We Outside (prod. Ghosty)

Slow Down

Apple Music

Ballerina

ALL HITTAS

Time Capsule

ANNOUNCE US

"IT'S TIME FOR TECHNO MUTHRF*****S!"
-from Quadrophonia's "Shizophrenia"
1992

Ah Techno...There's so much to say (Have you ever known me to be at a loss for words?).  Many people mistakenly think a song on the radio with a dance beat is "Techno".  Not true.  Techno is differentiated by fear, warning, threat, euphoria, political message, control or lack thereof, mental confusion, and even sheer anger in the music's beat and its message.  I tell people I was never much into house music.  That has since changed but the roots of my love of dance music originally stem from a love of techno that began in the early 90's.  In particular, I remember a track by Euphoria called "I Like Noise".  In this track is an Italian-styled back and forth between classic techno samples with which a robotic voice announces, "I Like Noise", setting off the noisy techno clips.  Intertwined are house snippets announced by the robotic voice to set off the exclamation, "I Like House".  It is a wonderful illustration of the times of the friendly, mutually respectful battle for dominance between techno and house music.  I remember hearing this on the dance floor of the Ramrod, Boston--a set of which you'll find within my "Knight-in-Motion" series, "A Tribute to Mandance Sundays @ The Ramrod, Boston '91-'97".

Techno music has it's origins in the underground clubs of Berlin.  In the US, techno came out of Detroit in the 1980's as underground dance music and subculture. Techno music took technology and made it a black secret. It came from the melding of black styles including Chicago house, funk, electro, and electric jazz with electronic music.  However, the use of the term "techno" to refer to a type of electronic music originated in Germany in the early 1980s. In 1988, following the UK release of the compilation Techno! The New Dance Sound of Detroit, the term came to be associated with a form of electronic dance music produced in Detroit.  Who thought of it first?  My bet is on Europe, as major capitals like London, Berlin, Milan, and Amsterdam were and remain far more forward thinking and innovative than the US--where to this day, believe it or not-- the arena of dance music is bastardized as a "black" or "gay" sound, unworthy of the acknowledgement and acclaim it deserves.  When vinyl records were still being produced--A&R and label heads resented the high cost of making and distributing 12" singles of sub genres of dance music like house-- in particular techno.  They said that 12" singles represented 5% of sales and cost the most to produce and distribute.  Well of course!  If you remember Tower records or record stores like Newbury Comics in Boston, there were a huge selection of German techno imports by the late, venerable German label ZYX records.  Luckily there were vinyl listening stations where you could listen to theses vinyl gems--Thank you Tower Records, New bury Comics, Boston Beat and Vinyl Connection, Boston, for your support of this small yet powerful label under the umbrella of BMG.

Berlin is often hailed as the mecca of techno parties. One third of its 5.3 million tourists a year are said to be drawn to the city by its techno scene. Berghain is perhaps the most infamous club of all and has been labelled the best club in the world by many, from the New York Times to DJ Mag. The party lasts from Friday night until Saturday morning, and then runs again from Saturday night until Monday. Because of the gritty, hedonistic nature of this club and its consistently top-notch DJ lineup, many a partier has attempted to enter its gates. Most are turned away from the door and retreat home in disappointment.

If we trace back the history of techno, we find it was largely an expression of struggle by African Americans in Detroit, and a cry for their decaying city and home. Detroit techno traveled nearly 7000 km to find new life as Berlin techno.

Peace,
djPerdición

Deep in the House

Gino Vogt