Cookie-Cutter Techno?

[MARKEG]

From another post I picked this out, posted by Dustin Zahn:

'What is not good for techno these days is this cookie cutter techno where all it is is bang bang bang bang. The "Heroes" sound comes to mind. I really dug, but I realize there's no creativity to it and its good for a few rounds as a DJ tool.'

I simply don't agree. This sound has become a real passion for the underground and it's definitely not all bang bang bang. Yes, the kick drum is hard, but you're not seeing through it - but isn't that exactly what your mum said when she first heard you playing house music in 85? There's so many people I know who totally believe in this sound at the moment and I think it is the best thing to happen to techno for a long time. It puts that techno 'attitude' back onto the dancefloor.

I think what isn't good though is if you don't make your self aware of other forms of techno music. There's alot of superb techno music coming from all over the globe (tresor/kennedy/submerge/bam bam etc etc etc etc oh my god i should go on but i'll be here all day). i know DJ Pauze will kill me (hehehehe....) but I think that if you focus on the one style and sound, you can't look left or right. Some people do seem to be concentrating on the Heroes sound at the moment and forgetting to build their techno sets/take you on a journey (I was in danger of doing this a few months ago until someone on a dancefloor in brazil pointed it out).

I think Dustin should have put:

'What is not good for techno these days is where people simply play one style and nothing else!!!!!'.

Well, that's what I think anywayz :=]

[Adverse]

man this guy charts everything glenn does..

[DJPAUZE]

Dude i play what i like to play. Who is to say that i am not aware of other styles of techno. When im not playing i listen to various other forms and styles of techno, i have about 30 gigs here in my harddrive.

How is it not good for techno to play Glenn Wilson's material or other productions from his labels. I was playing a lot of acid techno a while back, but when i heard Mark and pet duo(FROM BRAZIL) playing headroom, slobodan and glenns music, I kind of found a new love.

Im sorry but this form of techno that i have been throwing down is my passion. Yes its hard, its definately BANG BANG BANG BANG. But i havent had a dancefloor frown on me. I truly believe that hard banging techno has the energy that is essential to any party. And although the Tresor/SUB/Kennedy, etc. etc, exists, its doesnt ALWAYS have the energy that im looking for when i buy my music.

PAUZE :twisted:
p.s. is your interested to hear some of my sets add me to your icq ill get someone to send them to you on cable internet.

[Anonymous]

ABSOLUTELY! HA my sentiments couldn't be expressed more accurately.

[Adverse]

sorry that was me

[MARKEG]

Yeah sorry about that Frank. I think that came across a little bit wrong now I read it back. In fact, yes - I should have remembered seeing your hard drive when I came round that time... :oops:

But the general jist of what I'm saying still stands. Hereos style/Wilson techno is really cutting it for me at the moment, but I still think there's so much more to the genre and that should be remembered...

[DJZeMig_L]

Mark we definatly agree on somethin' "It's all about mixing diferent things"... Now I'm not saying u have 2 go from left 2 right till u get dizzy but I have played with Carola and Adam B a few time and though I can apreciate they're particular style and mixing I couldn't stop feelin' tired after 30m... It just started 2 sound like a loop and getting fuzzier and fuzzier ...lol :P

AT the moment I think it really workz great the combination of some funky stuff with harder thing with some booty thrown in!!

I Have always been 2 hard techno so after a while I guess U can just settle 4 the ordinary bangin'.. u need a little sparkle on top of it!! But I guess I've always been a sucker 4 Chicago tinged stuff than 4 the more mechanical cold straight techno!!

Z

[John Vella]

'What is not good for techno these days is this cookie cutter techno where all it is is bang bang bang bang. The "Heroes" sound comes to mind. I really dug, but I realize there's no creativity to it and its good for a few rounds as a DJ tool.'

It is things like this that irritate me in 1000 ways......

It reminds me of a somewhat quiet ANTI-HARD movement that exists here in Toronto. One where these self-righteous "Techo Purists" think their musical tastes are SOOOoOOooo much more advanced, mature, sophisticated, eloquent, intelligent, and "in-the-know" than mine....

To witness this crap first hand, go to the TECHNO forum at www.tribe.ca

(Be warned tho. Bring a bucket coz you may need to puke immidiatley afterwards--I know I can't even look at it anymore)

I dare any of these f*%kers to prove to me that their stuff is any more creative, intelligent or muscially superior to anything bangin' out of my record box. They talk nothing but hot air if you asked me.

I have fully given a chance to all forms of music. But much like Frank, I like what I like.

I am not going to force myslef OR lie to myself and trick myself into liking something that I don't for the sake of saying I'm versaitle. I simply do not enjoy music that is weird or "artsy" for the sake of being that way.

If I wanted cute quirky random noises, I can get drunk and go hang out with my 6 year old nephew and we can take various glassess of water filled at different heights and tap them with a spoon whilst stroking our chins and claiming "MAGNIFICENT!!!!!!"


I obviously love hard stuff like Heroes, and all of the Anxious new releases, etc etc, but I also like the London crew (Liberators, Dave the Drummer. Geezer. Tyler, etc) As well, I am very much into the funky tribaly sounds of a Mike Humphries or Igntion Technician. My point is, I honestly feel with this array of sounds I am well armed to play a versatile, flowing set.

Can't we just enjoy the sounds of Heroes???? Its a kick ass, futuristic sound. It's got guts. It's got much needed heart and soul.

Already must it be analyzed to death after 5 releases?????

-JOHNNY

[Anonymous]

I simply do not enjoy music that is weird or "artsy" for the sake of being that way... cough*nofuture*cough

Already must it be analyzed to death after 5 releases?????

-JOHNNY



my thoughts exactly!!!!

