how much can techno "progress?"

[SlavikSvensk]

some great debate in here on where techno should go, how it should develop, etc. seems like opinion is divided into three camps:

a) techno as a style has been defined, and, at this point, can/should only refine an/multiple established sound(s). techno, musically, is in good health

b) techno has generally been defined as a style, but there is still lots of room for good and healthy experimentation within those parameters, without which it will stagnate and grow sick (or it already has)

c) techno can and should reinvent itself; it's a sick beast right now

eveyrone's thoughts?

[Mindful]

B. Without a doubt.
Altho I would not say techno is in a poor state(some techno peoples attitudes are)but it allways has to be pushing forward musicaly there are no boundries but there is a certain amount of rules if you whant to keep it techno(or good techno)
In my opinien if you make or play techno you should be trying to do somthing new and creative every time you power up your gear.

This ensures that techno keeps its edge.

[dirty_bass]

In my opinien if you make or play techno you should be trying to do somthing new and creative every time you power up your gear.

This ensures that techno keeps its edge.

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

[Craig McW]

Techno is a framework, what you build with it should be unique.....

[holotropik]

This topic has been my focus of comprehension for about 4years now. I was dumbfounded by the way in which Techno went out of favour so quickly here in Australia. In the last 4years it has slid into obscurity and shame to the point where you'd be lucky to get 100 people to an event. It copped an absolute hidin' over here. Many Techno DJs & Producers simply disappeared. I think that too many DJs just played boring DJ-tool mixes and everyone moved on from it - plus over saturation of one type of sound...

However, it survived in small pockets through the dedication of several crews. It is now developing once more in popularity.

Its popularity has come about through evolution of the sound and the progression of the artists who, as you said mindful, sit down and write something new and creative each session.

Time has been the agent of awareness combined with better instrumentation.

What I find hard to understand is how Rock'n Roll or Pop-Music can be so stagnated yet still enjoy a large listenership?? Perhaps only reason is that it has been around longer and enjoys corporate budgets & marketing.

My conclusion is b). But I think that Techno will take many more years (or cycles) before it is more widely understood or accepted. I think more people need to learn its reason or purpose. The artists must not be lazy and try to get away with delivering simple DJ-tool type mixes or production at events - keep it flowing and interesting.

Its on the up I reckon :)

[dirty_bass]

yes yes and yes.
It really is good to here people saying what is getting said here.
Positive and intelligent remarks.
So many people, jumped on techno when it was the flavor, and then ran away when things went quiet.
No music ever dies.
Jazz is still alive
Swing is still alive
etc
Too many people want quick results and now now NOW

So many people jumped into techno because as a music, to a certain extent, you can mash up a load of sounds, produce it well, and shazam, it`s techno.

There are too many DJ`s making the music, and they are not necessarily good musicians, so the music they make, is entertaining only for the DJ`s.

We need more creativity.

More experimentation, I`m not talking running a 3 phase supply into your keyboard, and playing it during a thunderstorm, but everyone making it, needs to explore, and stop trying to sound like the stuff they listen to.

More communication. The net provides us all the opportunity to communicate as artists and DJ`s. We chould make more use of it.
Rather than just talking about who`s in and who`s out, and who`s the best etc.

So many people just say, bah, it`s just crap words on the net.
It doesn`t mean anything.

Well, only if you let it be that.

Never before has communcation been so easy, and so cheap. And it is so important.

There is strength in numbers, and rather than the "I`m alright mate, I`ll look after me, and that`s all that counts". That kind of attitude stinks, and is so much a part of the music scene.

I would like to see that change. We can`t survive without each other.

Mutual support, encouragement and the sharing of knowledge will help us to build a stronger community.

Throw your ego in the trashcan.

[SlavikSvensk]

interesting that everyone so far says B...i bet if i posted this in the hard techno forum, more people would say A...this forum seems to have more people in it who are worried about the state of techno...or at least critical, whereas that forum has a lot more people who are satisfied with the way things are (i'm not attaching a value judgement to that...just observing...hopefully people who would choose A or C will answer this post as well).

when i think about my favorite tracks...e.g. the wipe...they are very evocative of things other than BEAT or DANCEFLOOR or DARK/EVIL. that's what i want to hear in techno...a more complex palette and a more diverse set of influences, emotions, and aesthetics. but i still want it to be undeniably techno...

