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I like techno which is inspired by the spirit of the motor-city. This is detroit techno or detroit-inspired techno, or "deep techno", or machine-soul. This, IMO, is actually the only true techno, techno with futurustic metallic rhythms, driving bass and glittering strings all entangled in a deep, sexy, jazzy, funky atmosphere. All other techno such as schranz (or wtf it is called), or minimal are horrific abominations, conjuring images of skinny fucked-up chavs (with about three neurons left) dancing like crazy to fucked-up train-like loopy circus without any substance, meaning or destination. (yes this includes people like Adam Beyer or Cari Lekebusch and all this Swedish thing). Ofcourse this is my opinion and i know that you don't care. Anyway, here is a list of some good "true" (FDA approved for purity) techno albums (ok they are not supra-pure since they sometimes borderline with deep/tech-house, electro,, dub, ambient and the like but techno is an experimental-kind of dance music that anything goes anyway...)
So i exept that you know Model 500- deep space (Juan Atkins, i hope you know this essential techno album) and the like so here is some stuff in the same spirit, new and older ones:
Black Dog- "Spanners"
Richard Brophy, the "techno guy" of DJMag, once said that Spanners by the black dog is the best techno album ever. Spanners is somewhat of a concept album ,with full tunes and some short interludes in between and the final product is a futuristic strange journey. Think the usual driving bass, dreamy strings, funky-as-fuck rhythms, with a kind of "Ethnic " atmosphere or...Model-500 meeting Stargate (or Erich von Daniken liking detroit techno)! Some believe that the previous album, "Bytes" is better...
Carl Craig- "Landcruising"
Yep Carl Craig is the master of machine-soul and this is his masterpiece. There is a concept atmosphere through-out the album, like it was destined to be a soundtrack for a sci-fi movie. Detroit techno with a Vangelis/Jarre touch at times. Great!
Drexciya- "Neptune's Lair"
And if Black Dog tell stories of the alien ancient gods and carl craig is like the musical equivalent of Philip K.Dick, Drexciya are the masters of marine aliens and the like (think the "Abyss"). Elements: Fat electro rhytmhs, driving techno bass (that sounds like a submarine passing by!) and the usual lush "deep sea" ambient pads (ofcourse sounding quite "Detroity") never sounded so funky! It makes you want to dance together with the cool purple water aliens of the Abyss!Yea wet party!
John Beltran- "Ten Days of Blue"
Not to be confused with Joey Beltram (tham makes the "Fake" techno and not the "true" deep techno!), John Beltran makes some of the most soulfoul and deep techno-house music you gonna hear. Sequenced loops never sounded so heavenly and beautiful as the ones featured in the tunes of "ten days of blue". Funky rhytms, deep nostalgic pads and melancholic riffs are creating an aural candy. A kind of album that you wanna dance to and relax (in a kind of new-age harmony) at the same time. Yes this is "spiritual techno".
Technasia- "Future Mix"
An album similar in vein to "spanners" by Black Dog, although here the theme is Tokyo neo-futurism. This is not a "mix-album" but a normal full-length album by Technasia. As every good "techno" album here you have it all, four-to-the-flour funk, breaks, metallic samples sounding like they have life of their own, atmospheric synth lines and at times wondeful male vocals (in tracks such as "force"). I hear that "themes from neon-city" is also good...
Laurent Garnier- "Unreasonable Behaviour"
Another Techno classic! This is jazz-infused experimental deep techno (the way techno SHOULD be!)that sounds like it was created in a small dark smoky bar, bringing images of people with half-lit faces from the neon-twilight, moving to the vibes.
Funk D'Void- "Volume Freak"
Funk D'Void's previous album was also good but this has more melody in it so i like it more!(being an "Addict" to good melody) and this sounds like detroit techno in the 21st century. Think all good thinks of deep detroit techno but with more melody, "playfull" clever ideas and superb polished production. I don't know why. but many deep techno tracks bring images of old-school video-games, like old Amiga shoot-em-ups (like r-type or something, probably because these old-school video games had music similar to this style or something!)and this album somehow makes me recall some superb old-school video-games i used to play... Like nice white space-ships shooting aliens among lighted scycrapers in the background or something.
Sterac- "Secret Life of Machines"
STEve RAChmad makes some fantastic deep techno and this is a MUST have album. Africanic rhythms are performed by strange machines, robots are playing the drums, a computer is whistling some digital emotional melody, krautrockian abstract tapestries and layers are created by an AI . An new intel model wants to be a jazz musician. This is the secret life of machines. Music that moves sensually body and soul, come on feel like a machine who wants to be human.
The Youngsters- "Lemon-Orange"
F-Comm always delivers quality and the youngsters are a typical example. This is deep techno from a luxurious, south-France point of view. Or the French Riviera occupied by androids on vacation! At times it actually sounds Like androids falling in love. Next album is also good!
Joris Voorn- "Future History"
Another famous deep techno album with lots of tunes and stuff
(and a somehow concept feel). Another great album that sounds like detroit techno brought to the 21st century. Powerful rhythms as well as powerful explosive strings make a powerful result.
Swayzak- "Loops from the Bergerie"
Ok, this is not pure deep detroit techno, but it is great techno from an era that techno was injected with electro and spawned all this retro-electro-clashy type of stuff. This actually sounds like Derrick May's sound fused with an 80s goth-edged band like Joy Division, Sisters of Mercy old Cure or Depeche Mode. Because all "true" techno fans naturally like 80s new-wavey, gothy, sytnhy music (probably because some of the inspirations of techno were naturally EBM bands such as Front-242, Cabaret Voltaire and Clock DVA and gothy bands such as these mentioned before)then all "true" techno fans should give a listen to this album. We are talking dark rhtyhms, dark brooding synths, pads like they are taken from an old b-movie, 80s retro-electo sounds, a touch of industrial/EBM and new-wavey bass.At the same time all the usual deep techno elements are here. So, wear the black clothes and your sunglasses and start moving.
Agoria- "The Green Armchair"
This is a brilliant experimental techno album and sounds like detroit techno taken to the next level. Brooding electro bass,70s krautrockish retro-futuristic synths, black-metal like (!) quitar synths, operatic vocals, dubby passages, romantic violins,cliche r'n'b vocals, utopian detroit synth-riffs, theatrical prose ALL in one album! We need more albums like this!
p.s. 1 Nathan Fake produces prog-house and not techno lol! Although because techno is a kind of experimental, groundbreaking and soulfull dance music and Nathan's tunes were groundbreaking, experimental and soulfull you can call it techno no probs!
p.s. 2 this could be a new thread but whatever!
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Outhouse (Main mix) is my favorite.
