' of Europe.<ref>Sicko, D. (1999), ''Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk'', Billboard Books, (p. 181).</ref> ====Berlin==== {{seealso|Tresor|Love Parade|Hardcore techno|Gabber|Electronic body music}} Germany's engagement with American EDM during the 1980's paralleled that in the UK. By 1987 a German party scene based around the Chicago sound was well established. The following year (1988) saw acid house making as significant an impact on popular consciousness in Germany as it had in England.<ref>Short [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpC0qlWKb_Q excerpt] from special on German "Tele 5" from Dec.8, 1988. The show is called "Tanzhouse" hosted by a young Fred Kogel. It includes footage from Hamburg's "Front" with Boris Dlugosch, Kemal Kurum's "Opera House" and the "Prinzenbar".</ref> In 1989 German DJs [[Westbam]] and Dr. Motte established ''UFO'', an illegal party venue, and co-founded the [[Love Parade]].<ref name=ROBB/> On the 3rd of October 1990 the [[Berlin Wall]] fell, free underground techno parties mushroomed in [[East Berlin]], and a rave scene comparable to that in the UK was established.<ref name=ROBB/> East German DJ [[Paul van Dyk]] has remarked that techno was a major force in reestablishing social connections between East and West Germany during the unification period. <ref>Messmer, S. (1998), ''Eierkuchensozialismus'', TAZ, 10.7.1998, (p. 26).</ref> In 1991 a number of party venues closed, including ''UFO'', and the Berlin Techno scene centred itself around three locations close to the foundations of the Berlin Wall: ''Planet'' (later renamed ''[[E-Werk]]'' by Paul van Dyk),<ref name=LNDJSML>Brewster B. & Broughton F., Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey, Avalon Travel Publishing, (p. 361).</ref> ''Der Bunker'', and the now legendary ''Tresor''. <ref>Henkel, O.; Wolff, K. (1996) Berlin Underground: Techno und Hiphop; Zwischen Mythos und Ausverkauf, Berlin: FAB Verlag, (pp. 81-83).</ref> It was in Tresor at this time that a trend in paramilitary clothing was established (amongst the techno fraternity) by a DJ named Tanith; <ref>Reynolds, S.(1998), ''Energy Flash: a Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture'', Pan Macmillan, (p. 112).</ref> possibly as an expression of a commitment to the underground aesthetic of the music, or perhaps influenced by [[Underground Resistance|UR]]'s paramilitary posturing.<ref>Sicko, D. (1999), ''Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk'', Billboard Books, (pp. 145).</ref>In the same period German DJs began intensifying the speed and abrasiveness of the sound, as an acid infused techno began transmuting into [[hardcore techno|hardcore]].<ref>Schuler, M.(1995),''Gabber + Hardcore'',(p. 123), in Anz, P.; Walder, P. (Eds) (1999 rev. edn, 1st publ. 1995, Zurich: Verlag Ricco Bilger)''Techno''. Reinbek: Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag.</ref>DJ Tanith commented at the time that: ''Berlin was always hardcore, hardcore [[hippie]], hardcore punk, and now we have a very hardore house sound. At the moment the tracks I play are an average one hundred and thiry-five [[beats per minute]] and every few months we add fifteen more''.<ref name=LNDJSML/> This emerging sound is thought to have been influenced by Dutch [[gabber]] and Belgium hardcore; styles that were in there own perverse way paying homage to [[Underground Resistance]] and Richie Hawtin's [[Plus 8 Records]]. Other influences on the development of this style were European [[Electronic Body Music]] groups of the mid 1980s such as [[DAF]], [[Front 242]], and [[Nitzer Ebb]].<ref>Reynolds, S.(1998), ''Energy Flash: a Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture'', Pan Macmillan, (p. 110). </ref> In Germany, fans referred to this sound as ‘Tekkno’ (or ‘Bretter’).<ref>Robb, D. (2002), Techno in Germany: Its Musical Origins and Cultural Relevance, ''German as a Foreign Language Journal'', No.2, 2002, (p. 134). </ref> ====Berlin and Detroit==== In 1993 the German techno label [[Tresor Records]] released the compilation album ''Tresor II: Berlin & Detroit - A Techno Alliance'',<ref>[http://www.discogs.com/release/48297 Tresor II: Berlin & Detroit - A Techno Alliance] album details at wwww.discogs.com</ref> testament to the influence of the Detroit sound on German EDM and a celebration of a ''mutual admiration pact'' between the two cities.<ref name=REYN/> As the mid 90s approached Berlin was becoming a haven for Detroit producers; [[Jeff Mills]] and Blake Baxter even resided there for a time. In the same period, with the assistance of Tresor, Underground Resistance released their X-101/X-102/X103 album series, Juan Atkins collaborated with 3MB's [[Thomas Fehlmann]] and [[Moritz Von Oswald]]<ref name=REYN/> and Tresor affiliated label [[Basic Channel]] had taken to having their releases [[mastering|mastered]] by Detroit's National Sound Corporation; the main [[mastering]] house for the entire Detroit dance music scene. In some sense popular electronic music had come full circle; [[Düsseldorf]]'s Kraftwerk having been a primary influence on the electronic dance music of the 1980s. The dance sounds of Chicago also had a German connection as it was in [[Munich]] that [[Giorgio Moroder]] and Pete Bellote had first produced the 1970s Eurodisco synth pop sound.