how valid is "novelty" techno

[Stodgy]

Have to agree with what you say there Eyes. It does seem that there is a very elitist attitude prevalent on this forum. Not saying that is a good or bad thing (thats another thread) but I think it must affect what people say on here.

Getting back to the novelty issue... If 99% of techno that is currently being produced is novelty then doesn't that automatically validate it as a form of music (by virtue of its popularity). The other way of looking at this is if its just the 1% that can called "real" or "original" techno then surely its the 1% that has become the novelty.

[eyeswithoutaface]

well ive been guilty of elitism myself, who hasnt at some point over something, but i do think there are alot of sweeping statements on here that kind of put people off or rub people up the wrong way more so than other forums i check. I put it down to so many people in one forum all striving for the one thing, which is good but can obviously lead to disagreements.

[NRGboy]

Would you class One Night In Hackney as Novelty Techno ?
I would, you could say that this is a blatent rip off of One Night in New York City, but i still like it. I think it's a 'novel' idea.

[TechMouse]

well ive been guilty of elitism myself, who hasnt at some point

Yeah, but only because we're better than everyone else...

[JamieBall]

anything you have heard before, isnt REAL techno. techno maybe, but not true original techno. if you're creating music to sound like 'techno' it isnt techno. full stop. MHO ;)

Well said, I reckon this is the reason a lot of producers are 'slowing up' now, too, as there's so many bases of sound already covered in what is perceived as 'techno'.

A lot of stuff for me just gets added to the 'sounds like this one' pile, but I guess it has its utilitarian place in the grand scheme of things.

It's good when you hear techno that's going in a different directon to the majority of stuff, and mind blowing when you hear something UNEXPECTED !

We also need more people who're prepared to make a stand for techno, I reckon.

None of this 'I don't do interviews' or 'I'm not part of the techno scene anymore' stuff... Has anyone noticed how many producers who are trying to 'break' the mainstream dance music market no longer like to be referred to as a 'techno' artist ?

This is a RUBBISH stance to take.

Stick to your guns or there will be no-one to fire those huge shells haphazardly into the heartlands of the unenlightened masses !

Where will these people be when their scene is no longer en vogue ? Claiming they have 'always been a techno artist' most probably...

On a positive note, the stigma on techno in general seems to be lifting slightly in the UK at the moment and though nights are struggling there IS new blood coming into the scene. Producers need to bear this in mind before stepping to the studio to 'knock out a banger'.

Don't do it....

Produce like you want to KNOCK OUT THE ENTIRE WORLD - K.O.

[JamieBall]

Oh, and I reckon novelty techno (when done well) breaks up the monotony sometimes ;)

Some of it is inane and pointless, sure, but what genre doesn't have its fair share of stuff that falls into this bracket ?

Little hooks and snippets from past classics can be amusing when dropped into the mix.

Not when dropped over the top of Schranz records, though :cry:

[SlavikSvensk]

novelty techno to me? - 99% of techno today

*OMG you say*

there's loads off ppl out there at the mo producing techno that call it techno. i'm not going to say what i think that is, cause i play so much of it at places i play, but you just can't get ppl into techno without it!!!!!

REAL techno to me looks to the originators - juan atkins, derrick may, kevin sauderson - the detroit ethos. they never had a genre to live up to at the time - they jjust 'created' their sound.

either you're creating music to change music or you're creating novelty techno.

techno is about new. techno is about music you've never heard before.

anything you have heard before, isnt REAL techno. techno maybe, but not true original techno. if you're creating music to sound like 'techno' it isnt techno. full stop.

