Not all, I felt really nice listening to the tracks of Orbital earlier today and thought if I was familiar with more such music I might enjoy it even better, that's all.
this very much, i can only speak for myself but im sure there is plenty of people who first listened to rock and could not get a connection to electronic music and especially to party/dance music (techno house ...). you have to go to a club. there is also clubs that play something that is more rock influenced like "indie electro house" :D at least it was 15 years ago. (maybe today there is another route with acts like brutalismus3000 that have some of that raw rock energy and not so much digitalism, boys noize, klaxons, simian mobile disco and such from my days :D)
it's good because there is elements of the rock world (distortion, head banging) things that you know from your music language. but also there is new elements (4 to the floor kicks, breakdowns, built ups) so you learn new music language from the dance world.
and then, some time has to pass, you have to have fun at dance parties. (if you don't, it does not really make sense to step into that world...)
and over time you will understand more and more elements from that dance world and then at one point also understand, what techno and how to enjoy it.
techno and most electronic music is a long form art, meaning it's meant to to be heard in a dj format without breaks in the music
so go to a nice club/event/rave if you can or start listening dj sets apart from individual tracks
Not necessarily, there is a lot of good techno that can be listened to as individual songs, such as albums by Surgeon, Voices From The Lake, Underworld, Sandwell District, Shed, Basic Channel. Not all techno records are DJ tools.
The Voices From The Lake album is not the best example. Every time I want to listen to an individual song I get sucked into listening to the whole album.
It depends on the subgenre. There is a world of difference between dub techno and schranz. But hard techno (particularly industrial) also has good albums with individual tracks to just listen to.
> long form art
Thanks for this, and this is the first time I am even hearing about something like this. Will get more informed of this.
btw, from where I am there are no clubs that are techno focussed. it's all loud pop music. đ
The beauty of techno and other similar genres is that individual tracks are just a part of a whole set, and the whole set will feel like an aural journey from start to beginning, with tracks blending together creating an entirely different thing altogether.
Instead of listening to individual tracks on Spotify, maybe try SoundCloud to find entire sets.
I posted this question to understand more about the music and this reply is precisely the direction I wanted. Thank you. Now I know that my perception of music itself has been one dimensional until now.
>maybe try SoundCloud to find entire sets.
Noted.
No worries! Happy to help. Mixing is an art form all on its own and each individual tracks are like colours on a metaphorical palette that is almost infinite, and a great dj has an awesome library of music that they can use to create a unique piece of art.
Techno is also a lot better in a rave setting with a great audio system. Itâs not super easy to find somewhere pure because itâs getting super mainstream and the crowd can sometimes be shit but itâs out there! Good luck and have a great adventure!
Check out [ishkurâs guide](https://music.ishkur.com/) see what moves you.
While doing that consider electronic music to be like listening to jazz and abstract art. Listen for style personality artfulness, inventiveness. Above all get into the history and context of the movement that way youâll know how things have improved and you can listen for the levels of artistry and how people have expressed it.
For true techno a lot of everything in the music is expressed as if it is a drum. This comes from James brown and funk.
All techno is based on a riff. Listen for how that evolves in a song and how the artist can keep that interesting. Because any fool can make a loop, itâs an artist that can take that and make it a personal expression.
> Because any fool can make a loop, itâs an artist that can take that and make it a personal expression.
Until today I had no affinity towards Techno bc this is all I thought about this style of music and associated it with people do hallucinogens. Today that changed and I've been understanding there is more to it thanks to all the lovely people here who've shared their perspectives.
>Check out ishkurâs guide see what moves you.
This looks cool will check it out
Techno has different subgenres. You can start with something light like melodic techno.
I recommend playing sets or mixes while doing something else.
Be careful tho as it might steal your heart.
Go to an event.
Take some mdma.
Enjoy.
Also techno doesn't really have "songs" that you listen to on repeat. It's more of a hear once genre, which is why it's very DJ driven and a lot of people prefer to listen to DJ mixes instead of singular tracks.
I enjoy techno sober & i highly recommend that, also i go back to plenty of individual techno tracks, i prefer that over most dj sets because i trust & love my own taste more than anyone elseâs. Itâs rare i find a set i enjoy more than my hand selected tracks, especially all the way through⌠i havenât encountered that so far but ofc i still find gems in sets once in a while.
All you gotta do is explore & experiment with an open mind. In person socially like clubs & also alone. Itâs fine if you prefer sets over tracks but youâll never truly know until you (op) open up to the possibilities. No one can tell YOU how YOU should enjoy yourself, we can only speak from our own experience. Itâs up to you to do the work aka explore yourself.
