The Best Late 90s Techno Music

A look at the best techno music from the late 1990s. Featuring tracks from the likes of Daft Punk, The Prodigy, and Fatboy Slim.

What is Techno Music?

Techno is a type of electronic dance music that emerged in the late 1980s. The music is characterized by a repetitive four on the floor beat and often features synthesizers and drum machines.

The Origins of Techno

The first techno tracks were produced in the mid-1980s in Detroit by Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Eddie Fowlkes, who were influenced by earlier electro and Chicago house tracks. Atkins is often credited as the “father of techno”, while both May and Fowlkes have been considered the “uncles of techno”. By 1986, the genre had developed sufficiently to be playable at a large outdoor party held in honour of Atkins’ birthday, which was attended by several thousand people.

The Development of Techno

The development of Techno music is often thought to be influenced by a range of other genres including funk, soul, electro and even disco. It is a genre that has been constantly evolving since its inception in the late 1980s and early 1990s and has given birth to a number of sub genres including house, trance, techno-pop and hard techno.

The Best Late 90s Techno Music

Techno music in the late 90s was some of the best music ever created. The beats were fresh, the lyrics were meaningful, and the overall sound was revolutionary. If you’re a fan of techno music, then you know what I’m talking about.

Richie Hawtin

Richie Hawtin (born in Banbury, England on June 4, 1970) is a Canadian techno music producer and DJ. He is best known for his work under the alias Plastikman and for his collaborations with other techno artists as FUSE.

Hawtin began his career in the late 1980s, producing acid house music under the moniker Richie Rich. He moved to Detroit, Michigan in 1990 to be at the center of the North American techno movement and released his first album, Dimension Intrusion, under the Plastikman alias in 1993. His subsequent albums exploring minimal techno include Musik (1994), Consumed (1998), and Closer (2003). In 2010, he released Arkives 1993-2010, a compilation of unreleased material recorded between 1993 and 2010.

Hawtin is also a founder of Plus 8 Records and M_nus Records, and has collaborated with other techno producers such as Carl Craig, Jeff Mills, and Derrick May. He has performed at various clubs and festivals worldwide, including Berlin’s Love Parade, Toronto’s VELD Music Festival, and Mexico’s BPM Festival. In 2014, he was awarded the Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording for his remix of “We All Need Love” by Bomb the Bass.

Jeff Mills

Jeff Mills is an American techno DJ and producer from Detroit, Michigan. He is a founding member of the world-renowned techno collective, Underground Resistance. In the late 1990s, Mills rose to prominence as one of the most prolific and innovative DJs in the world, spinning at major clubs and festivals all over the globe. He has released numerous mix CDs and albums, and has played an integral role in shaping the sound of techno music over the past two decades.

Derrick May

Derrick May, born in Detroit, Michigan, was one of the three pioneers of techno music (along with Juan Atkins and Kevin Saunderson), and is often credited with being the creator of techno. He has produced several hits throughout his career, including “Strings of Life” (1987), “Transmat is Yours” (1989) and “It Is What It Is” (1995). He is also the founder of Transmat Records.