Minimal Techno

As minimal techno refers to a style of techno that is characterized by minimalist arrangements. He is essentially a variant of the traditional Detroit techno. As is true forefather of the DJ and producer Robert Hood, whose album Minimal Nation ( 1994) influenced many producers. Away from the original minimal techno that has emerged in the 1990s, at the beginning of the 21st century has established a scene with the same name, but strikes musical other ways. The question as to which pieces the "real old" or "new" minimal techno are now to you, is part of a general controversy within the techno scene.

Description

Most minimal techno tracks are created based on a " four to the floor " beats in 4/4-time, sometimes it consists of a bass drum on the heavy beats and a closed hi-hat on the back beats. As a drum machine, the Roland TR- 808 and TR -909 were used at the beginning of the minimal techno movement traditionally whose sounds are often still used in today's tracks. It is handled with individual sounds, sound variations and irregularities in the otherwise intentionally monotonous structure of the pieces. Above all, the lasting, extends continuously repeating sounds, often subject to a special sound design, which they characterized as far as individual events that they are good for a memorierbar and appear conspicuously on the other. In many cases, these sounds are characterized by their originality. Possible stylistic devices are the subtle use of filters for sound variations at constant theme or motif, extension and reduction in the form of addition and subtraction of votes, often using fades. Sometimes indeed surprising effects or fragmented melodies are interspersed, in principle Minimal Techno is however rhythm - and sound -oriented and not necessarily designed for tonality.

Through the consistent pace and the strong monotonicity ( the repetitive basic scheme ), this music act very hypnotic and is played both on the dancefloor and in the chill-out floor.

Closely related to the minimal techno minimal house (also called " Micro House "). Differences are ( traditionally 120-125 BPM ) in a tend to be somewhat lower rate of minimal house and its often implied connection to the funk and soul, and sometimes the Gospel. Minimal House is so Afrocentric as minimal techno. The overall sound is much cooler when compared to minimal techno minimal house.

History

The origin

After various works of Basic Channel ( Moritz von Oswald and Mark Ernestus ) and others who already had minimalist structures, Robert Hood's Minimal Nation album in 1994, released applies as the true origin of minimal techno development.

Published in 1995, the Brit Gerrard Varley under his pseudonym G -Man an EP with the piece Quo Vadis, which today is considered a milestone of the genre and 1999, and in 2007, re-issued as part of the new minimal movement. Also, Daniel Bell (aka DBX ) is the original minimal techno attributed.

New Scene

After the genre rather had the form of a marginal phenomenon within the booming techno scene, it won the early 21st century by young performers increasingly important and developed in Central Europe to widespread club music with a wide range of record labels such as compact, Poker Flat Recordings, M_nus, perlon or joy of dancing. The city of Cologne, for the especially Wolfgang Voigt Kompakt label is minimal-techno scene, became internationally known ( partly for the term Sound of Cologne, or Cologne School was used).

Popular performers of minimal techno in German-speaking countries are or were Wolfgang Voigt (aka Mike Ink), Steve Bug, Extrawelt, Stephan Bodzin, Oliver Huntemann, Antonelli Electr. , Dominik Eulberg, Matthias Tanzmann, Sascha Funke, Marek Hemmann, Mathias Kaden, Kotai Mo. from other countries are Richie Hawtin, Troy Pierce, John Tejada, Magda, Pan Sonic and Ricardo Villalobos particularly known.

Criticism

A common criticism is that at times inflationary use of the term minimal for almost every piece in 4/4-time with about 128-130 beats per minute, unimportant whether the arrangement of the number of the original meaning of the word in the sense of Robert Hood and others, is customizable, ie can be called truly minimalist or not. Critics say that the minimum over the years become a fashionable adjective in the electronic scene and had been too far away from traditional conceptions. Much of the music now described as minimal techno is closer than the original techno other genres of electronic dance music basically.