Irrespective what end of the spectrum of techno music, whether you love it or hate it, chances are you don’t know a thing about its history and even less about what has made it one of the most popular forms of electronic music today.
Whilst techno is without doubt most popular in Europe today, techno music in fact originated from a Detroit Michigan during the 1980’s. Although Detroit is far more famous for exporting cars rather than music, the vast array of techno music genres we listen to today are variants on the original style of “Detroit Techno.” (Ironically Eminem, one of the 2000’s biggest names in rap music who openly hates techno music also comes from the same city)
The pioneers of techno music are without question the Belleville 3, given that label by adoring fans because they all attended Belleville High School, who’s first 3 albums popularised the fledgling genre of music.
However the main reason for the growth in techno music during this period was the fact that synthesizers and sequencers required to produce techno music became increasingly affordable. As a result, experimentation with techno music became increasingly popular within Detroit, in particular by those not wishing to follow the mainstream music of the time.
It wasn’t long before the techno music genre started to make inroads into Europe, with Germany and England becoming early adopters of this new style. When the Berlin wall fell in 1989, techno music exploded in German bars, nightclubs and underground venues, the most famous of which was UFO, hosted by DJ Westbaume and DJ Maute. This underground venue would be the first steps to founding the most epic festival of techno music being The Love Parade.
With the growth in techno music in bars and nightclubs, various genres started to make a name for themselves and create their own following. He various genres of Trance music (hard trance, progressive trance, acid trance, uplifting trance) all have their origins in Detroit techno. Mainstream music also became heavily influence by techno, in particular with “techno remixes” of pop, hip hop, RnB and rap music.
Today techno music is without question the most popular genre of electronic music, so much so that it is often mistaken by newbie’s as the name for electronic music itself with DJs and groups such as the Aphex Twins, Basshunter, Daft Punk and DJ Rush pushing techno music into the mainstream.
BY Ben King For Melbourne Bars and Function Rooms
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