<ref name=ROBB>Robb, D. (2002), Techno in Germany: Its Musical Origins and Cultural Relevance, ''German as a Foreign Language Journal'', No.2, 2002, (p. 133-135).</ref> ====Free techno==== {{seealso|Free tekno|Teknival|Free Party|Acid techno|DIY culture}} In the early 1990s a post-rave, [[DIY ethic|DIY]], [[free party]] scene had established itself in the UK. It was largely based around an alliance between [[warehouse party]] goers from various urban [[Squatting|squat]] scenes and politically inspired [[new age travellers]]. The new agers offered a readymade network of countryside festivals that were hastily adopted by squatters and ravers alike. Prominent among the [[sound systems]] operating at this time were Tonka in [[Brighton]], [[The DiY Sound System|DiY]] in [[Nottingham]], [[Bedlam]], Circus Warp, LSDiesel and London’s [[Spiral Tribe]]. The high point of this free party period came in May 1992 when with less than 24 hours notice and little publicity more than 35,000 gathered at the [[Castlemorton Common Festival]] for 5 days of partying.<ref name=StJohn> St. John, G.(ed.), FreeNRG: Notes From the Edge of the Dance Floor, Common Ground, Melbourne, 2001, (pp. 100-101).</ref> This one event was largely responsible for the introduction in 1994 of the [[Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994|Criminal Justice and Public Order Act]]; <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1994/Ukpga_19940033_en_6.htm#mdiv63 |title=Public Order: Collective Trespass or Nuisance on Land - Powers in relation to raves |work=Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 |publisher=[[Her Majesty's Stationery Office]] |accessdate=2006-01-17| year=1994}}</ref> effectively leaving the British [[free party]] scene for dead. Following this many of the traveller artists moved away from Britain to Europe, the US, [[Goa]] in [[India]], [[Koh Phangan]] in [[Thailand]] and [[Australia|Australia’s]] East Coast.<ref name=StJohn/> In the rest of Europe, due in some part to the inspiration of traveling sound systems from the UK,<ref name=StJohn/> rave enjoyed a prolonged existence as it continued to expanded across the [[continental Europe|continent]].<ref>Sicko, D. (1999), ''Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk'', Billboard Books, (pp. 161-184).</ref> Spiral Tribe, Bedlam and other English sound systems took their cooperative techno ideas to Europe, particularly [[Eastern Europe]] where it was cheaper to live, and audiences were quick to appropriate the free party ideology. It was European [[Teknival]] free parties, such as the annual [[Czechtek]] event in the Czech Republic that gave rise to several French, German and Dutch sound systems. Many of these groups found audiences easily and were often centered around squated locations in cities such as [[Amsterdam]] and [[Berlin]].<ref>St. John, G.(ed.), FreeNRG: Notes From the Edge of the Dance Floor, Common Ground, Melbourne, 2001, (pp. 100-101).</ref> ====Minimal techno==== {{main|Minimal techno}} As EDM continued to transmute a number of Detroit producers began to question the trajectory techno was taking. One response came in the form of so-called [[minimal techno]] (a term producer [[Daniel Bell]] found difficult to accept, finding minimalism in the artistic sense of the word, too "arty").<ref name=Sicko>Sicko, D., ''Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk'', Billboard Books, 1999, (pp. 199-200)</ref> Another Detroit based producer credited with ushering the emergence of the minimal strain is one time member of UR, Robert Hood.<ref>Mike Banks [http://www.thewire.co.uk/articles/271/ interview], The Wire, Issue #285 (November '07)</ref> Hood describes the situation in the early 1990s as one where techno had become too [[rave|"ravey"]], with increasing tempos leading to the emergence of [[gabber]]. Such trends saw the demise of the [[soul music|soul]] infused techno that typified the original Detroit sound leading Hood and others to redefine the music as ''a basic stripped down, raw sound. Just drums, basslines and funky grooves and only what's essential. Only what is essential to make people move''.<ref>Robert Hood [http://www.spannered.org/music/802/ interview] hosted at [http://www.spannered.org/ spannered.org]</ref> Hood explains that {{Cquote|''I think Dan [Bell] and I both realized that something was missing - an element...in what we both know as techno. It sounded great from a production point of standpoint, but there was a 'jack' element in the [old] structure. People would complain that there's no funk, no feeling in techno anymore, and the easy escape is to put a vocalist and some piano on top to fill the emotional gap.I thought it was time for a return to the original underground''.