Techno (music)

Techno is a type of electronic dance music (often abbreviated as EDM) characterized by its use of electronic instruments, such as synthesizers and sequencers, to produce repetitive beats and rhythms. The tempo of techno music is generally 120 to 150 beats per minute, and many techno works adhere to the 4/4 common time signature of music that produces four beats per measure. Techno music originated in Detroit, Michigan, in the mid-1980s and would later extend its reach into the United Kingdom and Europe. The term techno did not emerge until the late 1980s when the pioneers of techno music began referring to the new genre in its own right. Techno music was influenced by a variety of musical genres, including European electro, afro pop, disco, electro pop, house music, synth pop, and electronic funk. The genre's artistic inspirations included a wide range of artists such as Kraftwerk, George Clinton, Stevie Wonder, New Order, and Parliament-Funkadelic. Techno was an integral part of the emergence of rave culture, large-scale dance parties commonly held in remote locations that lasted through an entire night. Techno would go on to influence other subgenres of electronic dance music.

Background

The techno music genre was pioneered by a small group of young musicians living in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, in the 1980s. Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson all attended Belleville High School together and bonded over their interest in electronic music. Atkins and May regularly deejayed high school parties, which were often large-scale events centered in Detroit's Black American suburban communities that featured competitive deejaying among students. Atkins, considered the genre's originator, later developed his electronic music skills in Detroit with his electro-funk group Cybotron and solo project Model 500. He eventually left Cybotron to work on new material heavily influenced by futurist electro, Chicago house, and electronic funk music. Atkins later started a record label called Metroplex that was dedicated to his style of music. He is credited with labeling the genre techno, a name inspired by the ideas of futurist writer Alvin Toffler.

The sound of Detroit techno was distinct from other electronic dance music in its array of influences. By implanting the sounds of funk, soul, and disco into their synthesized productions, the experiments of early techno DJs were a musical innovation that proved highly popular among local audiences. Techno was also distinguishable by its uniquely technological noises, which reminded listeners of the very machinery that created the music. Atkins, May, and Saunderson— who would later be dubbed the Belleville Three for their role in the invention of Detroit techno—produced a number of songs throughout the 1980s that helped propel the genre out of Michigan and into larger cities around the country and eventually around the world.

By 1987, Detroit techno and its neighboring Chicago house scene had made their way to Europe and the United Kingdom, inspiring a phenomenon known as the rave. Raves involved massive parties during which thousands of people gathered to dance to electronic music. The techno-themed movement led to the emergence of a number of rave-related subgenres that ranged from the booming chaos of hardcore and hardhouse to the quieter trance and ambient varieties. Rave culture and techno music took on historical significance in Berlin, Germany, in 1989, when the inaugural Berlin Love Parade took to the streets to advocate for peace and understanding through music. The parade blasted techno music as participants raved together in the streets during one of Germany's most tense periods, culminating in the fall of the Berlin Wall that November. Although it was one of many subgenres cataloged under the umbrella term electronic dance music, techno would solidify itself among the ranks of EDM over the next several decades as multiple electronic artists continued to take the genre to new heights.

Overview

Techno music saw a much larger fan base in Europe and the United Kingdom than in the United States, where interest was mainly limited to its areas of origin. By the time rave culture had spread to the United States in the early 1990s, the techno music genre had diverged in a number of new directions thanks to the partnership of several American and European techno musicians. Technoculture, as it came to be known, soared during the early 1990s in Germany and the United Kingdom. The music established a sense of community among its listeners, no matter where they came from or what their social class may have been. Some historians have even credited techno music with helping to reunify East and West German citizens in the wake of the fall of the Berlin Wall, as raves and techno music brought together large crowds from numerous backgrounds to indulge in their common interest.

Techno's influence continued to be felt across the globe as more musicians began experimenting with its core electronic sounds. Techno-themed clubs also cropped up in New York City and other major cities around the world throughout the 1990s as broader audiences began to embrace it on the dance floor. Techno music also gave rise to a music festival trend in the early 1990s that would carry over into the following decades, with several events turning into annual celebrations that garnered thousands of visitors.

By the beginning of the twenty-first century, the techno music trend that had blossomed out of Detroit was being gradually overtaken by new expressions of electronic dance music. Although authentic techno music rarely found commercial success within the mainstream music industry, a number of popular artists often utilized techno music tools to add layers to their own music. Popular artists such as Madonna and Missy Elliott experimented with including techno samples in their music, with Elliott utilizing sounds from Atkins' song "Clear" on her 2001 album, Miss E…So Addictive. As the electronic dance music genre became more commercialized, many musicians began extending beyond the limits of techno in favor of more pop-oriented instrumentation. Techno-inspired pop music found greater mainstream success, with artists such as Moby gaining worldwide fame for his mixed style of techno, electronica, and house music. Techno music continued to inspire new subsets of electronic dance music as modern musicians found ways to incorporate the old techniques into their material. In the 2020s, techno experienced a resurgence in popularity, aided by its global presence in music festivals and underground scenes. The rise of online platforms and live-streamed performances during the COVID-19 pandemic introduced many to the sound and revitalized interest in it for others. New listeners continued to connect with the techno sound.

Bibliography

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