The Best Techno Music of the 80’s
Contents
Techno music emerged in the 80’s and has since taken the world by storm. Here is a list of the best techno tracks of the 80’s.
Introduction
Techno music first originated in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid-1980s. The first techno tracks were produced by Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson, who were collectively known as the Belleville Three. Techno is a style of electronic dance music that is characterized by a repetitive four on the floor beat, typically between 120 to 150 beats per minute. It often includes synthesizers, drum machines, and pump basslines.
What is Techno Music?
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in the mid-to-late 1980s. It is generally characterized by a repetitive four on the floor beat, Marina Abramović has described it as “the sound of the machines”.
This genre of music often uses synthesizers, drum machines, and deep bass lines, and is frequently associated with futurism, science fiction, and the underground club culture.
The Origins of Techno Music
Techno music is a genre that emerged in the late 1980s from the Detroit, Michigan techno scene. The first Detroit techno track, “Metroplex”, was produced by Juan Atkins in 1985. Techno music is characterized by a repetitive four on the floor beat, often accompanied by synthesizers and drum machines. The style was developed by a group of African American DJs and producers who were inspired by the electronic music of Europe, particularly that of Kraftwerk.
The Development of Techno Music
Techno is a genre of electronic music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid-1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno in reference to a specific genre of music was in 1988. Many styles of techno now exist, but Detroit techno is seen as the foundation upon which other subgenres have been built.
In the 1980s, joystick-operated electronic music machines such as the Roland TR-808 drum machine and TB-303 bass synthesizer were widely available, allowing individual producers to create their own unique sounds. These technologies were integrated into the development of techno music, which began to take shape in Detroit during this time.
Influential early Detroit techno producers include Derrick May, Juan Atkins, and Kevin Saunderson, who were all involved in the creation of the Belleville Three—a group named after Belleville High School in Michigan where they met. Atkins is often credited with being the founder of techno, due to his work on tracks such as “Cybotron’s Clear” and “Model 500’s No UFO’s”.
The Popularity of Techno Music
Techno music first gained popularity in the 1980s, and is a style of electronic dance music that typically features synthesizers and drum machines. The music is often repetitive and techno tracks are usually created using software rather than being performed live. Techno is a broad genre of electronic music that includes many different subgenres, such as house, trance, and dubstep.
The Best Techno Music of the 80’s
The 1980s was a decade of great transition for the techno music genre. Early pioneers like Afrika Bambaataa and Kraftwerk laid the foundations for the sound, but it was in the mid-80s that techno really began to take off. Groups like Cybotron, D.A.F., and Front 242 began to experiment with the possibilities of electronic music, creating a sound that would come to define an entire generation.
The late 80s saw the birth of Detroit techno, as artists like Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Eddie Fowlkes began to experiment with the harsher, more industrial sounds that would come to typify the genre. This was also the period when acid house and rave culture began to take off in Europe, with groups like The KLF and The Orb helping to popularise the sound.
The 90s saw techno reach new heights of popularity, with artists like Daft Punk, The Prodigy, and Fatboy Slim helping to bring the sound to a mainstream audience. In more recent years, techno has continued to evolve and change, with new subgenres such as minimal techno and tech house emerging onto the scene.
Conclusion
From the pulsing, synthesized rhythms of early electro to the warehouse parties of Detroit techno, the 1980s was a decade that saw the birth of a new kind of music. This was a music that was designed to be danced to, and it quickly found a home in the burgeoning club scene.
Techno would go on to dominate the club scene in the 1990s and beyond, but it all started in the 80s. Here are some of the best techno tracks of that decade.
