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Detroit Techno

A little chopstick introduced me into these songs:

Kevin Saunderson - Say Something
Brian Transeau - Relativity (Carl Craig's Urban mix)

and explained to me that they were Detroit Techno. Of course, I didn't believe him. He explained Detroit Techno can be funky, too. I thought these were some form of house.

Can someone explain the origination of Detroit Techno? And what makes these tracks it? Is it all merely in the name of Juan Atkins, Carl Craig and Derrick May?

Also, I'd like similar funky tracks!!! I've looked into Juan Atkin's "Legends" and Craig's "More Songs About Food and Revolutionary Art," but found these to be less dancefloor friendly and more at home listening.

Edit* Is Luke Solomon considered one of this genre? Or are tracks similar to the two listed above just an exception? meaning I should just become a House head convert? haha

Thanks!

I expect all those who tutored me on Acid House/Trance to post in here, also.

Last Night a DJ Saved My Life

check it out. history of dance music: jungle, house, garage, techno, trance, disco and hip hop

does a really good job of explaining how it all happened and where it all came from

May, Atkins, and Saunderson created techno, and they happened to be in detroit at the time. Rhythim is Rhythim - Strings Of Life is generally regarded as the first techno song, although it still clocks in as a massive house classic. Beyond the original three, the second wave of detroit techno included Carl Craig, Jeff Mills, and Robert Hood. I'm sure there are others, but those came to mind.

If you want to hear Carl Craig doing what he's famous for, get either Sound on Sound or 4 Jazz Funk Classics from under his 69 alias. If you want to hear the best piece of music he's ever created, check out Just Another Day.

cheers.

Re: Detroit Techno

quote:

Originally posted by Estella A little chopstick introduced me into these songs: Kevin Saunderson - Say Something Brian Transeau - Relativity (Carl Craig's Urban mix)

Say Something...and pretty much all of Kevin's Inner City work is not really pure Detroit Techno. More like...Detroit Tech-House. By that, I mean Kevin Saunderson, a Detroit Techno pioneer, decided to try and make House music like his Chicago counterparts in 1988 when he formed Inner City. At this time Chicago House was very big and making it across the world. His productions still retained a feeling of the Motor City Techno soul though. If you listen to Inner City productions you'll hear a lot of Housey diva vocals, pianos, other real instruments in addition to trademark Detroit sounds. If you follow. lol. You know what I think you'll like? All Inner City albums. Don't take my word for it though...

Carl Craig's remix of Relativity...the whole thing smacks of Techno and Detroit. All those clicks and chicka chicka chick's. And clicka clicka clicka clacks . The cymbals used in other places besides as an offset to the bass kicks. But the soft bassline and the other melodies are just complimentary to that sound. It actually sounds like it takes a lot of elements from the genre of "Lounge" music if it exists. Or maybe Deep House...something like that...I suppose...

quote:

and explained to me that they were Detroit Techno. Of course, I didn't believe him. He explained Detroit Techno can be funky, too. I thought these were some form of house.

Detroit techno can be all kinds of things. Hard to explain. Look these names and artists up:
Robert Hood
Rhythim Is Rhythim
Underground Resistance
"Mad" Mike Banks/Mike Banks/Mad Mike
X-101/X-102/X-103
Jeff Mills
Juan Atkins
Mayday
E-Dancer
DJ T-1000
Signal To Noise Ratio
Suburban Knight
Sean Deason
Drexciya
Blake Baxter
Stacey Pullen
Kenny Larkin
Anthony Shakir
Eddie 'Flashin' Fowlkes
Claude Young

Umm...and so on...

quote:

Can someone explain the origination of Detroit Techno? And what makes these tracks it? Is it all merely in the name of Juan Atkins, Carl Craig and Derrick May?