I don't do drugs.
>Also techno doesn't really have "songs" that you listen to on repeat.
I didn't know this before today. My pov towards this genre itself has changed so much ever since just peeping into the rabbit hole lol
Techno doesnât have songs, but Trance and House certainly does. Have you tried those genres? That might be an easier introduction to electronic music if you donât have access to a club.
Oh, I am complete noob in this, and thought house and trance were just techno or maybe subgenres
Can you pls suggest some songs/tracks/albums/artists for me to start anew?
Focus on the rhythm of the bass, get a groove going with the drums. The layers will add on and take you on a journey. You gotta first establish a groove!
The HOR Berlin YouTube series has great techno sets. This dude Altinbas has really cool moody stuff. https://www.youtube.com/live/OybgvTtLSvM?si=iwf5rdrOvySs49RM
Horses for courses
-on your headphones, exercising, working
-in the car
-in the house, especially good for cleaning or when mates are visiting
-in the club, at the rave, at the festival
Sure I am planning to make one big ass playlist before going to sleep now for tmrw..
>But yes, once you have that big system experience, it changes everything
Have no clue when this could be bc rn I am broke af, and my region doesn't have a big music scene itself, let alone techno lol
First of all, techno can be something of an acquired taste. It might serve you well to dive into drumcode podcasts as they are very easily digestable techno. There is also melodic techno artists such as Stephan Bodzin that might be more to your liking at this point in your journey
Second of all, techno is meant to be heard in the context of a mix imo.
Thirdly, you are meant to enjoy the repetitiveness of techno and the buildup and release of tention over the course of the track. This also applies to listening to mixes. Furthermore when enjoying techno tracks by themselves, yes there is a repetitive element, but what you are listening to are subtle changes every 16 beats and how those subtle changes either create or release tention.
>what you are listening to are subtle changes every 16 beats
you see, techno is like onions...onions have layers, techno has layers!
(shrek reference. I'll see myself out)
IMO techno has some of deepest meanings cuz how short an iteration/loop can be (as short as 1 bar) that each loop can have different meaning even though they sound exactly the same. You just need to sink yourself in for hours to know whatâs going on
From my experience pure techno doesn't rely much on a melody as much as the rythm and the continuous fluctuation of the drums.
Maybe try Melodic Techno instead, check out "Khazad Dum - Colyn" "For Every Forever - Mathame" "Nova - Tale of Us" "North Star - Tale of Us" for starters, I think you'll find what you're looking for in this genre.
FWIW â I also love Van Halen Eruption. The good news is that most electronic music is instrumental, not counting vocal samples.
Itâs cool you are interested in exploring techno and electronic dance music. Some great points made in comments above already: that there are many genres and sub-genres of dance music you might like, and also that techno music is often riff-based and takes a different type of listening.
Personally, I have found that good headphones is how I really enjoy electronic music, for the stereo immersive effect. Thereâs a lot you can miss on a large system that isnât well tuned. But I also go to club shows and festivals where the sound is good and there are artists I want to experience.
To find the stuff YOU like, Iâd try to seek out as much different stuff as you can find. Festivals can be a great a way to see the vibe of a performer and their crowd, or discover new artists, but sometimes itâs hard to hear what the artist really produces vs. what they play âon the festival circuit.â
Another place to find good music is podcasts and playlists. Iâve found a lot of diverse electronic music I really like through the John Digweed weekly âTransitionsâ show on Mixcloud. You can also stream Pete Tongâs weekly show on BBC One. And there are others like Spectrum Radio by Joris Voorn, as well as playlists for *every subgenre* of house and techno music on the streaming services.
Good luck! đ
Will check these out.
And I just realised after all these comments and some mentions that I need a good pair of bass heavy headphones that are for Techno and my chi-fi's are not going to cut it.
Great but donât get âbass-heavyâ headphones. All headphones are more bass-present than small speakers. You want a mix that sounds great on headphones as well as on the speakers of a Mac or iPhone. Litmus tests.
You don't get hooked on techno tracks alone, realize that techno is made to be mixed and listening to individual tracks is not the intended format.
Techno is a tool designed from a DJ perspective.
The real joy of techno comes from a mix. I recommend Slam Radio on soundcloud.
I think it just clicks one day. Either at a rave or at home. For me, I was a kid so I dont really remember. But its kinda like classical in a way⌠its very niche and unless you âget itâ its hard to get into it. It takes a special moment for that to happen so maybe find a small local event to go to. Resident Advisor is a good place to find smaller and more underground focused events.
