Time for change.

**MARKEG** · 13-01-2006, 12:04 AM

Techno always was about looking forward and seeing the future. And right now, check this. All the hard DJ's are going harder. All the minimal DJ's are going more minimal. For those of you that remember - havent we been here before??? We need middle ground right now. Or difference at least.

Come on, let's stop talking hard or minimal! It's time to talk what's the future!!! Time 4 change!!!

What's your future? What's your change???

**rhythmtech** · 13-01-2006, 12:21 AM

i'm middle ground - i say bring the funk back into techno!!!!

**davethedrummer** · 13-01-2006, 12:27 AM

live musicians
live techno jams
real musical skills / performance / interaction

**rhythmtech** · 13-01-2006, 12:28 AM

anyone seen that laptop jams thing? eight or so lads with laptops just jammin on the fly. was featured in future-music last year i think.

**xfive** · 13-01-2006, 01:02 AM

Originally Posted by davethedrummer

live musicians
live techno jams
real musical skills / performance / interaction

Yes indeed.

**Patrick DSP** · 13-01-2006, 03:09 AM

middle ground with tallent is what i'm looking for. i don't need extremes just something to keep me dancing!

**djshiva** · 13-01-2006, 03:19 AM

i just saw a great drum and bass performance that included (let's see if i can remember it all): 6 djs, 2 mcs, 2 turntables, 2 cd decks, two laptops, a drum set, a uc-16, a keyboard, guitar and a cowbell (usually they worked in more stuff, but it was a small stage).

the djs all swiitched off in whatever order they felt like, 2 guys jammed on the lappys and drumset and guitar, mcs rhymed (and normally i hate mcs, but these guys were dope) and at one point i ended up on the cowbell...

this was a 4 hour set that ran the gamut from the jazzier funkier end of things, into crazy party rollers, into the dark stuff...

and it was farkin FUN!!!!!

totally different dynamic than your typical dj set...the night went where the night was supposed to go. the djs responded to the crowd responded to the djs and so forth...

more like that.

**Sunil** · 13-01-2006, 04:24 AM

Originally Posted by MARK EG

Techno always was about looking forward and seeing the future. And right now, check this. All the hard DJ's are going harder. All the minimal DJ's are going more minimal. For those of you that remember - havent we been here before??? We need middle ground right now. Or difference at least.

Come on, let's stop talking hard or minimal! It's time to talk what's the future!!! Time 4 change!!!

What's your future? What's your change???

Most people don't want a change.
Techno has been defined.
It's still great fun, and unbeatable in a club, but innovation or blurring of the lines alienates many purists or techno fans. The history has been written, most people are happy with that.
Minimal is good, so is hard stuff.. dig through the archives or play other styles than techno and you've got that all important middle ground. Imagination goes a long way, and most people aren't prepared to use theirs in this bleak time.

Combining old and new techno is imperative at this stage, playing the very *best* stuff you have is better than playing just the new stuff you have. People need inspiration, and if that's not shining through in the new stuff (it can occasionally though) then use your bloody loaf and show people what techno really is to you. The records are coming slower than ever now, but they might come a bit quicker if the buzz in techno clubs really started to lift again.

Also, hero worship has to stop. The gulf that's building between 'big' djs and many who just haven't been able to make it into that bracket is starting to widen. This ain't trance, and we're sure not experiencing a musical revolution in techno, so what gives?

Loads of equipment, laptops etc. on stage doesn't equal a great performance either, the fascination needs to control itself a bit more sometimes. It's all about the quality of music and atmosphere isn't it?

I could go on for ages here, but I need to stop now.
The obvious answer to changing the future is to sit down and make the music yourself, and some people will.

Does the internet or this message forum help push things forward? I don't think so, but this still ain't a bad old place ;)

**The Overfiend** · 13-01-2006, 04:38 AM

Sunil is on point. As usual.

**dirty_bass** · 13-01-2006, 05:34 AM

I have to agree about the lack of middle ground.