[MARKEG]

exactly johnny... techno purists make me very mad. i think anyone with a closed mind who likes to make fun of other people and other styles of underground music who really believe in themselves in front of a computer makes me mad. (hehehe... i think you know about that and me hey johnny :=])

perhaps this is why we shouldn't slag of anyone involved in techno who believes in there sound. you simply can't pass judgements about people until you know them???

[KEVIL]

Hell yeah, diversity is the spice of life.

Fortunately I've got shit loads of early 90's commercial stuff to spin (still goes down like a treat) cause I don't know what it's like in your neck of the woods but it's cut throat to get techno gigs here. Of course it's not helped by the upsurge of hard house/trance. Unless you swallow good or talk the talk you just aint in the circle. My problem is that I'm modest, but week in and week out I walk away shaking my head at the level of competence of most DJs...breaks my heart

[aggressor]

well MARK EG you are ugly hehehe :twisted:



p.s. icq me....... :wink: ..

[TripleX]

I am just listening to a glenn wilson live act while writing this.
well we got the same things happing in germany as in CA\toronto.
people who listen to softer techno styles, will tell you that hard techno is too easy to produce, too monoton, always sounds the same etc.
the worst thang about all that is that those people think they are better than you, they tell you ain´t got no clue about techno, to me that´s complete bullshit. everybodys taste in music is different and you should respect every kind of music if it´s made with passion.

i love hard mechanical techno and that won´t never stop, it has such an energy, it´s undescribeable.
i agree that you should try mix different styles otherwise it´s gettin too borÃ*ng.

[Anonymous]

You're right, I have mis-worded it.

I'm not singling out certain producers, styles, etc. here.
Basically, what the point I am trying to get across is these DJ mixes that maintain that same sound throughout the whole mix all damn night long. I think Mark knows what I'm talking about, as he admits to changing after playing in Brazil.

I love hard techno, and I love the deeper, clubby, tribal, whatever, shit. For me to say "this style is better than that style" is soooo bullshit. That's not where I'm going with this (although I do dig the hard side more).

Only some of the most hardcore techno heads can stand to listen to that machine techno for hours on end, and believe me...with "good" record sales being around 2,000 for an EP in techno...there isn't many of these people. It just gets to be too much and too boring.

While in theory a good portion of the "machine" music is a bit more basic than other genres of techno, that doesn't mean it is bad. The complexity of a style/track/producer doesn't matter in my book.

In the end, if you spin it all night long, that's cool. If you don't, that's cool, too. Listen to what you love...even if it's terrible music as long as you enjoy it. I'm just saying this current trend in hard techno can get a little monotonous.

[MARKEG]

Respect to Dustin!

Actually one thing - I've always tried to 'build' my techno sets, but when I played in Brazil I just went all out hard techno cause i thought that's what they wanted. And after someone said something to me about it, I realised I was getting really narrow-minded about what I like. I totally love the hard sound - it's the best thing about techno at the moment for me... but you don't have the 'POWER' if you don't build. there's no crescendot o your set.

the way i play in Eastern Europe is my favorite. i can really start with stuff like eg superbra/tresor, work it into jackstar (new DJ BAM BAM is wooooooooooooooooo!!!!) and then perhaps prime stuff and then headroom/slob and hereos etc...). plus i love playing non 4/4 stuff for artist like Inigo Kennedy.

Is anyone else like this??

[miromiric.]

i let the music lead me through different states of mind. so in one set i usually play from calm, quiet techno to storming, hard stuff and very often i end in experimental and breakbeat, that sounds right to me. have anyone listened to scorn's work? he makes brutal, industrial breakbeats on about 80 - 90 bpm. vey heavy stuff, i love to play it in techno sets. watch out for next downwards, that will be his lino! believe it or not!

[Anonymous]

scorn is fukkin koooool!
the next downwards is going to be the sh!t!!!!

[Esox Lucius]

I`m a big fan of Scorn`s work & Mick Harris in general, wouldn`t say it is just breakbeat he makes though, his music has elements of various types of music... dub, ambient, breaks, electro & slow drum n bass.... all groundbreaking stuff though.

[Anonymous]

hello all
i just started wrting this big piece and i just erased it cos it was really boring!
here's my philosophy on djing
no.1 attack!
no.2 see above

tell you what though
too much of anything is boring
i mean i used to really like sprouts but now ..........i'm way more into broccoli

love d

[krakp0t]

http://members.bellatlantic.net/~redlotus/DTD.jpg

[Anonymous]

ahh yes the old record in the mouth arm in the air trick
it never fails

(almost )



d

[krakp0t]

i know some people prefer mark's patented "busting a 1200 over his head" but i think the record-in-mouth trick worked great. was the best set i heard in 2002!

spanx for playing in nyc man. come back soon.

[engine]

okay
so other than how we all DJ techno-

you dont think there is a bit of a problem with cookie cutter techno? I sure do. I think its a much a fault and wieght on Glenn's shoulders as much as it is on Richie Hawti's- Marco Carola's and all the other guys. The problem comes when your dj sets feature the same cookie mold..

http://www.outofthefryingpan.com/recipes/images/stars.cutter.jpg

Of coarse techno is going to repeat its self- it IS abstract repitition after all. The cookie cutter problem comes with things always sounding the same. I judge a producer by weather he can do something intresting within' a genre- if it will shake some ****in ass- and finally if it makes me nod my head at the drop of the needle in the record store.

Every genre is stagmatized about cookie cutter sounds.. think of house tracks using the same cut disco loop from the same disco record. or trance melodies sounding the same. and break beats with that high pitched 'FUNKFUNKFUNKFUNK' vocal sample.

I find it esspecially funny when people complain about cookie cutter techno- when techno is cookie cutter music. how do you think we beatmatch it eh?

Cheers
tyler