The "techno" issue

DJ Life & Community General Discussion
1

The “techno” issue

so, how do you guys feel about anything with a slightly electronic feel to it getting branded as “techno crap” by all the nubs (yes, I’ll admit, my sisters remark did sting me a bit).

I was recently asked by my sister (17 y o) why I didnt mix any “normal music”. She came into my room while I was working out some uplifting trance, after I just recently had stopped spinning B More. I replied “I do spin normal music”. To which she replied, " no all you spin is that techno crap". facepalm.

bleh. sorry guys, just venting my RAEG out here for a little while. I know that the mainstream doesnt know the difference between sub genres (although its kind of easy to get a general feel for them, based on speed, 128 = house etc), but how, and why, was techno the term they decided to apply to everything, instead of the wider, more accurate term EDM (cause techno is already taken by a subgenre!). Any thoughts? (i’m laying blame to europop).

2

One could say the same about the average person and metal (whose subgenres at least equal EDM in sheer quantity).

When it comes down to it, it’s just that techno and electronica have become buzzwords for EDM. The average person - who doesn’t listen to EDM regularly - simply thinks of it as what others have called it. Because they don’t listen to it, they identify it with one word or idea (“beep boop beep boop boop”).

3

I guess you could say that. I dont listen to much metal myself (if I listed the artists I do listen to, you would probably feel the same irratation I felt at my sister, for improper genre labeling), but I feel like “metal” is a better catch all phrase for… well, metal?

4

Don’t worry about what people have to say about “techno crap” because those same people who say that stuff will probably find themselves listening to some form of it or another. It’s the path music is taking, away from analog and into computers and electronics.

I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say that most people enjoy themselves when they’re watching a dj and dance. Haters are always gonna hate… until everyone around them starts liking what they hate. :slight_smile:

5

hell man, I’m all about some folk like you wouldn’t know, I think analog music is going to be around forever (yeah, i know, so optimistic aren’t I), but I also LOVE electronic music (cept terrorcore… yeah… no. just no)

6

Haha, I don’t listen to metal, it’s just that there is an absolutely obscene number of genres - each of them distinct in the mind of the metalhead (including “Pirate metal”).

7

yeah, I just listen to some stuff like Dream theater, Symphony X, Buckethead (proud to have owned like, 4 of his albums prior to GH2), Paul Gilbert, Satch, Vai, Maiden (hehe) blahblahblah, and I know none of that is probably really metal, but I dont really care, I still like it and I’m open to new things, like real metal (if someone were to give me acrash course). however, most people who label EDM as “techno crap” dont seem to be open to it.

8

I know exactly how you feel! When I spin school dances, people HATE remixes or anything at all that has a “dancey” feel to it! “quit playing that techno shit” is all I hear! The only way around this is to either spin the original track or find a remix that is not so different from the original. I know exactly where your sister is coming from, I’m only 17 too and it sounds to me like she’s your average top40 loving high school student, that’s probably why she’s said that.

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OT, but Buckethead is an intriguingly decent live show. Saw him live 4 years ago and it was fantastic.

DT is “progressive metal” :smiley:

Regarding remixes etc:
I got to spin a little get together yesterday (25-35 people) and they were surprisingly positive to the remixes I used.

Granted, bmore remixes of rap tunes aren’t super radical, but yeah.

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OT: Know whatcha mean bout Big Bucket’s live shows, saw him last year in raleigh (but really he is an extremely eclectic recording artist), and yah, DT is Prog, as is Symphony X kind of.

yeah, bmore mixes can be not too radical, as can some grime/dubstep remixes, bu I still see people turn up their noses. But I dont try to play top 40’s remixes, not my thing.

11

I had a similar comment at my sister’s Halloween party from one of the hosts…

“Ok, enough with the techno, play some 80s”.