<ref name=Sicko>Sicko, D., ''Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk'', Billboard Books, 1999.</ref>}} ====Jazz influences==== {{seealso|Jazz|Jazz fusion|Musical improvisation}} Another significant development was the infusion of techno with a jazz sensibility. This lead to increased sophistication in the use of both rhythm and harmony in a number of notable productions.<ref>Sicko, D. (1999), ''Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk'', Billboard Books, (p.198)</ref> It was [[Manchester]] (UK) based techno act [[808 State]] that helped fuel this development, with tracks such as ''Pacific State''<ref>Gerard Simpson ([[A Guy Called Gerald]]) maintains that ''Pacific State'' was intended for a [[John Peel]] session exclusively, but 808 State's [[Graham Massey]] and Martin Price added additonal elements by drawing upon Massey's collection of ''exotic jazz'' records for inspiration. This lead to the inclusion of a distinctive saxophone solo. Massey recalls that: ''We were trying to do something in the vein of [[Marshall Jefferson|Marshall Jefferson's]] 'Open Your Eyes'...That track was happening everywhere.'' The production was released as a white label in May 1989 and later issued on the mini-album [[Quadrastate]] at the end of July that year, just as the [[second Summer of Love]] was flowering. Massey remembers taking the white label to [[Mike Pickering]], [[Graeme Park]], and Jon Da Silva, and notes that ''it rose through the ranks to become the last tune of the night. ''Lawrence, T (2006), ''Discotheque: Haçienda'', sleevnotes for albulm release of the same name, retrived from the [http://www.timlawrence.info/linernotes/2006/Hacienda.php authors website]</ref> from the [[mini-album]] [[Quadrastate]], and ''Cobra Bora,'' taken from the 1989 release ''[[Ninety (album)|Ninety]]''.<ref>Graham Massey has discussed the use of unusual meters in 808 State's music commenting online in June 18, 2004, that: ''I always thought Cobra Bora could have stood a chance. It was sometimes played at Hot Night at the Hacienda despite it's funny time signature'' (the feel of the track was created by combining parts in 6/8 time with others in 4/4). Butler, M.J. (2006), ''Unlocking the Groove: Rhythm, Meter, and Musical Design in Electronic Dance Music'', Indiana University Press, (p. 114).</ref> In Detroit, a producer heavily influenced by said jazz sensibilities at this time was Detroit's [[Mike Banks (musician)|Mike Banks]], a demonstration of which can be found on the influential [[Underground Resistance]] release ''Nation 2 Nation'' (1991).<ref name=Kodwo>Kodwo E. (1998), ''More Brilliant Than the Sun: Adventures in Sonic Fiction'', Quartet Books, (p. 127).</ref> By 1993 Detroit acts such as [[Model 500]] and [[Underground Resistance|UR]] had made explicit references to the genre, with the tracks ''Jazz Is the Teacher'' (1993) and ''Hi-Tech Jazz'' (1993), the latter from the groundbreaking [[extended play|EP]] ''[[Galaxy 2 Galaxy]]''.<ref name=Kodwo/> This lead was followed by a number of techno producers in the UK who were evidently influenced of both jazz and [[UR]], [[Dave Angel]]s' ''Seas of Tranquility EP'' (1994) being a case in point.<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title= Dave Angel: Background Overview at Discogs |date=2003-02-13 | publisher= | url =http://www.discogs.com/artist/Dave+Angel | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-08-11 | language = }}</ref><ref>[http://www.techno.de/mixmag/interviews/dave.html Angelic Upstart]: Mixmag interview with Dave Angel detailing his interest in jazz. Retrieved from [http://www.techno.de/ Techno.de]</ref> ====Intelligent dance music==== {{main|Intelligent dance music}} {{seealso|electronica}} As the mid-1990s approached, the term "intelligent dance music" ([[Intelligent dance music|IDM]]) had gained common usage in an attempt to differentiate the increasingly sophisticated takes on EDM<ref> Anker M., Herrington T., Young R. (1995), [http://www.thewire.co.uk/articles/220/ ''New Complexity Techno''], ''The Wire'', Issue #131 (January '95)</ref> from two other strands of techno that had emerged: one being a harder, faster, industrial sounding variant known as [[Schranz]]; and the other, an overtly commercial strain that was simply referred to as "[[Euro-Trance|cheese]]." The [[Warp Records]] compilation [[Artificial Intelligence (series)|Artifical Intelligence]]<ref>Tracklisting for the Warp Records 1992 compilation [http://www.discogs.com/release/29372 ''Artificial Intelligence'']</ref> is credited as the record that ushered the rise of IDM and [[electronica]]. Of this time, Warp founder and managing director Steve Beckett has said that {{Cquote|''...the dance scene was changing and we were hearing B-sides that weren't dance but were interesting and fitted into experimental, progressive rock, so we decided to make the compilation Artificial Intelligence, which became a milestone... it felt like we were leading the market rather than it leading us, the music was aimed at home listening rather than clubs and dance floors: people coming home, off their nuts, and having the most interesting part of the night listening to totally tripped out music. The sound fed the scene.''