Here's why your techno scene sucks.
After scanning through various forums, websites, and discussions with people all over the world I finally feel the need to vent for a minute. First off, 'disappointed' is the first word that comes to mind when I see all this constant bickering between people about various sub-genres of techno. Since I moved to Minneapolis 18 months ago my whole view and perception of techno has changed 100% through the records I've released, bought, and dug through the bins for. I've been fortunate enough to play for people in many walks of life and I'm beginning to understand that there is "always another side" to techno.
The last 2 years have seen a tremendous change in the techno scene...distributors rising, distributors falling, labels coming and going, and producers changing their ways or just coming into the spotlight. 3, 4, even 5 years ago on some of these very forums/mailinglists/etc. people were complaining that there is no originality anymore. They were complaining they want something fresh and something new. People were tired of Adam Beyer and his friends putting out another loopy record on another swedish label. People were tired of seeing Planet Rhythm put out another compressed record. The examples are endless.
Fast forward to 2004. The loop record isn't the only thing on the shelves anymore. Tons of producers have come on the scene with their own take on things. The whole Jaxx crew took the dark industrial sound and ran with it. Richie Hawtin and friends helped bring minimal techno back into the spotlight. Adam Beyer and his boys now produce everything from minimal to trancey, melodic sounding techno. Jerome, Hawkins, Birken, and more all helped push the "wonky" movement. Techno is now more diverse than ever before. The options you have as a DJ and/or a listener of the music are now overwhelming. Yet, everyone is still complaining.
To be honest, I'm tired of DJs telling me they specialize in a certain style of techno. Since I switched to techno back in 1999 I've always been in this with a clear head, allowing myself to be open to anything techno. Along the way my tastes for certain styles have come and gone but I don't automatically count anything out. Look at the play lists from most DJs these days including bedroom DJs. Most of the time it'll be a list of 20-30 of the hottest records in the past 2 or 3 months. DJ mixes online usually amount to nothing more than an hour of 15-20 drum tracks that play out the whole time, with no dynamic or contrast in mixing whatsoever. @ "Are DJ Tools Killing Techno?" thread: No, shitty DJs are. A good DJ can take a loopy 5 minute track and make it work. They're meant to be tools, not songs...and a lot of bedroom DJs don't realize this.
What ever happened to mashing it all up in a DJ set? I read comments on minimal forums and I read comments on forums like this that just piss me off. Hard techno guys dissing minimal guys, and minimal guys dissing hard techno guys. Ever think of mixing the styles together? There's nothing wrong with getting a little gutsy and unique in your DJ sets. Try throwing a minimal record on top of Skoog record. Try dropping an old house classic over a Sims track, or drop an industrial track over some wonky techno. Put some attitude back into this music. You know why I really respect DJs like Ben Sims or like-minded folk? It's not because they make "salsa techno" (another glorious BOA term), or because they're the hot artists of the moment. It's because they have the balls to drop anything on top of anything and make it work.
In a given set, you'll hear Sims drop some jaxx techno, some hardgroove, swedish stuff, detroit techno, ghetto tech, house music, whatever. It makes for a rockin' party set and that's why he is who he is (the sick mixing skills don't hurt either). Surgeon is also getting a ton of props lately. Why? He is dropping everything from Downwards tracks to Aphex Twin to P-funk! Give it a try, it's actually quite fun and you'll be surprised what goes together well. You better believe some of my Basic Channel records push 140 over some beatin' techno. I'm not asking people to start mashing it up on a constant basis, I'm just saying it doesn't hurt to look beyond your usual labels and producers and try and find the good in something else.
As for people doing all this shit talking...why all the hostility? Minimal kids are nothing but coke-headed amateur producers? Schranz DJs are nothing but youngsters with a speed problem and a couple sample CDs? There is a time and a place for everything. Do any of you schranz kids realize there are minimal records out there (and have been for years) that will push 150bpm and hit just as hard as a 20-layered loop techno track of yours? Do you minimal freaks realize there are solid detroit and loopy techno tracks out there that are perfect for dropping here or there in a set that will give your set some dynamics? Hertz fans, do you have any idea how sick a wonky record may sound with it quietly in the mix? Stop going to the shops and saying "This record is okay, I'd buy it if..." instead you should think to yourself, "How can I make this record rock?" I know from personal experience I've had friends do this with certain records I've passed on. They'll play it and I think, "****, why did I pass on that?! THAT's why this record was made! It works so well."
In the end, if you made it through this huge rant you'll realize it's just another unity speech. I'm just tired of checking these random online techno communities from time to time only to see people stepping up at one another. I've retired from that crap and focused on the big picture. I'm concentrating on trying to help salvage what's left by helping with certain projects and promoting certain parties. The reason techno even came about is because the pioneers were willing to accept outside influences and make something of their own. Diversity is the key.
Re: Here's why your techno scene sucks.
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Originally Posted by Dustin Zahn
everyone is still complaining.
People like a good moan, and will aways moan. I'm getting well fed up of my mates who went to see people like Subhead, Justin Berkovi and Steve Glencross this year and their verdicton the night "It wasn't hard enough". Of course it wasn't hard enough, there was a smattering of 4/4, big chunky breaks, and bits of filthy wonk scattered all over the place. **** 'em I say. You aren't here to make other people happy, playing out means getting your agenda across.
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To be honest, I'm tired of DJs telling me they specialize in a certain style of techno.
I'm not. I would like to play wonky stuff and that would be akin to Ryan Giggs saying "I play football". I suppose it's the people who take it all a bit too seriously and want to pigeonhole themselves, and keep themselves in that pigeon hole as a sort of protection mechanism. It's only annoying when people become close minded to other stuff, some of my mates think I may be a bit close minded as I listen to nothing but techno by choice. That doesn't mean that when someone puts on Goldie Looking Chains as happened after Robert Nartus and Arkus P on boxing day I'll get into a frump, either I'll tune out if it doesn't grab my attention or I'll enjoy it if it does. I just don't chose to go out of my way for such things.
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What ever happened to mashing it all up in a DJ set?
I like to think of it in another way and I like to call it attitude. Many of the sets coming out these days just seem to lack a sense of attitude, something which comes over in the artists performance which says "it really is me and not someone else". Atttiude for me is what lifts a set out of the run of the mill railroad mixing which comes across clearly in bedroom DJ sets.
A few years back one of the promoters of our local night Dogma went to London to visit family, ended up in this club called Ugly Funk and heard this DJ play whom no one had ever heard of at the time. His name was Jerome Hill. She promptly smacked the other promoters over the head to get him up to Edinburgh which has given rise to an absoloute fascination with the man. Even though he's now living in Brazil practicaly every time he comes back to the country folk snap at his heels to get him up here. Why? Becuase his sets are just full on utter ****ing bastards of a seek that reek attitude, style and brazen balls from every note. How many DJs do you know that will hump in the Trashmen into a techno set?
Also when DJs try to throw in a bit of a '**** you' moment into a set one thing I love to watch is the crowd response. Ben Sims playing MC Hammer Can't Touch This a few years back was excellent, half the floor really weren't sure what to do and stood about like dazed punters. The other half bounced about off the walls and went mental. A similiar thing happened when Cari Lekebusch played shortly after Peel's death when he played the Teenage Kicks track that was Peel's favorite, a lot of confused people and a lot of people getting down to it, including me even though I didn't know what it was. Local boys throwing in Kylie/Britney samples into a techno set and layering it all up superbly? No thanks said half the dancefloor with their blank stares. It all comes back to what I said up above, the job of an artist is to get his agenda across and **** everyone else.
