Why the need for over defining genres?

Thinking about Corbzy's Techno meets tech-trance question, and the microhouse question...

Why do we feel the need to classify everything so finitely? I mean basically I call myself an acid DJ but I play a lot of techno, tech-trance and other in between genre stuff so I dunno...

Once upon a time it was all just "techno" and it was a very diverse, liquid sound with many variations, but now it feels like if it's within a certain bpm range and uses a certain type of reverbed kick and has a repetitive cut up vocal sample it must be called nu-skool acid techno... but sometimes it's more than just that... Like Hydro 24 or that EUK10 track (Both by Christiaan and others) It's blurred, like it's not straight up techno, or is it? Isn't it trancier? I dunno... I think I'm just confusing myself more hahahaha

HELP!!

Loads of people will disagree, but to me techno is techno. Theres no point splitting it up & saying its funky this, dark that, because some things that I see as funky or dark, others will not see it that way. Fu*k sub names. Its all down to how you personally hear something & how you think it sounds.

on the subject of using labels to define your sound, a wise person once told me that if you don't define yourself, somebody else will. he asked me if i trusted the critics to define me. i didn't at the time. not so sure how i feel about it now.

i did give a reply to the micro house question, but .........

its all to do with vocabulary and definition of sound in a contextual form.

ok, so you put all techno in the same bag, but where do you're boundaries stop? why not chuck some hard house in, or some other 4/4 genres. what defines techno? and when you anwer that question you have to use other descriptive words, so why cant those be put on the fornt of 'techno' to define a completely separate sub branch with hundreds of labels and thousands of releases.
the ability to describe in detail what you do should be on the tip of the tongue of anyone who treading a specific path. arm yourselves with a good vocabulary for describing the music you play. when i do gigs i have to get just a handful of words from a promoter to understand what specific niche of music they are looking for. if i turned up and then played just 'techno' at 'pre-liberator-era acid techno party', then i'd get booed off.

From what you read it was once upon a time all just techno, with a big melting pot of styles, which sounds pretty cool. But we've moved away from that. Over time, as it has grown and mutated, people have specialised in a certain sound, and so the genre thing has become more divided. Each DJ has a reputation (however loose) for playing a certain sound, so that in itself adds to the pigeonholing. I would never go to a club night to see DAVE the Drummer (no offence!) cos I'm really not into the acid sound, but then I'd jump at the vhance to see Matthew Dear, or Hawtin, cos I know pretty much what to expect, and I know I'd enjoy the night.

I think techno is far more diverse now than it used to be, which is a good thing, but that does lead to genres/subgenres etc which can fragment things.

I don't see how it can possibly work to just label it all "techno." That title would cover everything from the Basic Channel style gentle, dubby tracks right through to D.O.A "C*nt face" which, at 350 BPM, really couldn't be more different!!

It seems a bit idealist to want it all to fall under the one umbrella. All a bit old skool raver "Peace and unity! One love family!!" Nice idea, but impractical. At the end of the day, as Corbz illustrated, we all have different ideas of what constitues techno. As such, the genres are just an explanation of the style, to make things clearer about what you're going to hear.

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Originally Posted by Si the Sigh

Loads of people will disagree, but to me techno is techno. Theres no point splitting it up & saying its funky this, dark that, because some things that I see as funky or dark, others will not see it that way. Fu*k sub names. Its all down to how you personally hear something & how you think it sounds.

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absoulutely spot on in my view,couldnt agree more.

I remember hearing Mr C say he invented the term "Tech-House" because he wasn't getting bookings from house clubs because he was too hard and he wasn't getting bookings from techno clubs because he wasn't hard enough. He labeled his sound as tech-house and all of a sudden he was getting bookings left right and centre.

Alot of the time though it's magazines who put labels on music and due to there popularity, they stick and before you know it, sticky up hair, suit jacket wearing "clubbers :roll: " jump on the band wagon.

I my mind genres are just collectively agreed terms to differentiate the and group use of similar percussion, bass or rhythm within a track.

The key sub-genres I buy are listed here. The meanings are purely subjectional but give the people

- Acid (techno) = lots of analogue and probally tb-303s
- Ghetto(tech) = Chicago-style techno percussion and old skool urban samples
- Wonk (techno) = 4/4 structure with often unevenly spaced bass kicks
- Hard Electro = hard techno toughness with a electro rhythm
- Squat (techno) = UK Warehouse techno (incorporates Acid)
- Beats = down tempo breakbeat and techno with warm analogue feel
- Schranz (techno) = German techno with lo-fi production and sushing rides. I don't really buy this so its a good filter.

This makes for a much more productive conversation = 20-30 high quality releases.

...than "have you got some techno to listen to" = 400-500 very mixed releases. Though this a can be a very good route ;)

i dont think people really get as anal about techno names as they do about harddance or hardcore.

sure theres hundreds of names of styles, but i dont think anyone describes them as a genre, just uses them as descriptive words.

like uplifting / pounding / hard / funky / filthy. they are not names of genres, but descriptive words to describe a type of techno / trance /what ever

The crowd has become more educated in what sounds they exactly want to hear when theyr'e off their face.
It dosen't take much for someone totally in a zone to go "that sounds shit". Just a thought anyway :roll:

Helping people find EXACTLY what they're lookin for to keep em in the zone

I think it's just something someone does to "stand out" and attract more attention to themselves. I remember when all the music coming out now was titled "underground" acid/techno.

But it's a good question and I still don't know why so many DJ's have to be so specific as to what they spin. :dontevengothere:

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Originally Posted by MangaFish

i dont think people really get as anal about techno names as they do about hard dance or hardcore.

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I dunno man, some one got ripped to pieces on here a while back for asking for funky techno! :lol:

I just buy what "I" like and enjoy.. f*k all the genres names - just sniff around and find what you like - across a broad board of your "own" tastes!

SO WHAT DO YOU PLAY???

I normally reply "you would'nt like it! and Im normally right!" lol :doh:

techno techno techno with a splash of acid and a splash of trance - some groans - some moans and some funk and some fun!!!

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Originally Posted by Si the Sigh

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Originally Posted by MangaFish

i dont think people really get as anal about techno names as they do about hard dance or hardcore.

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I dunno man, some one got ripped to pieces on here a while back for asking for funky techno! :lol:

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I love funky techno, me.

imagine having to walk into a record store and asking
im looking for that specific style of techno..not this techno..but that techno that sounds more like techno...
you know techno techno..but not like the techno that used to be played back in teh day..that newer sound of techno..with the drums that roll..
names are names as long as they arent causing drama over which is better..but that is gonna happen anyway with all styles..
i personally like having it labeled..
im not into most tech house..even as sutitn as basic as downloading sets..
i know which to avoid and which to jump on based on description..
i may take a listen if its darker heavier tech house compared to vocal tech house..