So I’m not really much of a techno fan. Don’t get me wrong, Aphex twin is my daddy and all that but I just never fully got into “techno” as a genre. I’m much more of a metal/noise/breakcore guy who likes a bit of braindance on the side. So why is it then that so many of my best (and I use the word “best” loosely) tracks come out in a style and genre I’ve never really had a great deal to do with?
Is it, as Bob Moog put it, that using synths (and, by extension, samplers) is “somewhere between discovering and witnessing” and I make so much techno because I use Elektron gear?
Is it that I’m just crap at drum programming so my natural laziness drops me at the door of the 4/4?
Or should I just accept what I’m best at and get on with it, regardless of whether or not I enjoy the outcome*?
Anyway, for the TL/DR crew, here’s some banging techno what I done last week.
*Whether or not I enjoy the music I make, I always enjoy the process of making it, otherwise it probably wouldn’t get made.
I would have trouble classifying such music, I’m not very competent in this field.
Yet, this track goes more in the direction of 2000 acid jazz/house IMO.
In my mind, techno is less melody, more industrial percussions, less hats, more dark, more distortion (like : take the last 15 seconds and make it a track with no melody and a kick, and you got it ^^).
Anyway, don’t think twice, persevere and produce until you got something that pleases you!
I program a shitload of techno as well… and I know absolutely nothing about it, besides 2 or 3 artists. It doesn’t bother me too much, I do an outsider version of techno, what I think it sounds like… at least, it sounds like me and if it isn’t really techno, well, don’t care.
That’s more or less how uk dubstep started. Guys trying to do 2step / jungle, and ending up with super striped down, mutated versions of it.
I’ll listen to your music later, I’m at a meeting at work.
Some look at their instruments and think “I’ll master it and make it play my music”. I look at my instruments and think “What conversations will we have ?”. And ultimately it’s a conversation between the musician and the instrument maker.
Explore, practice, make mistakes, find happy accidents, learn, repeat. Compete against your “natural laziness” and make the music you want to hear or dance to. Elektron gear doesn’t make you produce techno, you produce techno because you want to. I know, it’s an “easy to say hard to do” kind of speech, but if you want to make some breakcore or perfect your drum programming skills, then go for it, what’s really stopping you but yourself?
I make two styles of music. The style I “want” to make and the style that I am actually good at making. Embrace that for happiness. Think of the style you are good at as your “job” and the style you like as your “hobby”.
@Nicko, I think you’ve hit the nail on the head here. I think I’m in denial about the music I want to make. I’ll take the advice and just get on with banging out tracks.
No disrespect intended but that isn’t what I think of as banging techno, but then that isn’t a bad thing anyway, I’d say it was more housey, I mean I’m far from an expert on genres anyway so take it with a pinch of salt
But main thing is nice track, don’t worry about categories too much
It’s cool, I was being a bit ironic. It’s obviously not techno in the classical sense, just called it that because I can’t admit to myself that I make house music.
Perhaps it’s your Muse pulling your creativity in different directions. If you keep trying to make the music you want to, I imagine you will eventually. However, along the way, many other types of creations are bound to spring up. I think that’s just natural with electronic music production. Personally, I’ve never been a fan of 4 on the floor type drum beats, but some of my best tracks have those type of drums. Sometimes you just have to let the music guide you and be the passenger I suppose. I can totally see where your coming from.
…to me…all that has straight four to the floor kiks… is techno…
i know…there is …tekkno…tech house…deep house…house…and what not else…
u name it…
and of course it’s all like elsewhere these days …endless diversity overdrive full on…
but four to the floor remains four to the floor…
with a million different flavours, feels, flaws…
and tempi…
Haha at first I wanted to make a witty argument that not every 4/4 kick is called techno, but then I remembered that I call everything with electric guitar „rock“.
For me, techno has always been the raw material that a talented DJ can use to take you to interesting places.
Very few techno tracks will take my mind to interesting places on their own. Within the context of a good mix, by a good DJ who is not afraid to take measures risks… that’s where most tracks shine.
When I’m not on mobile I’ll post some examples of both ends of the spectrum (tracks that get it done, and mixes that get it done)