<ref>Birke S. (2007), [http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/music-magazine/label-profile/label-profile-warp-records-768021.html "Label Profile: Warp Records"], The Independent (UK), Music Magazine (supplement), newspaper article published 2/11/07</ref>}} ===Divergence=== {{seealso|List of electronic music genres}} By 1994 there were a number of techno producers in the UK and Europe building on the Detroit sound, but a growing range of EDM styles were by then vying for attention. Some drew upon the Detroit techno aesthetic, while others fused components of preceding dance music forms. This led to the appearance (in the UK initially) of inventive new music, some of which bore little, if any, relation to the original techno sound; [[oldschool jungle|jungle]] ([[drum and bass]]) being a primary example, its origins having more to do with [[hip-hop]], soul, and [[reggae]], than with the EDM from Detroit and Chicago. With an increasing diversification (and commercialisation) of dance music, the collectivist sentiment prominent in the early [[rave]] scene diminished, each new faction having its own particular attitude and vision of how dance music (or in certain cases, non-dance music) should evolve. Some examples not already mentioned are [[ambient techno]], [[trance music|trance]], [[industrial techno]], [[breakbeat hardcore]], [[acid techno]], and [[happy hardcore]]. Less well-known styles related to techno or its subgenres include the primarily Sheffield (UK)-based [[Yorkshire Bleeps and Bass|bleep techno]], a regional variant that had some success between 1989 and 1991, and a scene that was responsible for putting Warp Records on the map (largely as a result of its fifth release, [[LFO (band)|LFO]]'s self-titled 12&Prime;). More recent offshoots are [[nortec]], [[wonky techno]], and [[ghettotech]] (a style that combines some of the aesthetics of techno with [[Hip-hop music|hip-hop]] and [[house music]]). Other niche scenes include [[nu jazz]], [[speedcore]], [[breakcore]], [[broken beat]], [[digital hardcore]], [[glitch (music)|glitch]], and so-called no-beat techno.<ref>Loubet E.& Couroux M., Laptop Performers, Compact Disc Designers, and No-Beat Techno Artists in Japan: Music from Nowhere, ''Computer Music Journal'', Vol. 24, No. 4. (Winter, 2000), pp. 19-32.</ref> ===Commercial exposure=== [[Image:Underworld tour1s.jpg|thumb|right|[[Underworld (band)|Underworld]] during a live performance]] Whilst techno and its derivatives only occasionally produce commercially successful mainstream acts&mdash;[[Underworld (band)|Underworld]] and [[Orbital (band)|Orbital]] being two better known examples&mdash;the genre has significantly affected many other areas of music. In an effort to appear relevant, many established artists, for example [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]] and [[U2]], have dabbled with dance music, yet such endeavors have rarely evidenced a genuine understanding or appreciation of techno's origins.<ref>{{citation|title=Music and Technoculture|pages=185–186|first=Andrew|last=Ross|first2=René|last2=Lysloff|first3=Leslie|last3=Gay|isbn=0819565148|year=2003|publisher=Wesleyan University Press}}</ref> The mainstream music industry has been responsible for the growth of a huge [[remix]] industry. This is largely a drive to gain exposure for artists that are not identified with club styles such as house, techno, and drum & bass. Many club acts and dance DJs have made very successful careers out of remixing alone, [[Armand Van Helden]] being a good example. More recently, [[contemporary R&B]] has taken a significant foray into the dance genre, thanks largely to [[club scene]] [[remix]]es such as [[Freemasons (band)|Freemasons']] recent interpretations of [[Beyonc&eacute;]] and [[Kelly Rowland]], and whilst some criticise this as indicative of the music industry's seeking greater exposure for its big-act roster, it can also be viewed as a natural part of the process of musical evolution. One R&B artist, [[Missy Elliott]], inadvertently exposed the popular music audience to the Detroit techno sound when she featured material from Cybotron's ''Clear'' on her 2006 release "Lose Control"; this resulted in [[Juan Atkins]]' receiving a [[Grammy Award]] nomination for his writing credit. Elliott's 2001 album ''Miss E... So Addictive'' also clearly demonstrates the influence of club culture. In recent years, the publication of relatively accurate histories by authors Simon Reynolds (''Generation Ecstasy'' aka ''Energy Flash'') and Dan Sicko (''Techno Rebels''), plus mainstream press coverage of the [[Detroit Electronic Music Festival]], have helped to diffuse the genre's more dubious mythology.