I was playing some bloghaus/nu-disco and bmore, and could understand that they wanted music they knew… but i was a little pissed inside that it all got lumped into “Techno”…

oh well…

12

it must makes me go T_T

all the time…

T_T

13

i love the DJ is an jukebox phenomena. fucking great isnt. ppl who want to be in control of the music dont need DJs they need iPod. whats the point in hiring a dj if u want let them spin the way they spin

14

lol it comes with the territory (eventually)

Now I do NOT consider myself one of the soul-less shmoes who offer up the same empty statement “I like everything except for Country” when asked about music in their lives. However, I do listen to and have respect for at least a bit of every kind of genre you can think of (although about 95% of what I listen to is Electronic, EDM, “Techno”, etc).

I consider myself pretty well rounded and cultured when it comes to music (thanks to Mom). To criticize art is human nature and it repeats itself all through history and with every generation. Take a look at the last 100 years or so. It has happened with every genre you can see. It happened with Jazz (basically music created and played significantly “off beat” and “not in tempo”). It happened with Rock, Metal, PUNK, Disco, HipHop and it’s been happening with “Techno” for over 20 years. All music will predictably be called crap by at least some people or segment of society (not to mention the cultural, racial or socio-economic labels they also want to saddle a particular genre with).

I think here in the States its definitely a cultural thing. In other countries…say..Europe…it is a lot more widely accepted and even commercial. Here in the states we are VERY media dominated (i.e. we are bombarded with products and trained to “like” or buy what we are told to from a very young age). Major record labels spend millions marketing something as “cool” or “uncool”.

I think the funny thing is that even with people I would consider intelligent…they seem to throw around the same tired arguments about “Techno”. (“its repetitive” “its boring” “its annoying” “its simple” “anybody could make this” "its not ‘musical’ " “there is no heart in it”) I will very seldom argue any of these points…its like trying to convince somebody that gravity does exist.

Its just hilarious because I am usually familiar with the music they are fond of…I look at it and see that anybody with half a brain can make ALL the same “points” they are trying to make about EDM. Verse, chorus, verse…guitar riff, same 3 chords, same concepts, same type of ideas and lyrics that have been written about for hundreds of years. We’re all human and all our creations have similarities written all over them. As the Word says “there is nothing new under the sun”.

I actually rather like it. I enjoy what little “underground” quality is left in my music here in the states. It has changed allot over the last 10 years and money has been rearing its evil head in the culture for some time…but I enjoy the fact that it still scares people…still pisses them off, still offends them. Who the FUCK wants to be “normal”

And not to be too much of a snob but…the last time I heard a truly profound statement from a 17yr old was…never. She simply doesn’t like it and there is no truth to the knee-jerk reaction. Things change and tastes refine and mature…just like 17yr old attitudes of 1st boyfriends and the “daddy I love him” bullshit usually does too.

…my 2 cents

15

as far as the 17 y o thing goes, that was just an example. her saying that actually pisses me off less than when one of my friends says the same thing. It just was like, in the moment.

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I personally hate the term EDM. Mainly 'cos it could mean anything. I could hate it, I could love it. Was it coined recently? Never heard the term a few years back.

‘Ain’t nobody listen to techno’ - Slim Shady

17

dude, I’ have dropped that sample so many times haha. my roommate was like, hit this shit up.

18

^^^ Hugely sampled (often poorly) vocal line.

The word techno has an awful stigma about it. I don’t like saying I listen to techno. But sometimes that’s the only way people will understand what I’m talking about without having to go into great depths about synthesizers and sequencers and the TB-303… and so on…

19

Wait, I’m a soul-less shmoe?

:smiley:

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most of my friends listen to hiphop and consider everything i like playing techno lol. recently they’ve started calling it indie shit, which i’m guessing they picked up somewhere in college lol.

back in my ‘hip hop’ days, i kinda considered everything electronic-y techno, so i’m guilty of this as well.

the one thing that gets me, is that the people that ask me about my ‘techno’ usually go to top 40 clubs that play electro dance remixes of those songs lol. so i usually just compare it to that.