The tricky thing is: the Word “Techno” itself.
For some people it is an umbrella term containing lots of types of music. For others it relates to a very specific style of music, but that style can be dramatically different from one person to the next.
So getting tips for techno… not easy.
For me, Techno is not about structure at all. Its about colour, texture, shapes.
You got it! Does that mean we “collab’d” (that’s what the kids are saying these days, I think)?
Techno is about a That one bar loop . If that fundamental 1 bar loop doesn’t work on its own the whole track doesn’t work. For example kick +sub + hat . If you can listen to it for minutes and it sets the groove really well then the rest is just bringing other elements in and out
In Techno every element has to be seen as an instrument. there are no boundaries . But every element has to fit . In other music styles you can fix the Lack of Sound Design by bringing in some vocals or melodic elements like piano per synths . In techno every element has to sound right so it could work in its own when you mute other elements for e.g. breakdowns
I recommend John Selway videos from 343 Labs, such like these:
Yes
But also relevant for many other genres.
I like techno but I don’t see it as any more ‘worthy’ than many other genres.
Except trap / drill … they can go directly to the trash bin … though I’m old and don’t get it .
Techno I like ranges from some max Cooper to mode selector to fear ratio to orbital to underworld to Luke slater etc …
Anyone over 30 who listens to drill is a cop.
Mate, I used to work with kids in care, took them to some all day drill/grime show (nothing too hardcore). The looks I was getting all day as a mid-30’s white guy…
I didn’t see a single person smoking a spliff all day, but I did see a lot of worried looking people holding their breath and keeping their hands in their pockets.
i learned about track structure by vulgar statistical analysis (works with the vast majority of electronic genres):
– took a dozen of my favorite tracks of the genre
– analyzed each 8-bar chunk of each track – how many elements, what are they, what added and substracted comparing to previous chunk
– done.
you need to do this with several tracks to compare and figure out what’s typical and what tricks people use to make things interesting.
after that you have the general idea how the structure works. time to practice.
assemble a few full-length tracks from your sketches. for the practice purposes tracks don’t even need to be good, just complete.
and you’re done.
We could for sure differentiate “raw Techno” , minimal Techno, Downtempo, Melodic Techno, Dark Techno, Deep Techno, Tech House - for me those are all different genres. All have their own conventions, but from their structures its often bring in element, show off an element.
For me techno isnt about that 1 bar loop, its the tension its creating.
Good point, a lot of music is about tension and release, which can be achieved in many ways. The types of techno I’m drawn towards (both listening and making) generally eschew any notions of release and just keep piling on the tension. That’s what makes techno so effective; no release, no escape, just the beat.
Another way to think about techno is the mentality and approach. Some folks are very methodical and structured. Others, very free and flowing.
Techno is whatever you want it to be.
Techno is whatever you want it to be, as long as you go by the rules!
I’m old school so every couple of minutes I yell “James Brown is Dead”
Drum machines don’t sound like a real drummer!!!
Burn all disco records. !!!
Exactly. Many different subgenres, but feel free to share tips that work for you!
How do you build up tension ie. Is that by adding things or by using a background FX that gets louder over time
I take indie rock songs , and use paul stretch to get them to very slow speed, and use that as background noise. Before that i check that the source is within the key of the track i am doing.
Its like a pad, which is slowly evolving. I sometimes do that with simple melodic sequences, stretching them way out.
Justin Bieber 800% slower
Y, thats true hardcore g
Slap a deep 4/4 kick on it and it’s a GAS masterpiece