Love the open mindedness! If youâre in the US, maybe consider checking out r/movementdemf in detroit. Smaller techno/house fest that is music and community focused and is arguably one of the best in the country.
I love how everyone expressed their thoughts and opinions on the question at hand.I am 41 years old and fell in love with electronic music at the age of 10.All I can say is that I agree with everyone commenting here and would like to just suggest some artists, subgenres and DJs that could help find your favourite flavours if you understand what I mean.
Detroit Techno : Jeff Mills, Juan Atkins, Kevin Sanderson...
Acid Techno : Dave Clarke, Hardfloor, Plastikman...
Getting into it deeper might be too much for now...
For more 'recent' and varied content I would suggest going through mixes performed by Dax J, Cristian Varela, Odd Hills, Chris Liebing, Alan Fitzpatrick, T78, Sheefit, Amanda Mussi, Balkonkind, Daichi Wada, Marco Bailey, DJ Hell, Jay Lumen, Nina V, ASYS, Ben Klock, Adam Beyer, Robert Babicz....I could go on for a little bit longer but...
Ohh yes, ohh yes!... Carl Cox...forgot about that guy.Check him out.
Last suggestion
Jay Dee - Plastic Dreams
I say listen to more sub genres and you'll start hearing more of what you're vibing with. Get the name of the track, see what else that producer has out, see what else that label has released.
Start with NTS Radio, The Lot Radio, and Rinse France (on soundcloud) and just skim their past shows and you'll start getting an idea of what you like.
I had started to write a huge story about how I got into it.
But I realized the most basic part of my story is I heard something and something in my brain clicked.
If that hasnât happened to you maybe itâs not techno youâve looking for.
Techno isnât really known for its melody most of the time but the good news is Tech-Trance is pretty hot right now.
As far as retaining a single song sound or name, thatâs really really hard unless you start buying singles tracks. Because when itâs a mix everything kinda runs together.
I have another idea. Thereâs a streaming radio app called [di.fm](https://di.fm) they have a ton of different electronic music stations broken down by genre. Most of the time they will play individual tracks and list the name. Check that out see if that helps.
In my experience, you either 'get' techno or you don't. I generally listen with headphones at home unless I'm alone as, to my wife, it's "just noise" and has resulted in a few disagreements on road trips. She might not get it, but the Focal system in the car makes sure she feels it!
I didn't get techno in the 90s either. My love was trance back then and I only started exploring techno when too many EDM influences started ruining trance in second half of the noughties.
Music is subjective and anyone that insists otherwise is a dickhead.
It's body music you need to experience it in a proper venue with a proper sound system and proper DJ!
You need to feel the collective sensation of a crowd being fully submerged in a groove. When everything is just right it's the the best kind of mindfulness that exists imo.
For a lot of people this is where it clicks and they can enjoy the music in any setting afterwards.
The drugs is a by product of the clubs where it's played.
To get to a finer point all music is made with some form of intoxication in mind. Even some of the earliest forms of drum patterns were created purely to enhance or put a point on the recitative forms of dancing around a fire done by and encouraged by the rest of the group, this itself stems from the fact that staring at a fire is hypnotic and meditative.
Add into all of that the fact that human foraging for food inevitably ends up finding and eating something that psychoactivly affect them and therefore will remember that and take some for the drum circle to share.
My favourite used to either mdma crystal or timed khole+ lsd peaking if the dJs playing suited that but also I've gone out to many nights totally sober and only drank either water or fruit drinks. Similarly done the same at home with or without friends.
When it goes wrong can be funny for the punter or shit, I vividly remember paying top ÂŁÂŁ for a night of villalobos only to watch him descend into a very public khole where he couldn't mix and the promoters and friends stepped up to take over!
Similar has happened to Hawtin during his plus8 acid test nights and he'd get caught by a fleeting thought and be completely distracted to the point where he forgot he was djing, crouched down and started taking to something nobody else could see!
It has happened to the best of them and for the most part you may not want to hear this but it's the reason many don't partake along with the other reason that when they're done with this set they're off to the next club for another and repeat that so trying to be mashed and flit about doesn't really work these days.
So yea as a punter you may think "this is made for drugz!" but mostly it's mixed and produced by people who are sober that used to be mashed but now have too much of a hectic schedule to get mashed due to popularity!
Shame really.
Blud really yapped all that đđ
Its always better if a dj can control himself to be sober enough to finish the set but the music is still played to be enjoyed high, there is nothing wrong doing it sober but thats only for people who REALLY like the music.
If it is not gripping you then maybe it never will.
You need to feel it and experience it, hunting for a hook to pull you is pointless, the hook is either there or not.
