Re: (idm) techno

From Brad Shelton
Sent Tue, Dec 22nd 1998, 14:21

>Michael Upton <xxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx.xx>
>
[snip]
>Something I find a little iffy is that techno is
>one of the more overarching genre labels. A friend
>of mine, who's been writing and DJing techno for
>years, recommended Pole to me as some of the best
>techno coming out these days. Show that to your
>average clubber and they'll be pretty bemused.
>
>But, yes, indeed, the mainstream acceptance of all
>things Maurizio related has certainly dragged
>techno out in front of IDMers for consideration.


Many list members may have already been schooled about techno before that,
but I wasn't. The Maurizio/Basic Channel/Chain Reaction CD comps along with
a couple of time-release mix-tapes from a certain list admin have really
turned me onto the 'classic' techno sound, and made me realize that it
could be just as emotive (if not more) as any other kind of this-listy music.

In my limited experience, many of the IDMish releases of the past couple of
years have been moving away from the sound and possibly even concept of
techno (music that sounds like the future). Instead of bleeps, bloops,
vecoders, and big fat synth pads, alot of recent vintage IDM has used a
different palette. Some of it could still be thought of as sounding
futuristic (and therefore be thought of as techno), but the heart of the
music seems to be in a different place.. something other than the
utopian/distopian/soul-music that I most strongly associate with the word
'techno'.

Not to criticize non-Detroit influenced IDM at all.. I'm just making the
point that techno (intelligently produced, of course) all-of-a-sudden
sounds very fresh, like something I haven't heard in a while, after a
steady diet of breakbeats/drum-n-bass, Ninja Tune/Mo Wax, Duetscher
Funkified kraut rock-electronic acts, and so forth. Records like the
aforementioned Maurizio/Basic Channel/Chain Reaction, as well as artists
like Derrick May and Bochum Welt (better late than never, thank goodness
for Sony Japan) are really exciting to me. 

None of which were released in 1998, as far as I know.. :)  

While I'm here I might as well ask, any tips from the assembled about where
to find some new music that holds to this style (Detroit, essentially)?

Happy holidays-

Brad