it's amazing how a dj like atkins can speak with so much knowledge of what he's saying. he's proud of his city, the one he's always lived in, and wants to stay there. five stars for the video and for atkins
What people dont realise arguinig is that, Techno split immediately as it was created. One came from influences of electro and then in went on giving birth to Model 500 & Drexciya. Second was the more jazzy and soul influenced: Derrick May & E-Dancer. Another was born from hip hop and house and became a genre of its own with a standart hip-house rhythm beat like Inner City & Technotronic. One more wave went more industrial way and had more ruff and acid sound - like Underground Resistance & Mills. And dont forget the minimal techno approach from Rob Hood. And thats only America.
With all this talk about Kraftwerk, a lot of people seem to forget that there were also other electronic precursors who were just as important in laying the foundations for techno, including the likes of Can, Tomita, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Cat Stevens, Gorgio Moroder, Gary Numan, Soulsonic Force, Hashim, etc. All of these artists eventually influenced Juan Atkins and Derrick May when they created techno, not just Kraftwerk alone.
As a student of architecture in Detroit I was always trying to break down the barriers around me... to see through the visual part of a building and see that the buildings had a history, a story - that people laid each brick and that people made these places a home and that eventually people destroyed those buildings brick by brick. It is interesting to hear or read about dj's in Detroit talking about the character of the city from their view and how it is inseperable from the music.
All forms of modern music are born out of the meeting of western folk-music traditions, the classical expressions which evolved from church music, and the roots of African/Caribbean music that stretch back in endless permutations to time immemorial. But ultimately it doesn't matter, good music expresses a human truth, and real truths are timeless and universal.
Your points are crystal clear. I 100% agree with you. I am in the Dallas area and have seen the same apathy. Take care and keep stating your mind. And voices will join you in chorus. Mentor Wayne
This is where we part ways because it was Kraftwerk that gave techno its core structure. The Chicago scene was house music which was a combination of disco coupled with the newer electro-led italo-disco. Whereas Detroit techno origins come from imitation of Kraftwerk and the New Wave scene of which Ron Hardy's Muzic Box was the key player in Detroit adoption of this new genre.
Not surprised by your reaction. Every time I mention Cat Stevens as an electro pioneer, a lot of people are shocked that a folk rock artist has anything to do with electronic music. To understand what I mean, just have a listen to Cat Stevens' 1977 track "Was Dog a Doughnut", which is arguably the first electro track ever recorded. It was way ahead of its time.
Agree 100% :) But I typed that in here because people were fighting over who should get the credit. But I do noticed that nobody mentioned chicago scene who gave techno structure. Anyway respect to all of them. After all they are our influence now. :)
@atlantichouse Remember? Kraftwerk was heavily influenced by the Beach Boys, Psychedelic Rock, Walter/Wendy Carlos ect. All modern dance music has deep deep African American roots that extends way deeper than Kraftwerk. There's nothing about early Kraftwerk that resembles anything of Detroit but i do see the rhythmic influence that comes out of the history of Black music in Detroit Techno, and when i say Detroit Techno i mean Soulful Detroit! not that Soulless Eurodance shit.
in reality the pionners in electronica were european krafwerk, tangerine dream , but detroit define electronic music as techno , they create the style.
@VILKAZzzz I'm not sure what the track is exactly at 07:50 but he's bringing in E-Dancer "Pump the Move". That track at 07:50 doesn't sound like the beginning of Pump The Move though...it could be at a higher BPM.
@MCVixenVee I totally agree and another thing I noticed being a Detroiter and being naturally drawn to this old techno is how groovy it is. I think this has to do with how huge an influence the Funk Brothers if Motown are as an influence on everyone in the city.
I totally agree with your butterfly analogy in respect to musical influence (since the stone-age). It is only natural that the majority of musicians will follow the herd when musical style changes direction but surely as an artist you must agree that it is only proper that credit should be given foremost to the herd leaders for that change in direction. To do otherwise just denies the pioneering artists the true credit that they are due - don't you think?
Agreed actually. In The Mix, they could have easily been accused of trend-hopping if it weren't for the fact that so many people credit them with creating the stuff that led to the genres they were remixing as. (My earlier comments were deliberate attempts to be annoying). Long live Atkins and Hutter!
@atlantichouse All forms of modern music has strong American/African American roots. Remember Kraftwerk, Giorgio Moroder,Manuel Gottsching, YMO ect was pioneering but they didn't create in a Vacuum or a Void and they most certainly was influenced by music of Black American origins. Even if on the surface the influences aren't apparent.
Wow! Everyone should calm down and take the music as it is. No colors on the music please. I'm from Detroit and I feel great about anything the city births. Lord knows we need all the positive things we can get. this music is fot the world to enjoy.
@RitaJoanneC This has EVERYTHING to do with techno music. You have to know the background and the environment that this music came from. A dirty, crumbling city that offered little hope. It was the canvas on which the history of electronic music was painted. I lived in Detroit (IN Detroit not in the burbs) for many years. I love it but I would never go back.
as derrick may says, people are ignorant, and even Detroit's electronic dance scene is pretty dead. its pushed to the booshy up-scale house scene, or the underground afterhours....go to all the main clubs, all hip hop.
KRAFTWERK were the PIONEERS of electronic POP music! And those kids in Detroit....boy did they love them! RALF HÛTTER is your GOD. Now all join in and chant: "OHM SWEET OHM"
@atlantichouse Kraftwerk was an influence..much like some others were..but what they were making had no bounce to it...what you hear today started in the urban areas in America...Like Jaun Atkins said Kraftwerk was"Clean and Precise"..They didn't invent electric instruments...Kraftwerk was one of many "Sources" that helped the Creators of Techno! Thats how music works....you get influenced!
I love people who bitch about influences and stuff like that. Its butterfly effect since stone age. And only critics bitch about it, us musicans we don't care we just make music.
@atlantichouse you're mixing up ripped off with INFLUENCED sampling other songs or recreating the same sounds in songs isn't ripping off. think of how many musicans and artists inspire each other and are INFLUENCED by other bands and tend to have the same or simmilar sound in their music to what they listened to. they listend to soul and funk, disco and euro-electro-pop. they took from that and made detroit techno. their version of soul music. which IS different from euro electro-pop; Kraftwerk