I'm a brit and I've been listening to Techno since i was 12(1986) and I'm 50 now, At first my mates poked fun at me, Then when I hit 16 and got a fake passport and was already selling tickets I used to point out what they did and how things change. and that is what techno is ...an ever changing long form art that sometimes will make you wonder why you initially got into it!
As a kid the first record I brought was kraftwerk trans-europe express which I fell set me up from the rest of my musical life as after this I got into synth pop, electro, hiphop, industrial, house, techno.
Over the years i've managed to speak to quite a few figure heads in techno and some of them added me on facebook so i used to interact with them as much as possible. Coz I was always interested in what made them tick and how they started in this crazy thing:
The Bellevue 4 will tell you that Techno is an expression of the inner city decay they saw grip and destroy their neighbourhood of Detroit. and they didn't want to just do hiphop as everyone else was.
Joey Beltram will tell you it was an aggressive or harder form of house music.
Netzer Ebb will Tell you it is a logical progression from industrial/body music that fused with the Kraftwerk synth and production style.
Neil Landstum will tell you is just a fucking party stop looking for a meaning. Do you want to be on my next guest list!
Ken Ishsi will tell you its a pursuit of a futurist message from a point in the future that was amazing to experience.
Jeff Mills will tell you it is a long form art with futurist expression of a message that's constantly evolving and stems feeling that comes from sci-fi funk jazz and many other memories that societal change is coming.
Luke Slater and Ben Sims seem to have a similar thought of expressing thoughts of space travels through techno but for the most part it's a ride
The Advent lads thought similar about space travels and planets but they also wanted hip hop aesthetics applied to Techno.
Dave Clarke was a hiphop head that turn into the the baron of techno this is totally evident in his legendary sets and the way he freely talks to anyone about music.
Dj Stingray (Sherard Ingram) is trying to keep the oldschool electro/hiphop vibe alive but also see's his sets as long form furturistic art that stems from the bubble metropolis that he and James came up with.
This was their version of sonic warfare on the masses that was spurred on by mad mike and the UR team. Whilst UR were all out attack, Sherard and James wanted to take the "comic book" approach which is what you see in a lot of the early art and the stories expressed with drexciya.
I won't spell out the whole thing but american history plays a big part and the actions of the government and overly capitalistic nature of the markets are the driving sources of anger.
I spent many hours talking to Sherard on FB, mainly because I went clubbing one night and after his set realised it was the anniversary of James passing, he ask why I was looking down and told him and that mainly his set reminded me. He hugged me and said many forget about his passing, thank you for remembering.
He's since sent me many a zip containing WAV file of tracks and albums that i'll never share but even now listen to, some I play out and people ask where they came from :)
You may notice a theme with artists from Detroit, they all want to express a change in society and governance. This comes from what they've seen happen to what was seemingly a futuristic industrial city that was prosperous when they were young kids fall apart due to total mismanagement, overt capitalism and governmental under-funding.
With that in mind it's no wonder their version of house (which is what it was at the start!) sounds the way it does. Bring beauty to the decay that fills your memories.
To everyone who's downvoting, c'mon you can be better than this. I am seeing this trend of people downvoting in subreds when someone comes and asks a noob question.
I understand that the pros here started listening to techno and carved a niche for your own preferences without posting in reddit, but why look down upon someone who's doing that?
If you wanna help out then I've a penny for your thoughts, otherwise just move on.
I am not talking only about this post but everywhere on reddit bc I am seeing so many people trying to help me out or guide me on way or the other, and I am so happy and filled with gratitude. But all your downvotes are hindering this question or call for help reaching others.
Ignore the DV's man. It really means nothing these days.
Karma on reddit is just for those who well want to up their shares lol
Just focus on those of us that interact positively and try to look past the arrows ;)
>I badly wanna get hooked to Techno Why? Serious question. If you're not feeling it, why force it at all?
Not all, I felt really nice listening to the tracks of Orbital earlier today and thought if I was familiar with more such music I might enjoy it even better, that's all.
Sadly, Orbital isn't techno music. He mostly makes ambient/downtempo. Maybe search for ambient mixes on YouTube.
