Albums: A downfall of techno?

Right, one thing I've been hearing again recently is the fact that many techno albums just don't cut it, either now or in the past. Granted there's not a whole lot being released, a general opinion of a typical techno album could be any of the following: Short shelf life/ no diversity/ just a dbl pack of club tracks. In techno's defence I guess there's less money to fund album projects, and they are a bigger risk, however maybe it’s an unwillingness to explore different territories that ultimately leads to the non effect of techno LPs, not to mention a lack of open mindedness from techno fans. Take Bandulu’s explorations into dub, or even Los Hermanos basically venturing straight into funk…. These are examples of artists not being fenced in by the market and purely doing what they feel, while still capturing the techno spirit.

We all know there's been some amazing techno LPs over the years, and you still have bigger labels like Tresor, Kanzleramt, Novamute, Minus, Planet E, Axis or whoever... who can market their shit well and make a mark occasionally.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that you have listeners out there who have their Detroit, R&S and Warp albums filed alongside their Kraftwerk, Beefheart and Eno albums. Today however there seems to be less of a chance of a techno album eventually making its way there, and besides the obvious financial and techno market problems that labels/artists may have, I do believe that the whole idea of full length albums is something that many just don’t aim for, except those who have done it already in the past.

It’s not just a techno thing, dance music in general is about the latest 12”. I just think for techno to win back a bit of its respect in the wider domain, or to challenge people’s perceptions a bit.. it might be good if we saw more artist albums and more producers laying it on the line.

Times are tough I know, but it may be good to see bigger statements of intent (if possible) during this lull.

The fact is, that some albums out there today (electronic and non electronic) that are getting people excited, and it would be great to see more techno albums being released to raise awareness and interest again!

Personally I'd be more into hearing full length albums from some artists over a string of consecutive 12"s.

Maybe I'm talking a load of bull, it's just a thought or two I had.

No, you are about spot on.
Techno has become disposable, and the albums released have been fairly unchallenging.
Good point mate.

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Originally Posted by dirty_bass

No, you are about spot on.
Techno has become disposable, and the albums released have been fairly unchallenging.
Good point mate.

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because its disposable its not stuck in the mid-80s like most of the indie guitar stuff. disposability is the key to evolution and diversity.

LPs rock if you buy the right stuff. just like 2 EPs really. qualiy I say. highstreet peeps won't get good techno so fak'em init

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Originally Posted by jonnyspeed

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Originally Posted by dirty_bass

No, you are about spot on.
Techno has become disposable, and the albums released have been fairly unchallenging.
Good point mate.

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because its disposable its not stuck in the mid-80s like most of the indie guitar stuff. disposability is the key to evolution and diversity.

LPs rock if you buy the right stuff. just like 2 EPs really. qualiy I say. highstreet peeps won't get good techno so fak'em init

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disposability is the key to disposability.
I doubt it causes any evolution, I`ve certianly not seen the total disposability of most music, cause much evolution.
Loop tools haven`t progressed since 2000.

I agree. I don't think many artists take an album seriously. In my eyes, an LP should be a defining moment for a producer of any genre. In techno, people take 6-8 tracks (in which all but 2 or 3 deserve to be b-sides) put it out and call it an album. To me, that's just an expensive single that will gain a few plays and get filed into the stacks shortly after. In rock/pop music, it seems the single has died in favor of the album...which is really the same formula I just described. Put a couple singles on it, and fill it with shit...get a pretty cover and pump it out for the week.

I'd never put an album out until it were to showcase my best work with all my effort. I think other producers should do the same.

To be honest though, the arguement isn't worth debating as 2,3,4LPs don't sell for shit anymore.

yeh, havnt heard a decent techno album since joey beltrams last one on tresor, rising sun i believe

In response to the post its the technology thats driving this. The easier it is to produce the harder is will be for outstanding pieces of music composed a la techno to be recognised. What usually happens is you get the quick buck people wading in trying to make fast buck and thus diluting it for everyone. So i have never really bought a techno album cause I believe it misses the concept of " an album" through the medium of techno ( usually on or two good tracks, the rest are fillers, this is a personal opinion ) so I guess I just look for artists who usually deliver quality and then scan the radar for their releases and then make the decision.

Dez

I suppose you have to ask how many masks techno can take considering most avenues have already been explored ( ps this is not a hate techno post far from it )

I dont think its true to say that all avenues have been covered by techno at all. One of the fundemantels behind techno is to push boundaries further or even break them!
Complacency is not good enough, the fact is that if there were more creative producers around we would not be discussing this topic.

For me albums have always represented an opportunity for producers to portray an idea,mood or feeling to the listener and really let loose and push there sound further (but its not always the case).

I thought jeff mills' Out of Sight LP was one of these as was Oliver Ho's Universal Lp as was Titonton Duvante's Selections for Intercourse Lp (these are choices of my own, I accept they may not be yours) but in the last year or three I havent heard any new albums with any flare or creativeness in them at all.

I accept you point Sunil that if a bold or profound album is realesed then interest would be gained, but I feel the same can be said for 12" s as well. There seems to be no mysticism or intent to create something new at all.

Thats my view on things anyway!