<ref name="mills">{{cite news | first=Robert | last=Gorell | coauthors= | title=Permanent record: Jeff Mills talks Detroit techno and the exhibit that hopes to explain it. | date= | publisher= | url =http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=4496 | work =Metro Times | pages = | accessdate = 2007-08-11 | language = }}</ref> Even the Detroit-based company [[Ford Motors]] eventually became savvy to the mass appeal of techno, noting that "''...this music was created partly by the pounding clangor of the Motor City's auto factories. It became natural for us to incorporate Detroit techno into our commercials after we discovered that young people are embracing techno."'' With a marketing campaign targeting under-35s, Ford would choose Model 500's "No UFO's" to underpin its November 2000 [[MTV]] television advertisement for the [[Ford Focus (North America)|Ford Focus]].<ref>Ford Motors [http://media.ford.com/newsroom/release_display.cfm?release=6543 press release],DETROIT, November 8, 2000.</ref><ref>Derrick May[http://www.lunarmagazine.com/features/may.php interview]hosted at Atlanta's Lunar Magazine website</ref><ref>Baishya K.(2005),[http://media.www.chicagoflame-inferno.com/media/storage/paper535/news/2005/10/17/Music/Techno.As.It.Should.Be.Juan.Atkins.And.Minimal.Techno-1023037.shtml ''Techno as it should be: Juan Atkins and minimal techno''], Chicago Flame, news article published 10/17/05.</ref> In attempting to sum up the changes since the heyday of Detroit techno, Derrick May has since revised his famous quote in stating that “''Kraftwerk got off on the third floor and now George Clinton’s got [[Napalm Death]] in there with him. The elevator’s stalled between the pharmacy and the athletic wear store''.”<ref>[http://www.fantazia.org.uk/DJs/derekmay.htm Interview]with Derrick May hosted at Fantazia.org</ref> ==Music production practice== ===Stylistic considerations=== [[Image:Reason4 screenshot.jpg|thumb|right|[[Reason (software)|Reason]]: a popular software based music production environment]] In general, techno is very [[disc jockey|DJ]]-friendly, being mainly [[instrumental]] (commercial varieties being an exception) and is produced with the intention of its being heard in the context of a continuous [[DJ mix|DJ set]], wherein the DJ progresses from one record to the next via a synchronized [[segue]] or "mix."<ref>Butler, M.J., Unlocking the Groove: Rhythm, Meter, and Musical Design in Electronic Dance Music, Indiana University Press, 2006, (pp.12-13, p.94).</ref> Much of the [[instrumentation (music)|instrumentation]] in techno emphasizes the role of [[rhythm]] over other musical parameters, but the design of [[synthesizer|synthetic]] [[timbre]]s, and the creative use of [[Music technology|music production technology]] in general, are important aspects of the overall [[aesthetics of music|aesthetic]] practice. The main drum part is almost universally in [[common time]] (4/4); meaning 4 [[quarter note]] [[pulse (music)|pulses]] per bar.<ref>Butler, M.J., Unlocking the Groove: Rhythm, Meter, and Musical Design in Electronic Dance Music, Indiana University Press, 2006, (p. 8).</ref> In its simplest form, [[time]] is marked with kicks ([[bass drum]] beats) on each quarter-note pulse, a [[snare drum|snare]] or clap on the second and fourth pulse of the bar, with an open [[hi-hat]] sound every second eighth note. This is essentially a [[disco]] (or even [[polka]]) drum pattern and is common throughout house music and its derivatives (of which techno is one). The [[tempo]] tends to vary between approximately 120 [[beats per minute|bpm]] (quarter note equals 120 pulses per bar) and 150 bpm, depending on the style of techno. Some of the [[Drum machine|drum programming]] employed in the original Detroit-based techno made use of [[syncopation]] and [[polyrhythm]], yet in many cases the basic disco-type pattern was used as a foundation, with polyrthythmic elaborations added using other [[drum machine]] voices. It is this syncopated-feel ([[funk]]iness) that distinguishes the Detroit strain of techno from other variants; indeed, this is a feature that many DJs and producers still use to distinguish their music from commercial forms of techno, the majority of which are devoid of syncopation. Derrick May has summed up the sound as 'Hi-tech Tribalism': something ''"very spiritual, very bass oriented, and very drum oriented, very percussive. The original techno music was very hi-tech with a very percussive feel... it was extremely, extremely Tribal. It feels like you're in some sort of hi-tech village."''