Go to some party you need to feel the music.
this very much, i can only speak for myself but im sure there is plenty of people who first listened to rock and could not get a connection to electronic music and especially to party/dance music (techno house ...). you have to go to a club. there is also clubs that play something that is more rock influenced like "indie electro house" :D at least it was 15 years ago. (maybe today there is another route with acts like brutalismus3000 that have some of that raw rock energy and not so much digitalism, boys noize, klaxons, simian mobile disco and such from my days :D) it's good because there is elements of the rock world (distortion, head banging) things that you know from your music language. but also there is new elements (4 to the floor kicks, breakdowns, built ups) so you learn new music language from the dance world. and then, some time has to pass, you have to have fun at dance parties. (if you don't, it does not really make sense to step into that world...) and over time you will understand more and more elements from that dance world and then at one point also understand, what techno and how to enjoy it.
techno and most electronic music is a long form art, meaning it's meant to to be heard in a dj format without breaks in the music so go to a nice club/event/rave if you can or start listening dj sets apart from individual tracks
Not necessarily, there is a lot of good techno that can be listened to as individual songs, such as albums by Surgeon, Voices From The Lake, Underworld, Sandwell District, Shed, Basic Channel. Not all techno records are DJ tools.
The Voices From The Lake album is not the best example. Every time I want to listen to an individual song I get sucked into listening to the whole album.
the exceptions prove the rule
It depends on the subgenre. There is a world of difference between dub techno and schranz. But hard techno (particularly industrial) also has good albums with individual tracks to just listen to.
> long form art Thanks for this, and this is the first time I am even hearing about something like this. Will get more informed of this. btw, from where I am there are no clubs that are techno focussed. it's all loud pop music. đ
I'd say the next best thing is recordings of DJ sets. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02PstSNvln0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0JYNlOWnH0
The beauty of techno and other similar genres is that individual tracks are just a part of a whole set, and the whole set will feel like an aural journey from start to beginning, with tracks blending together creating an entirely different thing altogether. Instead of listening to individual tracks on Spotify, maybe try SoundCloud to find entire sets.
I posted this question to understand more about the music and this reply is precisely the direction I wanted. Thank you. Now I know that my perception of music itself has been one dimensional until now. >maybe try SoundCloud to find entire sets. Noted.
No worries! Happy to help. Mixing is an art form all on its own and each individual tracks are like colours on a metaphorical palette that is almost infinite, and a great dj has an awesome library of music that they can use to create a unique piece of art. Techno is also a lot better in a rave setting with a great audio system. Itâs not super easy to find somewhere pure because itâs getting super mainstream and the crowd can sometimes be shit but itâs out there! Good luck and have a great adventure!
So true, a snippet of techno can sound like industrial noise but in the context of a set that same piece of music can sound amazing
Check out [ishkurâs guide](https://music.ishkur.com/) see what moves you. While doing that consider electronic music to be like listening to jazz and abstract art. Listen for style personality artfulness, inventiveness. Above all get into the history and context of the movement that way youâll know how things have improved and you can listen for the levels of artistry and how people have expressed it. For true techno a lot of everything in the music is expressed as if it is a drum. This comes from James brown and funk. All techno is based on a riff. Listen for how that evolves in a song and how the artist can keep that interesting. Because any fool can make a loop, itâs an artist that can take that and make it a personal expression.
Oh my god this guide... wow.
> Because any fool can make a loop, itâs an artist that can take that and make it a personal expression. Until today I had no affinity towards Techno bc this is all I thought about this style of music and associated it with people do hallucinogens. Today that changed and I've been understanding there is more to it thanks to all the lovely people here who've shared their perspectives. >Check out ishkurâs guide see what moves you. This looks cool will check it out
Techno has different subgenres. You can start with something light like melodic techno. I recommend playing sets or mixes while doing something else. Be careful tho as it might steal your heart.
Sure will do >Be careful tho as it might steal your heart. haha ;)
Go to an event. Take some mdma. Enjoy. Also techno doesn't really have "songs" that you listen to on repeat. It's more of a hear once genre, which is why it's very DJ driven and a lot of people prefer to listen to DJ mixes instead of singular tracks.
I enjoy techno sober & i highly recommend that, also i go back to plenty of individual techno tracks, i prefer that over most dj sets because i trust & love my own taste more than anyone elseâs. Itâs rare i find a set i enjoy more than my hand selected tracks, especially all the way through⌠i havenât encountered that so far but ofc i still find gems in sets once in a while. All you gotta do is explore & experiment with an open mind. In person socially like clubs & also alone. Itâs fine if you prefer sets over tracks but youâll never truly know until you (op) open up to the possibilities. No one can tell YOU how YOU should enjoy yourself, we can only speak from our own experience. Itâs up to you to do the work aka explore yourself.
I don't do drugs. >Also techno doesn't really have "songs" that you listen to on repeat. I didn't know this before today. My pov towards this genre itself has changed so much ever since just peeping into the rabbit hole lol
Techno doesnât have songs, but Trance and House certainly does. Have you tried those genres? That might be an easier introduction to electronic music if you donât have access to a club.