Solutions?
Personally it is to diversify, and to at least attempt to do something different, with the risk of absolute failure, rather than just moan about it.
erm, and embrace change, and encourage others to do so, as well as have an open mind.

**Miromiric** · 13-01-2006, 09:12 AM

bla bla bla bla
you know what i mean?

**dirty_bass** · 13-01-2006, 09:59 AM

Originally Posted by Miromiric

bla bla bla bla
you know what i mean?

oopah oompah stick it up your joompah

**Si the Sigh** · 13-01-2006, 10:00 AM

Gimme da funk!

**BloodStar** · 13-01-2006, 10:32 AM

personally i'm trying to do my music, which will stand out as bloodstar stuff and not as just another track similar as thousands others. sometimes it goes well sometimes not. better risk the failure while adding personality than stay steril and be on still the same place, musically, imo.

**TechMouse** · 13-01-2006, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by MARK EG

What's your future? What's your change???

Basslines!

More bass please.

For more information see: Vex'd, Plasticman (with a C!), MarkOne, Dubchild...

... and any of the Dubstep mixes The Divide has been posting lately.

**dirty_bass** · 13-01-2006, 11:25 AM

I say we all make dixiland jazz

**TechMouse** · 13-01-2006, 11:39 AM

Originally Posted by dirty_bass

I say we all make dixiland jazz

Quality.

**JamieBall** · 13-01-2006, 12:06 PM

I don't think that 'bands' in the traditional sense of the word are all that neccesary in the techno field, but they do usually possess one thing that 99% of most techno artists dont.

ATTITUDE

What's with standing behind decks/laptop and staring at the floor ? This is not a 'performance'. I'm beginning to question whether or not some artists are aware there is a crowd in front of them. There is more to putting on a 'show' than just rattling out loops on Ableton or spinning some records as if you were in your house. Many people I've seen play recently look like they'd rather be at home installing linux or whatever ???

Also, I'm heartily sick of seeing people who're meant to be 'top' producers/djs playing middle of the road boredom just because they're afraid to break out of the mould that they themselves have shaped. Fair enough they're trying to do their jobs etc but it'd be a far greater thing if they just.... well.... DIDN'T. Being original doesn't mean being consistent. Consistency is the enemy of innovation, as far as I'm concerned. Stay within your safety zone and you'll never reach all those rich, far off places with strange sounding names (speaking metaphorically, of course)

I'd like to see less TV Tanned geeks in the techno field and more folk who know how to ROCK. Crowds should leave shows feeling blown away, not like 'mmm, that guy played some okay tunes I guess and the pills kept boredom levels down'.

Also, if y'all don't think there's any good techno coming out there's a simple answer. MAKE some good techno. Try not to start with thinking "I wanna make bangers/minimal tracks like x does"

Obviously everyone has to have a starting point, but I'd like to suggest that our communal starting point has been mainly "STUFF THAT ROCKS".

It isn't just techno that rocks, loads of other music does. Try looking elsewhere for inspiration. If you're writing music from your heart then what other musicians in the same field are doing should not matter. There's a difference between putting your soul into creating music and just throwing together percussion loops, though some clearly disagree.

The point about people getting 'Harder' or more 'minimal' is a fair one, it's been mentioned a lot. However, this implies that the people choosing these routes are known for a certain style. If you're a producer in a field with as many possibilities as techno then isn't it a bit sad that you're known for one 'sound'. If we all just went back to being 'techno' producers I think it'd be more sensible. Hard techno, Schranz techno, Minimal techno, Hardcore techno, Tribal techno, Bassline techno.... THE LIST IS ENDLESS, WHERE DO YOU FIT SNUGLY ???

Pffft.

Also, trends are by their very nature fickle beasts. If you don't jump on the bandwagon then you can't fall off it, simple as that. Try and stick to your own style and push that on. If you work each track so it's better than the last and you're learning new stuff in the lab then at least you're evolving MUSICALLY.

And that should, at the end of the day, be the most important thing.[/list]

**dirty_bass** · 13-01-2006, 12:18 PM

fantastic post jamie

**Xavi** · 13-01-2006, 02:01 PM

word !

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