The best albums represent a complete journey of some kind. Listen to "Dark Side of the Moon", and see how many different styles, sounds and vibes it takes in from start to finish.

In short, it's hard to make a good, cohesive album without breaking a few rules and taking a few risks - and I can understand not many record labels wanting to do that, given sales are down anyway.

Anyway, aren't Live PAs and mixsets more like the "albums" of dance music?

Side note: I thought Loudboxer was pretty good...

the term album is more of a technical term when applied to techno releases, it was a term coined alongside long player or LP i believe, and its simply stuck... when i hear a techno "album" that really is just the artist in their normal vein but with 10 or 12 tracks then its simply a long player to me, an LP as opposed to an EP

its very very hard for an established artist, in techno, to produce an "artist" album without just sounding like what they normally do, and i really cant think of any work by techno artists that is on the other end of the spectrum and can be percieved as an artist album, but would love any examples of course...

saying that i still love "Places", but to me its just another Joey Beltram LP, i dont view it in the same light as id view say my Velvet Underground albums

there is of course the fact that some techno artists, don`t know how to make an album, or in fact do anything else other than make boom boom tracks.
They are given the opportunity to make an album by a distributer or whatever, who is only looking to make money, and the artist just produces a bunch of dancefloor tracks, 50% of which normally wouldn`t see the light of day.

wooo, im about to make a post! havent done this for a while..

what about joris voorn future history? im pretty into caris architect album too.

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Originally Posted by TechMouse

Anyway, aren't Live PAs and mixsets more like the "albums" of dance music?

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hmmmm... i never thought about it that way before but i think that's a really good point.

I think one thing that contributes to this is a large number of producers that are so focused on producing "tracks" instead of "songs." It's a more straight-forward process to put something together when you know that the ultimate destination for your music is the dancefloor. It's also easier for a label to move a $9 EP with straight-up club tracks instead of the $20 LP with introspective songs that may not fall completely under the umbrella of techno. This isn't to say a well-crafted song can't move feet on the dancefloor or an EP can't contain a solid reflection of creativity, but there seems to be a line drawn between the two processes of writing and producing music.

As such, a full-length LP that is cobbled together from "tracks" tends to miss the mark because the original intent wasn't intended for critical, repeated listening. There are LPs still being released by producers who have more to say beyond the dancefloor, but they can be easily missed.

Release the ****ing albums on CD then.

:doh:

Releasing a long-play album on a format like CD will make the release cheaper for the consumer, but it still doesn't address the issue of content.

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Originally Posted by DrewDavid

Releasing a long-play album on a format like CD will make the release cheaper for the consumer, but it still doesn't address the issue of content.

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How is a discussion on a forum gonna address the issue of content on CD's that are gonna be released in the future by people we dont know.

Is easy to do an album with the right content.

All you have to do is... DO IT.

;)

Ant-Zen.

i havent read all but heres my take...


album - best on cd & filled with trax worth listening to on headphones late at night. pref not banging ;)

double 12 - dj fodder :twisted:

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Originally Posted by slavestudios

i havent read all but heres my take...


album - best on cd & filled with trax worth listening to on headphones late at night. pref not banging ;)

double 12 - dj fodder :twisted:

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I don't see why the two have to be mutually exclusive.

(or why an albumn has to not be banging, for that matter...)

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Originally Posted by TechMouse

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Originally Posted by slavestudios

i havent read all but heres my take...


album - best on cd & filled with trax worth listening to on headphones late at night. pref not banging ;)

double 12 - dj fodder :twisted:

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I don't see why the two have to be mutually exclusive.

(or why an albumn has to not be banging, for that matter...)

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Well if its just bang bang and more banging, it doesn't really make it interesting to listen to. In my oppinion theres gotta be a progressing flow of energy/intencity at the least (and that really goes for dj mixes too)

Speaking of dj mixes, they seem to have substituted the artist album within "dance" music... (hate the term "dance" music...)

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Originally Posted by Komplex

Well if its just bang bang and more banging, it doesn't really make it interesting to listen to.

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Disagree.

I think you just have to be more creative with your banging.

As I said earlier, I rate Loudboxer as an album...

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Originally Posted by TechMouse

I think you just have to be more creative with your banging.

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The problem with that is not many people are... It's too easy to bang it out hard and throw a bunch of same sounding tracks together and call it an album... thats more suited to ep's or something (and club/party sets).

I still reckon there needs to be a progression of intencity and ideas with a start, middle, some sort of climax and an ending to make a good album. If its just flat, its no fun to listen to and its just disposable.

Creative banging is good too as long as its not flat all the way through...

i agree that most 'techno lp's' have a few good tracks and then filled up with less inspiring tracks, but isnt that the point of doing an lp? exploring other sounds and styles? otherwise an lp would just be 2x12"s.
but if you are looking for a quality lp give chris liberators 'set fire' a listen a bit old now but all quality tracks.

Perhaps there is a lack of sustainability, creativity and down right good-tunery, producing a long player has a completly different dynamic to knocking out a 12
I liked a lot of vitalic's stuff but the LP is frankly weak-not in terms of production but the basic tune craft is lacking