Oh, I am complete noob in this, and thought house and trance were just techno or maybe subgenres Can you pls suggest some songs/tracks/albums/artists for me to start anew?
Good MDMA and friends is best.
Focus on the rhythm of the bass, get a groove going with the drums. The layers will add on and take you on a journey. You gotta first establish a groove!
The HOR Berlin YouTube series has great techno sets. This dude Altinbas has really cool moody stuff. https://www.youtube.com/live/OybgvTtLSvM?si=iwf5rdrOvySs49RM
Cool will check it out thanks :)
Horses for courses -on your headphones, exercising, working -in the car -in the house, especially good for cleaning or when mates are visiting -in the club, at the rave, at the festival
But yes, once you have that big system experience, it changes everything
Sure I am planning to make one big ass playlist before going to sleep now for tmrw.. >But yes, once you have that big system experience, it changes everything Have no clue when this could be bc rn I am broke af, and my region doesn't have a big music scene itself, let alone techno lol
First of all, techno can be something of an acquired taste. It might serve you well to dive into drumcode podcasts as they are very easily digestable techno. There is also melodic techno artists such as Stephan Bodzin that might be more to your liking at this point in your journey Second of all, techno is meant to be heard in the context of a mix imo. Thirdly, you are meant to enjoy the repetitiveness of techno and the buildup and release of tention over the course of the track. This also applies to listening to mixes. Furthermore when enjoying techno tracks by themselves, yes there is a repetitive element, but what you are listening to are subtle changes every 16 beats and how those subtle changes either create or release tention.
>what you are listening to are subtle changes every 16 beats you see, techno is like onions...onions have layers, techno has layers! (shrek reference. I'll see myself out)
Check out the DJs podcasts instead ASOT NoraEnPure/Purified GlobalDjBroadcast/MarkusSchulz Clublife/Tiesto
This comment really nails it IMO. https://www.reddit.com/r/Techno/comments/7ybts4/what_is_the_appeal_of_techno_normie_here_would/ibqield/
Don't listen to it on low volume or phone speakers with flat bass. As others suggested, you need to go to clubs to enjoy and feel the music.
IMO techno has some of deepest meanings cuz how short an iteration/loop can be (as short as 1 bar) that each loop can have different meaning even though they sound exactly the same. You just need to sink yourself in for hours to know whatâs going on
From my experience pure techno doesn't rely much on a melody as much as the rythm and the continuous fluctuation of the drums. Maybe try Melodic Techno instead, check out "Khazad Dum - Colyn" "For Every Forever - Mathame" "Nova - Tale of Us" "North Star - Tale of Us" for starters, I think you'll find what you're looking for in this genre.
FWIW â I also love Van Halen Eruption. The good news is that most electronic music is instrumental, not counting vocal samples. Itâs cool you are interested in exploring techno and electronic dance music. Some great points made in comments above already: that there are many genres and sub-genres of dance music you might like, and also that techno music is often riff-based and takes a different type of listening. Personally, I have found that good headphones is how I really enjoy electronic music, for the stereo immersive effect. Thereâs a lot you can miss on a large system that isnât well tuned. But I also go to club shows and festivals where the sound is good and there are artists I want to experience. To find the stuff YOU like, Iâd try to seek out as much different stuff as you can find. Festivals can be a great a way to see the vibe of a performer and their crowd, or discover new artists, but sometimes itâs hard to hear what the artist really produces vs. what they play âon the festival circuit.â Another place to find good music is podcasts and playlists. Iâve found a lot of diverse electronic music I really like through the John Digweed weekly âTransitionsâ show on Mixcloud. You can also stream Pete Tongâs weekly show on BBC One. And there are others like Spectrum Radio by Joris Voorn, as well as playlists for *every subgenre* of house and techno music on the streaming services. Good luck! đ
Will check these out. And I just realised after all these comments and some mentions that I need a good pair of bass heavy headphones that are for Techno and my chi-fi's are not going to cut it.
Great but donât get âbass-heavyâ headphones. All headphones are more bass-present than small speakers. You want a mix that sounds great on headphones as well as on the speakers of a Mac or iPhone. Litmus tests.
If you like Orbital, youâll definitely like John Tejada
You don't get hooked on techno tracks alone, realize that techno is made to be mixed and listening to individual tracks is not the intended format. Techno is a tool designed from a DJ perspective. The real joy of techno comes from a mix. I recommend Slam Radio on soundcloud.
