Where Did Techno Music Start?

Techno music started in the mid-1980s in Detroit, Michigan. It was created by DJs and producers who were influenced by the electronic music of the time.

Detroit

Techno music started in the city of Detroit in the United States during the 1980s. The first techno tracks were produced by pioneers such as Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson. These producers were influenced by electronic music from Europe, as well as by funk and soul music from Detroit.

The Belleville Three

Techno music is often thought to have started in Detroit, and there is a good reason for that. In the 1980s, a group of three high school friends from the city’s Belleville neighborhood—Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson—became key figures in the development of the genre. Together, they were known as the Belleville Three.

Atkins was the first of the three to start making techno when he began experimenting with electronic music production in his bedroom in the early 1980s. He soon began releasing tracks under the name Cybotron, and his 1982 song “Clear” is widely considered to be one of the first techno records. May and Saunderson soon followed suit, starting their own record labels (Transmat and KMS Records, respectively) and releasing their own tracks.

The three friends continued to work together throughout the 1980s and 1990s, helping to shape the sound of techno as we know it today. They even opened their own nightclub in Detroit, called the Music Institute, which quickly became a hotspot for techno parties and performances. Thanks to the Belleville Three, Detroit will always be considered the birthplace of techno music.

Derrick May

Derrick May, also known as Mayday and Rhythim is Rhythim, is a music producer and DJ from Belleville, Michigan. He is widely credited as a pioneer of the techno music genre. In the 1980s, May was involved in theBelleville Three Wynton Kelly along with Kevin Saunderson.

Juan Atkins

Juan Atkins is considered by many to be the originator of techno music. He is a Detroit native and began his musical career in the early 1980s. He was influenced by the music of Kraftwerk and Giorgio Moroder, and he went on to create his own record label, Metroplex Records. Juan Atkins has produced a wide variety of techno tracks over the years, and his work has been hugely influential in the development of the genre.

Chicago

Techno music started in Detroit in the 1980s. At that time, the city was a major manufacturing center for the auto industry and had a large African-American population. The music was created by African-American DJs who were influenced by the electronic music of Europe. The Detroit sound was characterized by heavy bass and synthesizers.

Frankie Knuckles

Techno music is a type of electronic dance music that emerged in the 1980s. It was created by DJs and producers in Chicago, who blended elements of electronic music with sounds from other genres, such as disco and house.

The first techno tracks were produced by pioneers such as Frankie Knuckles, Marshall Jefferson, and Adonis. These early tracks laid the foundation for the genre, but it was not until the late 1980s and early 1990s that techno began to gain mainstream popularity.

In the 1990s, techno music experienced a resurgence in popularity, with new subgenres such as trance and hard trance emerging. This new wave of techno was led by DJs such as Paul Oakenfold, Tiesto, and Carl Cox.

Today, techno is one of the most popular genres of electronic dance music, and it shows no signs of slowing down. With its blend of driving beats and catchy melodies, techno is perfect for both dancing and listening. Whether you’re a fan of the old-school sound or the latest productions, there’s a style of techno to suit everyone’s taste.

Ron Hardy

Chicago house music is a style of house music that was developed in the city of Chicago in the early 1980s. The style is characterized by a utilisation of deep basslines, minimalism, and repetitive 4/4 beats.

One of the most influential figures in the development of Chicago house music was DJ Ron Hardy, who was a resident at the legendary club The Warehouse. Hardy’s style of DJing was based around providing a soundtrack for dancers that would allow them to extend their time on the dancefloor, and his sets often included tracks with long, hypnotic rhythms.

New York

Techno music started in the mid-1980s in New York City. The first techno tracks were created by DJ Pierre, who mixed elements of Chicago house, acid house, and electro. Techno quickly spread to other cities in the US, Europe, and Asia. By the early 1990s, techno was the dominant form of electronic dance music.

David Mancuso

David Mancuso is a name that often gets left out of the history of techno music, possibly because he was more of a party host than a musician or DJ. Nevertheless, Mancuso was an important figure in the development of the genre, and his parties were some of the first to popularize electronic music in the United States.

Mancuso started hosting parties in 1970, and his most famous party was The Loft, which he started in 1974. At The Loft, Mancuso played a wide range of genres, including soul, funk, and disco. He was one of the first DJs to use multiple turntables, and he is credited with popularizing the idea of playing music for dancing rather than simply listening.

The Loft was shut down in 1985 due to code violations, but Mancuso continued to host parties until his retirement in 2010. In 2009, he was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame.

Larry Levan

By the late 1970s, disco was on the decline in popularity, and many clubs were looking for a new sound to fill the void. Enter Larry Levan, a Brooklyn-born DJ who became one of the most influential figures in the history of dance music. Levan began his career at the famed Club 54 in Manhattan, where he quickly developed a following among New York’s gay community.

In 1977, Levan moved to the newly opened Paradise Garage, and it was here that he truly made his mark. Through his innovative DJing style and use of cutting-edge technology, Levan turned the Garage into one of the most important clubs of its time. It was here that he popularized the “Mixed Grill” style of club play, which involved playing two or more records simultaneously at different speeds. This technique would later become known as “beatmatching.”

Levan’s influence didn’t stop at just club play; he also helped shape the sound of disco itself. He was one of the first DJs to embrace synthesizers and drum machines, and his innovative remixes helped define the genre. His work with artists like Diana Ross, Chic, and Luther Vandross helped to shape the sound of mainstream disco and make it more palatable to a wider audience.

Sadly, Levan passed away in 1992 at just 39 years old, but his legacy continues to live on through the generations of DJs and producers who have been influenced by his work.

London

Techno music started in London in the 1980s. It was a new type of music that was influenced by electronic and dance music. Techno music quickly spread to other parts of the world and became a popular genre of music.

Paul Oakenfold

Techno music is a type of electronic dance music that originated in Detroit, Michigan in the United States in the mid-to-late 1980s. The first techno tracks were produced by Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson, who are often referred to as the ” Belleville Three”. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, techno was often lumped together with house music as part of the acid house or rave scene.

Danny Rampling

Danny Rampling is a British club DJ, broadcaster, producer and founding member of the award-winning group Shoom. He was one of the first DJs to play acid house music in the UK and is credited with helping to start the rave scene in London in the late 1980s.

Rampling began his DJ career in 1985, playing soul and disco music at a club called Mr. Bongo’s in London. He soon began experimenting with new sounds and by 1987 was playing acid house music at a club called Spectrum. It was here that he metPaul Oakenfold, who would later go on to be one of the most successful trance DJs in the world.

Rampling’s influence on the London club scene was vast; he was one of the first DJs to play all-night rave sets and is credited with helping to popularize acid house music in the UK. He also played a pivotal role in bringing techno music to London, hosting one of the first techno nights at his club Shoom in 1988. This event is widely considered to be the birth of techno music in Britain.

In recent years, Rampling has continued to be an important figure in London’s club scene, playing regular sets at some of the city’s most iconic clubs such as Fabric and The End. He has also branched out into radio, hosting a show on Ministry of Sound Radio.