<ref name=Lunar>Derrick May [http://www.lunarmagazine.com/features/may.php interview] hosted at Atlanta's Lunar Magazine website</ref> ===Compositional techniques=== [[Image:producerschair.jpg|thumb|right|Example of a professional production environment]] EDM tends to be produced with the aid of instruments (synthesizer keyboards) that are designed with the [[Western music|Western musical tradition]] in mind. However, techno does not always adhere to conventional [[Harmony|harmonic practice]],<ref>Fikentscher, K. (1991), ''The Decline of Functional Harmony in Contemporary Dance Music'', Paper presented at the 6th International Conference On Popular Music Studies, Berlin, Germany, July 15-20, 1991.</ref> and such strictures are often ignored in favor of timbral manipulation alone. The use of [[motif (music)|motivic development]] (though relatively limited) and the employment of conventional musical frameworks is more widely found in commercial techno styles, for example [[Euro-trance]], where the template is often an [[Thirty-two-bar form|AABA song structure]]. There are numerous ways to create techno, but the vast majority depend upon the use of loop-based [[Music sequencer|step sequencing]] as a compositional method. Many techno musicians, or "[[record producer|producers]]," rather than employing traditional [[Musical composition|compositional techniques]], will work in an [[Musical improvisation|improvisatory]] fashion,<ref>Butler, M.J., Unlocking the Groove: Rhythm, Meter, and Musical Design in Electronic Dance Music, Indiana University Press, 2006, (pp. 208-209, p. 214).</ref> often treating the electronic music studio as one large instrument. This assemblage of devices will include units that are capable of producing unique timbres, but technical proficiency is required if the technology is to be successfully exploited. The equipment will be [[Synchronization|synchronised]] using a hardware or a computer-based [[MIDI sequencer]]; this enables the producer to combine, in one arrangement, the sequenced output of many devices. A typical approach is to create successive layers of material until a suitable mix is achieved.<ref>Butler, M.J., ''Unlocking the Groove: Rhythm, Meter, and Musical Design in Electronic Dance Music'', Indiana University Press, 2006, (p. 94).</ref> Once a usable palette of material has been generated, a producer may then focus on developing a [[time|temporal framework]], a process of dictating how the work will unfold in time. Some producers achieve this by adding or removing layers of material at appropriate points in the mix. Quite often, this is achieved by physically manipulating a [[Mixing console|mixer]], sequencer, effects, [[Dynamic range compression|dynamic processing]], [[equalisation]], and [[audio filter|filtering]] while recording to a [[Multitrack recording|multi-track]] device. Other producers achieve similar results by using the automation features of computer-based [[digital audio workstation]]s. Some techno consists of little more than cleverly programmed rhythmic sequences and looped motifs combined with [[Digital signal processing|signal processing]] of one variety or another, frequency [[audio filter|filtering]] being a commonly used process.A more idiosyncratic approach to production is evident in the music of artists such as Twerk and [[Autechre]], where aspects of [[algorithmic composition]] are employed in the generation of material.[[Image:909.jpg|thumb|right|[[Roland TR-909]] Drum Machine]] ===Early technology=== Instruments utilized by the original techno producers based in Detroit included classic drum machines like the Roland [[TR-808]] and [[TR-909]], devices such as the Roland [[TB-303]] bass line generator,<ref name="synthtopia">[http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2004/01/08/techno-music/ Techno Music >> Synthtopia] (Retrieved on 2008-01-02)</ref> and synthesizers such as the [[Roland SH-101]], Kawai KC10, [[Yamaha DX7]], and Yamaha DX100 (as heard on Derrick May's seminal 1987 techno release ''Nude Photo'').<ref>Sicko, D. (1999), ''Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk'', Billboard Books, (p. 80)</ref>. Much of the early music sequencing was executed via [[MIDI]] using hardware sequencers such as the Korg SQD1 and Roland MC-50, and the limited amount of [[sampling (music)|sampling]] that was featured in this early style was accomplished using an [[Akai S900]].<ref>Keyboard Magazine Vol. 21, No.7 (issue #231), July 1995, ''12 Who Count: Juan Atkins''.</ref> ===Technological advances=== In recent years, as computer technology has become more accessible and [[music software]] has advanced, interacting with music production technology is now possible using means that bear no relationship to traditional [[performance|musical performance]] practices:<ref>Emmerson, S. (2007), ''Living Electronic Music'', Ashgate, Adlershot, pp. 111-113.</ref> for instance, [[laptop computer|laptop]] performance (''laptronica'')<ref>Emmerson, S. (2007), pp. 80-81.