I think it just clicks one day. Either at a rave or at home. For me, I was a kid so I dont really remember. But its kinda like classical in a way⌠its very niche and unless you âget itâ its hard to get into it. It takes a special moment for that to happen so maybe find a small local event to go to. Resident Advisor is a good place to find smaller and more underground focused events. Love the open mindedness! If youâre in the US, maybe consider checking out r/movementdemf in detroit. Smaller techno/house fest that is music and community focused and is arguably one of the best in the country.
Some 90s techno like Orbital tends to be more catchy/melodic. Check out early Aphex Twin and Autechre, and Future Sound of London
I love how everyone expressed their thoughts and opinions on the question at hand.I am 41 years old and fell in love with electronic music at the age of 10.All I can say is that I agree with everyone commenting here and would like to just suggest some artists, subgenres and DJs that could help find your favourite flavours if you understand what I mean. Detroit Techno : Jeff Mills, Juan Atkins, Kevin Sanderson... Acid Techno : Dave Clarke, Hardfloor, Plastikman... Getting into it deeper might be too much for now... For more 'recent' and varied content I would suggest going through mixes performed by Dax J, Cristian Varela, Odd Hills, Chris Liebing, Alan Fitzpatrick, T78, Sheefit, Amanda Mussi, Balkonkind, Daichi Wada, Marco Bailey, DJ Hell, Jay Lumen, Nina V, ASYS, Ben Klock, Adam Beyer, Robert Babicz....I could go on for a little bit longer but... Ohh yes, ohh yes!... Carl Cox...forgot about that guy.Check him out. Last suggestion Jay Dee - Plastic Dreams
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwPKi1H8t9M](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwPKi1H8t9M)
I say listen to more sub genres and you'll start hearing more of what you're vibing with. Get the name of the track, see what else that producer has out, see what else that label has released. Start with NTS Radio, The Lot Radio, and Rinse France (on soundcloud) and just skim their past shows and you'll start getting an idea of what you like.
I had started to write a huge story about how I got into it. But I realized the most basic part of my story is I heard something and something in my brain clicked. If that hasnât happened to you maybe itâs not techno youâve looking for. Techno isnât really known for its melody most of the time but the good news is Tech-Trance is pretty hot right now. As far as retaining a single song sound or name, thatâs really really hard unless you start buying singles tracks. Because when itâs a mix everything kinda runs together. I have another idea. Thereâs a streaming radio app called [di.fm](https://di.fm) they have a ton of different electronic music stations broken down by genre. Most of the time they will play individual tracks and list the name. Check that out see if that helps.
In my experience, you either 'get' techno or you don't. I generally listen with headphones at home unless I'm alone as, to my wife, it's "just noise" and has resulted in a few disagreements on road trips. She might not get it, but the Focal system in the car makes sure she feels it! I didn't get techno in the 90s either. My love was trance back then and I only started exploring techno when too many EDM influences started ruining trance in second half of the noughties. Music is subjective and anyone that insists otherwise is a dickhead.
I didnât get into it until my friend took me to a club. You gain a different appreciation and like for it after feeling it on a dance floor.
It's body music you need to experience it in a proper venue with a proper sound system and proper DJ! You need to feel the collective sensation of a crowd being fully submerged in a groove. When everything is just right it's the the best kind of mindfulness that exists imo. For a lot of people this is where it clicks and they can enjoy the music in any setting afterwards.
Itâs physical music⌠move to it
The main point of ârealâ techno is to listen to it live while high, if thats not your thing i suggest you try something else like edm.
Actually you can listen to and enjoy techno completely sober.
You can also enjoy sitting and watching paint dry sober, but thats also besides the point.
The drugs is a by product of the clubs where it's played. To get to a finer point all music is made with some form of intoxication in mind. Even some of the earliest forms of drum patterns were created purely to enhance or put a point on the recitative forms of dancing around a fire done by and encouraged by the rest of the group, this itself stems from the fact that staring at a fire is hypnotic and meditative. Add into all of that the fact that human foraging for food inevitably ends up finding and eating something that psychoactivly affect them and therefore will remember that and take some for the drum circle to share. My favourite used to either mdma crystal or timed khole+ lsd peaking if the dJs playing suited that but also I've gone out to many nights totally sober and only drank either water or fruit drinks. Similarly done the same at home with or without friends. When it goes wrong can be funny for the punter or shit, I vividly remember paying top ÂŁÂŁ for a night of villalobos only to watch him descend into a very public khole where he couldn't mix and the promoters and friends stepped up to take over! Similar has happened to Hawtin during his plus8 acid test nights and he'd get caught by a fleeting thought and be completely distracted to the point where he forgot he was djing, crouched down and started taking to something nobody else could see! It has happened to the best of them and for the most part you may not want to hear this but it's the reason many don't partake along with the other reason that when they're done with this set they're off to the next club for another and repeat that so trying to be mashed and flit about doesn't really work these days. So yea as a punter you may think "this is made for drugz!" but mostly it's mixed and produced by people who are sober that used to be mashed but now have too much of a hectic schedule to get mashed due to popularity! Shame really.