The origin of Detroit Techno is probably Cybotron - Techno City . That is, most likely it's both the first Detroit Techno track and the first techno track period. Cybotron is a project of Juan Atkins and Richard Davies. Juan Atkins is a guy from Detroit. All those guys make Detroit Techno. I can't really explain what makes them Detroit Techno other than the fact that well...first Juan, Derrick, and Kevin (who were friends from High School) started making these tracks they called techno in the mid-late 80's. So that's what they were called, techno. Eventually, around the early 90's, more young black men caught on to the underground techno movement in Detroit, guys like Carl Craig, Mike Banks, Kenny Larkin, and Jeff Mills. These guys saw what the original innovators did and basically imitated the sound. These were the second wave of Detroit Techno producers. There are also more guys from detroit who have since took up the sound and are known as the third wave Detroit Techno producers. Guys like Stacey Pullen, Claude Young, and DJ Rolando, who picked up the sound and joined the Detroit..."elite"...around the late 90's. Each of the tree successive "waves" of producers sort of advance the Detroit Techno sound in some way. They bring something new and fresh. What that something is, is beyond me.

Detroit Techno, for whatever reason, has always been a Detroit thing. Whenever someone has tried to imitate it, like Laurent Garnier/Dave Angel/Mike Dearborn in the mid 90's, they never seem to either get it quite right or just give up for some reason. Detroit techno is generally more melodic than other kinds of techno, and generally more 'soulful'. But it can be just as harsh as well. It's...hard to pin down. It's mostly defined as whatever a black guy from Detroit makes that sounds like techno. Hah. Maybe not. Lots of percussive sounds. Hi hats galore. Claps claps claps. And mechanical futuristic sounding ambient strings. Lots of those. I dunno. Even tracks that would normally be called "Electro" like Underground Resistance - The Final Frontier are still known as Detroit Techno. Model 500...people still call the Electro under that name Detroit Techno. They're technically Electro, but some people call it Detroit Techno. I'm not sure that those people are 100 percent wrong. I guess Detroit Techno is as much of an exclusive cultural construct as it is a musical genre. If that makes any sense at all. It's a very interesting and a very confusing thing to say the least. Probably didn't really explain much though did I. :/

quote:

Edit* Is Luke Solomon considered one of this genre? Or are tracks similar to the two listed above just an exception? meaning I should just become a House head convert? haha

I don't know. I hesitate to call tracks that are even obviously made in imitation of Detroit Techno (like Dave Angel - Original Man) "Detroit" Techno, if they were produced outside of Detroit. In my mind the greatest imitation of detroit techno by someone outside of detroit is Deepside - French. I guess some would say that's the "French Touch" Ludovic and krew are known for. Maybe so. If they put their finger on Detroit.

Here is a link to a site that has a two part interview with "Mad" Mike Banks, the backbone of Underground Resistance. UR of course being probably the most pioneering or driving force in Detroit Techno since it was invented. The interview also has tons of awesome Detroit Techno tracks played between questions asked of Mike.

In the end I think this is another case just like in your acid thread. There really isn't one specific genre that will give you tons and tons of what you like to hear. You're gonna have to do a lot of research. You have very specific tastes, in other words.

If you have any more questions ask. Such as if you're confussled about something, or I wasn't clear, or whatever. Wow, I just wrote an essay, essay. I count the phrase "Detroit Techno" used...143 times. I'll chopstick you...

Mike Dearborn, however, never tried to imitate the sound. He focused more on acid, anyway.

quote:

Originally posted by AlphaStarred Mike Dearborn, however, never tried to imitate the sound. He focused more on acid, anyway.

Deviant Behaviour

Detroit Techno can include the 303 as well.

quote:

Originally posted by Aiwendil Deviant Behaviour Detroit Techno can include the 303 as well.

Indeed it can. But he focused more on acid all the same, and developing his own sound rather than imitating a Detroit style. Check his "Muzikal Journey" album and you'll know what i'm talking about.
Check his "Moments" album especially. Pure 303 madness.

Okay.