</ref>and [[live coding]].<ref>Emmerson, S. (2007), pp. 115.</ref><ref>Collins, N.(2003a), Generative Music and Laptop Performance, ''Contemporary Music Review'': Vol. 22, Issue 4. London: Routledge: 67-79.</ref> In the last decade a number of software-based virtual studio environments have emerged, with products such as Propellerhead's [[Reason (software)|Reason]] and [[Ableton Live]] finding popular appeal.<ref> [http://www.wintermusicconference.com/events/idmas/winners2008.php 23rd Annual International Dance Music Awards:] Best Audio Editing Software of the Year - 1st Abelton Live , 4th Reason. Best Audio DJ Software of the Year - Abelton Live.</ref> These software-based music production tools provide viable and cost-effective alternatives to typical hardware-based production studios, and thanks to advances in [[microprocessor]] technology, it is now possible to create high quality music using little more than a single laptop computer. Such advances have, for better or for worse, democratized music creation,<ref>Chadabe, J., Electronic music and life, ''Organised Sound'', 9(1): 3–6, 2004 Cambridge University Press, United Kingdom.</ref> leading to a massive increase in the amount of home-produced music available to the general public via the internet. Artists can now also individuate their sound by creating personalized software synthesizers, effects modules, and various composition environments. Devices that once existed exclusively in the hardware domain can easily have virtual counterparts. Some of the more popular software tools for achieving such ends are commercial releases such as [[Max/Msp]] and [[Reaktor]] and [[freeware]] packages such as [[Pure Data]], [[SuperCollider]], and [[ChucK]]. In some sense, as a result of technological innovation, the [[DIY culture|DIY]] mentality that was once a core part of dance music culture<ref>St. John, G.(ed.), ''FreeNRG: Notes From the Edge of the Dance Floor'', Common Ground, Melbourne, 2001,(pp. 93-102).</ref><ref>Rietveld, H (1998), ''Repetitive Beats: Free Parties and the Politics of Contemporary DIY Dance Culture in Britain'', in George McKay (ed.), ''DIY Culture: Party and Protest in Nineties Britain'', pp.243–67. London: Verso.</ref> is seeing a resurgence.<ref>[http://www.indymedia.org.uk/ Indy Media] item mentioning DIY resurgence: [http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/london/2005/05/311472.html ''One year of DIY Culture'']</ref><ref>Gillmor, D., [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4789852.stm ''Technology feeds grassroots media''], BBC news report, published Thursday, 9 March 2006, 17:30 GMT. </ref> ==Noted artists== <!--NOTE: Not all notable techno artists have articles as of yet. If you find a name you wish to add to this list does not have an article, you can help by writing one.--> {{col-begin|width=100%}} {{col-5}} * [[John Acquaviva]] (Canada) * [[The Advent]] (UK) * [[Dave Angel]] (UK) * [[Juan Atkins]] (USA/Detroit) * [[Si Begg]] (UK) * [[Daniel Bell (musician)|Daniel Bell]] (USA/Detroit) * [[Joey Beltram]] (USA/New York) * [[Adam Beyer]] (Sweden) * [[C. J. Bolland]] (Belgium) * [[Frankie Bones]] (USA/New York) * [[Thomas Brinkmann]] (Germany) * [[Marco Carola]] (Italy) {{col-5}} * [[Basic Channel]] (Germany) * [[Dave Clarke]] (UK) * [[Carl Cox]] (UK) * [[Carl Craig]] (USA/Detroit) * [[Kirk Degiorgio]] (UK) * [[Vladislav Delay]] (Finland) * [[Black Dog Productions|The Black Dog]] (UK) * [[Drexciya]] (USA/Detroit)<!--James Stinson's earliest release was 1991; is he still "2nd wave"? http://remixmag.com/mag/remix_james_stinson/ suggests so, but a commenter on http://www.metafilter.com/mefi/50137 disagrees--> * [[Darren Emerson]] (UK) * [[Dominik Eulberg]] (Germany) * [[A Guy Called Gerald]] (UK) {{col-5}} * [[Laurent Garnier]] (France) * [[Fred Giannelli]] (USA) * [[Hardfloor]] (Germany) * [[Richie Hawtin]] (Canada) * [[DJ Hell]] (Germany) * [[Robert Hood]] (USA/Detroit) * [[Ken Ishii]] (Japan) * [[Speedy J]] (Netherlands) * [[Alexander Kowalski]] (Germany) * [[Cari Lekebusch]] (Sweden) * [[LFO (band)|LFO]] (UK) * [[Chris Liebing]] (Germany) {{col-5}} * [[Derrick May (musician)|Derrick May]] (USA/Detroit) * [[Jeff Mills]] (USA/Detroit) * [[Paulo Nascimento]] (Portugal) * [[Orbital (band)|Orbital]] (UK) * [[James Pennington]] (USA/Detroit) * [[Regis (musician)|Regis]] (UK) * [[DJ Rush]] (USA/Chicago) * [[Kevin Saunderson]] (USA/Detroit) * [[Slam (band)|Slam]] (Scotland) * [[Luke Slater]] (UK) * [[Pan Sonic]] (Finland) * [[808 State]] (UK) {{col-5}} * [[Surgeon (musician)|Surgeon]] (UK) * [[System 7 (band)|System 7]] (UK) * [[Keith Tucker]] (USA/Detroit) * [[Aphex Twin]] (UK) * [[DJ Umek|Umek]] (Slovenia) * [[Underground Resistance|UR]] (USA/Detroit) * [[Underworld (band)|Underworld]] (UK) * [[Sven Väth]] (Germany) * [[Ricardo Villalobos]] (Chile) * [[Vitalic]] (France) * [[Cristian Vogel]] (UK) * [[Adam