[iffi]

What I find hard to understand is how Rock'n Roll or Pop-Music can be so stagnated yet still enjoy a large listenership?? Perhaps only reason is that it has been around longer and enjoys corporate budgets & marketing.

...Plus u won't hear Surgeon on prime time radio.
Techno will always slip in and out of mainstream music (how many house/hard house dj's slip a few techno records in2 their sets?). But when Techno is popular it all gets a bit samey (imo),so u have to look to the underground to find new stuff...and there's plenty of it. ;)

[Mirsha]

You mean the prime time radio, other than a few John Peel shows he's been on ?

I'd say a B. **** it do whatever is fun and sounds good and let everyone else sort out whether it's cack, quality or a phase it's going through. If you can dance to it and get your groove that does me, I don't really care whehter it's techno, wonky, schranz or whatever you want to call your new style as long as it sounds good.

[doc12inch]

I love techno - it has fallen a bit to the way side lately but who cares that means it will have a massive bounce back sooner or later.

Im in for the long hall.

It is true tho, techno has to develope if it wants to remain or gain more appeal.

Im looking forward to see where its going to go. I think some of the purists will have to re think what they are doing tho. I think incorporation of new/different styles of music will boost its appeal.

Slowy bring people back round to it again.

TECHNO FOR EVER

http://www.doc12inch.co.uk/Liquidres...o25thmarch.jpg

[Francisco Scaramanga]

techno will always change, whether anyone intends it to or not - thats just the way it goes, same as anything else. So trying too hard to change it is probably not a good idea, these things should just be left to themselves I reckon, everyone just needs to make/play tunes that they think are good, and things will just naturally grow and change through that.

I hate the word progressive when applied to music. Anything that gets called progressive usually ends up sucking pretty fast cause people get all anal about trying to do something new and different, and often stray away from what made the music good in the first place. Think progressive rock, progressive trance, progressive house, progressive breaks, progressive euphoric laser breakdown funky bosh bosh disco, etc. In my opinion, all of the above are a pretty poor example for techno to follow - lets keep progressive out of techno - I reckon leave it as techno and make sure its good.

Also - what if techno changed and no one liked it? That would be pretty shit...

[SlavikSvensk]

progressive euphoric laser breakdown funky bosh bosh disco

hey that's my favorite kind of music... :lol:

[webassassin]

techno will always change, whether anyone intends it to or not - thats just the way it goes, same as anything else. So trying too hard to change it is probably not a good idea, these things should just be left to themselves I reckon, everyone just needs to make/play tunes that they think are good, and things will just naturally grow and change through that.

I hate the word progressive when applied to music. Anything that gets called progressive usually ends up sucking pretty fast cause people get all anal about trying to do something new and different, and often stray away from what made the music good in the first place. Think progressive rock, progressive trance, progressive house, progressive breaks, progressive euphoric laser breakdown funky bosh bosh disco, etc. In my opinion, all of the above are a pretty poor example for techno to follow - lets keep progressive out of techno - I reckon leave it as techno and make sure its good.

Also - what if techno changed and no one liked it? That would be pretty shit...

:clap:

[holotropik]

go the bosh bosh disco...man that rocks :P

hehehe...love that comment, made me crack-up big-time.....and so true. :clap:

[iffi]

If you can dance to it and get your groove that does me, I don't really care whehter it's techno, wonky, schranz or whatever you want to call your new style as long as it sounds good.

...Amen to that ;)

[AcidTrash]

Techno is just too fragmented. Purism in any form is dull and wrong. So long as people are segregated by genre there will always be a tendancy for it to go stale. I think producers also really have to be educated into listening to other styles of music to inject some new ideas. There's too much recylcling going on.

*</hypocrite>*

[da hound]

think people ave 2 start 2 experiment more and put more of an effort into creating new forms of techno instead of making a loop that just drones on and agree with d.b on it has 2 get more musical also think been educated in other styles of music is good 2

[Internal Error Records]

techno, in its obiquity, is a very personalized music genre.

a more focused question is - "how far can YOUR idea of techno progress and still be of interest to you"

[dirty_bass]

I think even asking the question how far it can progress is a little silly.
If you look at techno in the confines of the nightlub environment, then I would say it is fairly limited.
But as a type of music, it`s nature makes it almost unlimited.

[basslinejunkie]

I think even asking the question how far it can progress is a little silly.
If you look at techno in the confines of the nightlub environment, then I would say it is fairly limited.
But as a type of music, it`s nature makes it almost unlimited.

bingo.