A few other worthies, albums, and Detroit-influenced artists for Estella to check out:

DJ Bone
Claude Young
Dark Comedy - 7 Days
Steve Pickton
Dan Curtin
Purveyors Of Fine Funk
As One (Kirk Degiorgio)
Various - Types [KUDLP 005]
DJ Hell
DBX
Blake Baxter
Orlando Voorn
Heiko Laux
Insync vs. Mysteron
Unit Moebius ("Starting as Europe's only true answer to Underground Resistance...") - although i prefer their distorted convoluted acid and industrial experimental techno

have nothing to add as my knowledge is based on last night a dj saved my life and the rough guide to techno and ofcourse discogs.

aiwendil gave you all the info you could use for the moment anyways.

have fun


edit: oh, i can mention the main labels for the stuff as no one else did

KMS
Metroplex
R & S Records
Transmat

reffer to the (uber failure) 1987 TOTY aswell for some more detroit techno.

i myself was a bigger fan of chicago though

oh, and the 1986 TOTY will be coming shortly, sometime this week probably

(second edit was correcting a typo)

quote:

Originally posted by Psy-T edit: oh, i can mention the main labels for the stuff as no one else did KMS Metroplex R & S Records Teansmat

You forgot Tresor.

I wouldn't call R&S a "Detroit Techno" label. It releases(ed) plenty of other stuff too. Much more other stuff than they have Detroit Techno. Lots of IDM, trance, and european techno.

More labels...
Planet E
Underground Resistance

quote:

Originally posted by Aiwendil I wouldn't call R&S a "Detroit Techno" label. It releases(ed) plenty of other stuff too. Much more other stuff than they have Detroit Techno. Lots of IDM, trance, and european techno.

Yeah. Regarding Detroit Techno Tresor overshadows R&S by a longshot.

quote:

Originally posted by AlphaStarred You forgot Tresor.

whoops, forgot

hahaa! I KNEW it would Aiwend, Alpha and Psy T. Where's TorontoT? You all are the scholarly, burly, rugged men of TA. TwoPlow, I am looking into "Just Another Day" now. Thank you all!! As usual, I'll be re-reading this thread and doing my research with whats posted and will have even more questions.

Much thanks,

Your pupil.

quote:

You all are the scholarly, burly, rugged men of TA.

Well...you know...it's nothing really...I do try to cut myself as much as possible when I shave though. I might have read a book or two...one time...back in third grade...maybe. It could have been the nutritional info on back of a Mars bar, i'm not sure. I'm 155 el bee's of smelly white catastrophe on legs.

christian smith!

quote:

Originally posted by Aiwendil Well...you know...it's nothing really...I do try to cut myself as much as possible when I shave though. I might have read a book or two...one time...back in third grade...maybe. It could have been the nutritional info on back of a Mars bar, i'm not sure. I'm 155 el bee's of smelly white catastrophe on legs.

Catastrophe on legs! hahaah I'm gonna have to steal that, you rugged Alfonzo you.

i'm pretty sure christian smith is from switzerland, and his is more of a hard tech-house, hard tech-trance area, spliced with bits of minimal, electro and acid.

quote:

Originally posted by bobba lou christian smith!

btw... it was about time tech heads came out of their closets here in TA! damn. was starting to feel alone.

I guess I should point out that while Carl Craig is considered one of Detroit Techno's greatest producers, as time has gone by he has begun making lots more of other styles like Deep House, Acid Jazz, and Ambient/Chillout type stuff than he does Detroit Tech I think. Which can be either good or bad depending on your preferences.

Fucking irregular verbs.

Just Another Day is just lovely.

Ive been hooked recently on Derrick May's album Innovator . There are many very funky danceable tracks on here. its awesome, check it out.

quote:

Originally posted by bass.exe Ive been hooked recently on Derrick May's album Innovator . There are many very funky danceable tracks on here. its awesome, check it out.

I want this.

quote:

Originally posted by AlphaStarred Just Another Day is just lovely.

word.

Carl Craig's done a lot of great stuff. He made a great deep house track in As Time Goes By and then there's his remix of Cesaria Evora's Angola that blows my mind; it's like african rhythms and vocals, with detroit techno beats. It should not be able to exist as a functioning piece of music.

There's also the detroit school of house, which is my main interest; jocks like Moodymann and Theo Parrish. All around, a damn fine city for electronic music.

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