Techno didn’t just start a couple of years ago with some cool kids dressed in black deciding to lock themselves in a basement with drum machines and synths. Nor did it start in Ibiza with glamorous parties and psychedelic experiences. In actual fact, the techno sound is something that has undergone through an impressive evolution; reshaping itself into its more mainstream form of today, championed by big name DJs and producers such as Nina Kraviz, Carl Cox and Richie Hawtin. Techno is a movement grounded in an aesthetic that emerged in Detroit, at the beginning of the 1980’s. Inspired by the landscape of the deteriorating city covered with abandoned factories and by the music they grew up with, a bunch of kids (Juan Atkins, Derrick May and Kevin Suanderson) started making their own brand of electronic music that was heavily influenced by a hyper modern afro futuristic vision; following the footsteps of other African American artists such as George Clinton and Sun Ra.
In this article, I’ll list 5 tracks that will help you to understand roots and influences of the techno sound. You can drop these names when you’re arguing about music with your friends. You’re welcome.
Sylvester – You Make Me Feel
This track by the mythical drag queen performer, Sylvester, was his breakthrough hit. He was credited for creating a sub genre of disco called HI-NRG that already contained some of the basic elements of techno: repetitive arpeggio synths a la Giorgio Moroder, ecstatic build ups, electronic textures, fast tempos and four to the floor beats. Derrick May has been known to drop the track and it has been sampled by other techno artists too. (video)
Yellow Magic Orchestra – Firecracker
YMO was a popular electro/synth-pop band, which featured a young Ryuichi Sakamoto (known for his soundtrack work in Babel and The Revenant). They were one of biggest exponents of synth pop and electro and were huge between the late 70’s and mid 80’s. This song, in particular, is brimming with bright synths and swirling melodies, twirled into a beautiful arrangement. Almost every sound is electronic and the beat is funky as hell. They were one of the most eclectic sounds of the time and they even got to play on the legendary show, Soul Train (video). It’s not hard to imagine a young Juan Atkins watching this on TV and vibing out.
Kraftwerk – Home Computer
Kraftwerk is one of the top innovators in the electronic music game. Their music and stage presence revolved around machine like characters that told stories about a future where the line between human and computers is blurred. They were one of the first bands to exclusively use electronic instruments and commit to this aesthetic. It’s not hard to see the direct influence they had on techno. This track, in particular, showcases a raw and stripped sound, which only features a few clean sounding synths, crisp electronic percussions and a beautiful but ominous ascending arpeggio. I first heard this track when Ricardo Villalobos dropped it in a set and it melded perfectly with the most vanguard style of minimal techno.
A Number of Names – Shari Vari
Named after Detroit’s Charivari party, which involved Eddie Fowlkes (another one of Detroit techno’s most prominent musicians), an important party in Detroit at the beginning of the 80’s that influenced a lot of the musical tastes of the youth of the time. This track is considered to be one of the original techno tracks because of its beat (funky but repetitive), looped synth line and cryptic vocals.
Cybotron – Alleys of Your Mind
It would be a crime to finish up this list without mentioning Cybotron, the duo formed by Juan Atkins and Rick Davis. This track is a perfect example of the techno sound because of the purely electronic instrumentation, dark poetic vocals with an almost robotic delivery and its danceable appeal, despite its left field sound. It was popularised by the electrifying Mojo, a Detroit DJ that was a key figure in the spread of the techno sound. Juan Atkins was also credited with being the first person to coin the term “Techno”, which he extracted from an Alvin Toffler essay. Cybotron would break up in the following years but Juan Atkins would continue to build on his legacy, releasing music on his Metroplex label.