X]] (USA/New York) {{col-end}} ==Bibliography== * Anz, P. & Walder, P. (eds.),''Techno'', Hamburg: Rowohlt, 1999 (ISBN 3908010144). * Barr, T., ''Techno: The Rough Guide'', Rough Guides, 2000 (ISBN 978-1858284347). * Brewster B. & Broughton F., ''Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey'', Avalon Travel Publishing, 2006, (ISBN 978-0802136886). * Butler, M.J., ''Unlocking the Groove: Rhythm, Meter, and Musical Design in Electronic Dance Music'', Indiana University Press, 2006 (ISBN 978-0253218049). * Cannon, S. & Dauncey, H., ''Popular Music in France from Chanson to Techno: Culture, Identity and Society'', Ashgate, 2003 (ISBN 978-0754608493). * Collin, M., ''Altered State: The Story of Ecstasy Culture and Acid House'', Serpent's Tail, 1998 (ISBN 978-1852426040). * Cox, C.(Author), Warner D (Editor), ''Audio Culture: Readings in Modern Music'', Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd., 2004 (ISBN 978-0826416155). * Fritz, J., ''Rave Culture: An Insider's Overview'', Smallfry Press, 2000 (ISBN 978-0968572108). * Kodwo, E., ''More Brilliant Than the Sun: Adventures in Sonic Fiction'', Quartet Books, 1998 (ISBN 978-0704380257). * Nelson, A., Tu, L.T.N., Headlam Hines, A. (eds.), ''TechniColor: Race, Technology and Everyday Life'', New York University Press, 2001 (ISBN 978-0814736043). * Pesch, M. (Author), Weisbeck, M. (Editor), ''Techno Style: The Album Cover Art'', Edition Olms; 5Rev Ed edition, 1998 (ISBN 978-3283002909). * Reynolds, S., ''Energy Flash: a Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture'', Pan Macmillan, 1998 [also published in abridged form as ''Generation Ecstasy: Into the World of Techno and Rave Culture'', Routledge, New York 1999] (ISBN 978-0330350563). * Savage, J., ''The Hacienda Must Be Built'', International Music Publications, 1992 (ISBN 978-0863598579). * Sicko, D., ''Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk'', Billboard Books, 1999 (ISBN 978-0823084289). * St. John, G., ''Rave Culture and Religion'', Routledge, 2003 (ISBN 978-0415314497). * St. John, G.(ed.), ''FreeNRG: Notes From the Edge of the Dance Floor'', Common Ground, Melbourne, 2001 (ISBN 978-1863350846). * Toop, D., ''Ocean of Sound'', Serpent's Tail, 2001 [new edition] (ISBN 978-1852427436). * Watten, B., ''The Constructivist Moment: From Material Text to Cultural Poetics'', Wesleyan University Press, 2003 (ISBN 978-0819566102). ==Filmography== *''High Tech Soul'' - Catalog No.: PLX-029; Label: Plexifilm; Released: [[2006-09-19]]; Director: Gary Bredow; Length: 64 minutes. * ''Technomania'' - Released: 1996 (screened at [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1248/is_n10_v84/ai_18749030/pg_6 ''NowHere''], an exhibition held at Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Denmark, between May 15th and September 8th 1996); Director: Franz A. Pandal; Length: 52 minutes. * ''Tresor Berlin: The Vault and the Electronic Frontier'' - Pyramids of London Films; Released 2004; Director: Michael Andrawis; Length: 62 minutes * [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSX_r0u3uzE&feature=related ''Universal Techno''] - Label: Les Films à Lou; Released: 1996; Director: Dominique Deluze; Length: 63 minutes. *''WE CALL IT TECHNO!'' - A documentary about Germany’s early Techno scene and culture - Label: Sense Music & Media, Berlin, DE; Released: [[June 2008]]; A film by Maren Sextro & Holger Wick. ==See also== * [[Detroit Electronic Music Archive]] * [[Freetekno]] ==References== {{reflist|3}} ==External links== * [http://www.soundsliketechno.com.au/ Sounds Like Techno] – an online documentary exploring techno music, from its roots and early influences in the USA to its place in Australian music today.an exhibit at Detroit Historical Museum (Jan 2003 – Jun 2004). * [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwzTpCGLchs Korg EMX Summer in Detroit] - A video example of techno being performed live. * [http://www.photophunk.com photophunk.com] - club 'n' dance photo archive with hundreds of djs, liveacts and bands. * [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuCU14SfzNE&feature=related Clip] from a 1989 documentary featuring interviews with Gerald Simpson. and Derrick May {{Techno music-footer}} [[Category:Techno music|*]] [[Category:Culture of Detroit, Michigan]] [[Category:Electronic music genres]] [[Category:Music genres]] [[Category:African American music]] [[bs:Techno]] [[br:Tekno]] [[bg:Техно музика]] [[ca:Techno]] [[cs:Techno]] [[da:Techno]] [[de:Techno]] [[es:Techno]] [[fa:تکنو]] [[fr:Techno]] [[gl:Techno]] [[ko:테크노]] [[hr:Techno]] [[it:Techno]] [[he:טכנו]] [[la:Musica Technica]] [[hu:Techno]] [[mk:Техно музика]] [[nl:Techno]] [[ja:テクノ]] [[no:Techno]] [[pl:Techno]] [[pt:Techno]] [[ro:Techno]] [[qu:Techno]] [[ru:Техно]] [[scn:Techno]] [[simple:Techno]] [[sk:Techno]] [[sr:Tehno]] [[fi:Tekno]] [[sv:Techno]] [[th:เทคโน (แนวดนตรี)]] [[vi:Techno]] [[tr:Tekno müzik]] [[uk:Техно]]