MHO ;)

:clap:

[davethedrummer]

for me its all about people in the club
at least it is when you talk about " novelty " techno

i've made loads of "novelty" tracks over the years but they've all been original in their own way , concieved and produced and mixed in the same way as all my other tracks.

that is to say althought the idea or concept of the track might be stupid or a cover version ie " batman" the track itself has been put together in a proper way , by rewriting the riffs , and totally creating something new that is "based" on the original and not by just taking a sample from the original and just sticking harder drums on it.

in fact apart from the fact that one night in hackney says "one night" in the title there is very litle musical or lyrical similarity to "one night" in new york maybe you guys should give them a listen back to back one day.

and i never did get on with the bit that said " f*cked her all night"

and yes to my mind that was a novelty record too.


but anyway for me a good novelty record can sum up a whole night , loosen up a tight crowd and allow people to feel the more " techno " techno that you might be playing too.

so for me those records have their place
but not the schranz ones , sorry thats just naff , no one wants to be naff.

[Agent Orange NYC]

Everything has rules (even having no rules is a rule). Good art will know those rules then break them. To say "techno is about music you've never heard before," that can only happen if you have new rules, and not the rules of techno, which makes it something new and not what we know as techno right? I'm glad i never took philosophy!

[oldbugger]

.

anything you have heard before, isnt REAL techno. techno maybe, but not true original techno.

i can't believe you said that.

no dispespect to anyone but that comment is so wrong in so many ways. I am actualy lost for words right now.

honestly..thats shocking :cry:

[rhythmtech]

novelty techno to me? - 99% of techno today

*OMG you say*

there's loads off ppl out there at the mo producing techno that call it techno. i'm not going to say what i think that is, cause i play so much of it at places i play, but you just can't get ppl into techno without it!!!!!

REAL techno to me looks to the originators - juan atkins, derrick may, kevin sauderson - the detroit ethos. they never had a genre to live up to at the time - they jjust 'created' their sound.

either you're creating music to change music or you're creating novelty techno.

techno is about new. techno is about music you've never heard before.

anything you have heard before, isnt REAL techno. techno maybe, but not true original techno. if you're creating music to sound like 'techno' it isnt techno. full stop.

MHO ;)

just out of interest (and i do agree with you to a certain extent) if all techno was new to us, how would we distinguish what techno was? would we all be listening aimless to somebodies jazz style techno noodling? i think sometimes genres serve a purpose. without us "knowing" what techno was, we probably wouldn't be talking on a techno forum or any forum for that matter. just an idea.

on the another hand there needs to be innovation for the music to survive.

[SlavikSvensk]

maybe it's a bit over the top, but i think in the context of his full comment it's fine. the point is, techno is and should be about freeing yourself from rules and limitations. there are just too many rules in techno today...

[dirty_bass]

there are just too many rules in techno today...

I would say that there are too few people willing to experiment. There are no rules, only people that follow, or wait to be led.

[SlavikSvensk]

that's basically the same thing i said, but from a different angle. there's no rulebook, but people adhere to guidelines as if there were...

[Stodgy]

techno is and should be about freeing yourself from rules and limitations.

:clap: Great sentiment

[massplanck]

ok smart asses.. free yourself from the kick drum rule immediately.

[dirty_bass]

that's basically the same thing i said, but from a different angle. there's no rulebook, but people adhere to guidelines as if there were...

oh yeah.
haha
great minds....

[davethedrummer]

ok smart asses.. free yourself from the kick drum rule immediately.

that's like saying

" ok jazz people , no more saxophones "

but there is
underworld , aphex twin , autechre , and kraftwerk to get started with
it's all techno to me and it doesn't have to have the klk drum
a kik drum does not a good techno record make
and a good techno record is not just about the kik drum.
something i wish poeple would be a bit more open to around here.

[dirty_bass]

ok smart asses.. free yourself from the kick drum rule immediately.

a kik drum does not a good techno record make
and a good techno record is not just about the kik drum.
something i wish poeple would be a bit more open to around here.

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
Hurragh!
I`m in total agreement here.
Some people just think it`s all about the kick, HUGE massive obvious super compressed kick drums for white people who can`t dance.
The kick is just the pulse, there`s so much more to be had in other areas, it`s not all about the boom-tish.

[Udy]

The kick is just the pulse, there`s so much more to be had in other areas, it`s not all about the boom-tish.

Unless of course you're head of percussion in a marching band