I’ve recently been taking a liking to very minimal and dark techno sounds – like those on Richie Hawtin’s Concept 1 album. However, I know pretty much nothing about minimal techno beyond him so I’m looking for recommendations that I can check out on either Bandcamp or YouTube (no Spotify links pls!). As some of you know, I’m a massive fan of Autechre, so if there are some equivalents in terms of innovation and sound design (while being more stripped back, of course!) in the techno world, hook me up. I do not like heavier techno. I want stuff that’s more subdued - dark minimal techno for listening on headphones, pls. TIA!
Check out Matador. He was picked up by Richie Hawtins label. He is a class act.
There’s a chance you already know of them, Basic Channel have produced some very influential techno with a similar idea of “minimal” behind it – always good to have a bit of perspective and not such a clear genredefined palette. They’re also in the same magnitude of historical influence I guess.
Not sure if they were really really happy later on with the term “minimal”, but it’s certainly mentioned in the same sentence here and there.
Scion - Arrange and Process Basic Channel Tracks is a good starting point if you’re more into the clubbier side of the sound, but I think the minimal/reductionist idea comes across better if you listen to the original tracks in full. The Phylyps Trak releases I think show the idea of “stripping back” nicely.
It all sounds a little less bleepier than Richie Hawtin and these things, but oh not in a bad way!
Well there is a lot of that stuff but it is quite old, mainly popular around 1995-2003, nowadays this type of sound is almost disappeared.
I no longer listen this genre, I think it is mainly for clubbing, it is often quite repetitive hypnotic and syncopated.
I have got a huge vinyl collection from that time, check this stuff, a mix of label and artist
Here is a list
Profan label
Studio 1 label
Chain Reaction label
Mike Ink
Thomas Brinkmann
Synewave New York Label
Basic Channel
Vladislav Delay
Andreas Tilliander
Mille Plateaux
Studio Pankow
Perlon
Sender
Sleeparchive
Alva Noto
Mika Vainio
Raster Noton
Robert Hood
This is probably my fav techno track of all times. The whole album is on YT as well.
Incredibly delicate stuff that allows your mind to travel. Various Artists - 3 - YouTube
If you don’t know it, you can also check Richie Hawtin albums under moniker ‘Plastikman’
Like this one:
He is one of my favorite acts in that area, relevant since the 90ies imho. Good old times, he is very groovy in my book. And from my hometown Frankfurt, so i am a bit biased about him in a positive way. He does a combination of NI Maschine coupled with records. So a bit live act + dj.
He can play the teasing game very well. Similar to Richi, that is when you play this stuff for +25 years - since the beginning of techno.
You might find some stuff you like in this thread, I’m a massive Hawtin fan and this type of techno, perfect for headphones
I like also ‘Recondite’, don’t know if it is really dark techno minimal, (maybe too much melody?..I’m not into genres… )but not far…
Yeah some of the early vainio and pan sonic stuff is very minimal, massive discography but the later stuff is a bit more industrial
And as you like Autechre check out the latest Plaid album Polymer
Yes, that’s right
I never really was into techno until a few weeks ago. There is some great stuff going at the moment. It seems like Spain and Portugal have a great scene.
This isn’t as minimal as I wanted, but I listened all the way through regardless. Very much enjoyed!
I was about to say, Mike Parker, Spazio Disponibile, etc sounds like exactly what the OP is looking for. Seems like we have very similar tastes @Adelock