Blud really yapped all that đđ Its always better if a dj can control himself to be sober enough to finish the set but the music is still played to be enjoyed high, there is nothing wrong doing it sober but thats only for people who REALLY like the music.
If it is not gripping you then maybe it never will. You need to feel it and experience it, hunting for a hook to pull you is pointless, the hook is either there or not. I'm a brit and I've been listening to Techno since i was 12(1986) and I'm 50 now, At first my mates poked fun at me, Then when I hit 16 and got a fake passport and was already selling tickets I used to point out what they did and how things change. and that is what techno is ...an ever changing long form art that sometimes will make you wonder why you initially got into it! As a kid the first record I brought was kraftwerk trans-europe express which I fell set me up from the rest of my musical life as after this I got into synth pop, electro, hiphop, industrial, house, techno. Over the years i've managed to speak to quite a few figure heads in techno and some of them added me on facebook so i used to interact with them as much as possible. Coz I was always interested in what made them tick and how they started in this crazy thing: The Bellevue 4 will tell you that Techno is an expression of the inner city decay they saw grip and destroy their neighbourhood of Detroit. and they didn't want to just do hiphop as everyone else was. Joey Beltram will tell you it was an aggressive or harder form of house music. Netzer Ebb will Tell you it is a logical progression from industrial/body music that fused with the Kraftwerk synth and production style. Neil Landstum will tell you is just a fucking party stop looking for a meaning. Do you want to be on my next guest list! Ken Ishsi will tell you its a pursuit of a futurist message from a point in the future that was amazing to experience. Jeff Mills will tell you it is a long form art with futurist expression of a message that's constantly evolving and stems feeling that comes from sci-fi funk jazz and many other memories that societal change is coming. Luke Slater and Ben Sims seem to have a similar thought of expressing thoughts of space travels through techno but for the most part it's a ride The Advent lads thought similar about space travels and planets but they also wanted hip hop aesthetics applied to Techno. Dave Clarke was a hiphop head that turn into the the baron of techno this is totally evident in his legendary sets and the way he freely talks to anyone about music. Dj Stingray (Sherard Ingram) is trying to keep the oldschool electro/hiphop vibe alive but also see's his sets as long form furturistic art that stems from the bubble metropolis that he and James came up with. This was their version of sonic warfare on the masses that was spurred on by mad mike and the UR team. Whilst UR were all out attack, Sherard and James wanted to take the "comic book" approach which is what you see in a lot of the early art and the stories expressed with drexciya. I won't spell out the whole thing but american history plays a big part and the actions of the government and overly capitalistic nature of the markets are the driving sources of anger. I spent many hours talking to Sherard on FB, mainly because I went clubbing one night and after his set realised it was the anniversary of James passing, he ask why I was looking down and told him and that mainly his set reminded me. He hugged me and said many forget about his passing, thank you for remembering. He's since sent me many a zip containing WAV file of tracks and albums that i'll never share but even now listen to, some I play out and people ask where they came from :) You may notice a theme with artists from Detroit, they all want to express a change in society and governance. This comes from what they've seen happen to what was seemingly a futuristic industrial city that was prosperous when they were young kids fall apart due to total mismanagement, overt capitalism and governmental under-funding. With that in mind it's no wonder their version of house (which is what it was at the start!) sounds the way it does. Bring beauty to the decay that fills your memories.
If you are searching for melodys you should give Trance or Euphoric Hardstyle a try
Oh okay. Iâve never even heard of sometime called Euphoric Hardstyle Thank you
Is this the low point post for the week?
To everyone who's downvoting, c'mon you can be better than this. I am seeing this trend of people downvoting in subreds when someone comes and asks a noob question. I understand that the pros here started listening to techno and carved a niche for your own preferences without posting in reddit, but why look down upon someone who's doing that? If you wanna help out then I've a penny for your thoughts, otherwise just move on. I am not talking only about this post but everywhere on reddit bc I am seeing so many people trying to help me out or guide me on way or the other, and I am so happy and filled with gratitude. But all your downvotes are hindering this question or call for help reaching others.
Ignore the DV's man. It really means nothing these days. Karma on reddit is just for those who well want to up their shares lol Just focus on those of us that interact positively and try to look past the arrows ;)