Quote Originally Posted by Mindful View Post
In techno... Orphx, Voidloss, Inigo Kennedy, Surgeon.
I like production that has a bit of soul and texture and isn't ALL about clarity, space and punch.
I think way too much techno sticks to a certain set of rules for how things should sound.. Being creative with your sound is just as important as being creative with the music. I mean whats the point in abstract music (not that much techno is abstract atm) If your going to present it in a pedestrian manner.
I get much more from listening to some kind of 'sonic picture' than I can from 'a sweet mix down'.
i'm with you in principle but not sure i agree on your choices, after surgeon went to ableton his tunes sound a bit too harsh for me (i'll still play them tho). speedy j is my fav precisely because he can control the dirt really well and deliver a vibe through his mixes and still be technically excellent.

its always sad when things get formulated (i come from drum'n'bass and that got REALLY bad 2 years ago, every tune sounded identical, much like minimal) but you also have to consider that if you get too creative things will turn to mush or at least sound strange on a big system. that and you have people's ears to consider. for example i love the darker harder industrial type sounds but if you go back a few years a lot of that stuff has no bass and no details were audible when played loud.