TECHNO

Originating from the melding of synth-driven pop music from the likes of Giorgio Moroder and Kraftwerk alongside American music styles like house, funk and soul, techno has long transcended its gritty Detroit roots to become one of the world’s most enduring and leading dance music styles, with artists such as Carl Cox, Adam Beyer and Jeff Mills in constant demand for both their productions and live sets.

Characterized by a tempo of between 120-150bpm, a palette of sounds heavily influenced by now-revered 1980s Roland kit like the TB-303 bassline and TR-808/909 drum machines, as well as a deliberately electronic, dystopian sound, techno has influenced many other music styles to varying degrees, including the UK rave scene which took inspiration (as well as a stab or two!) from the Belgian techno records that were being made during the late 1980s.

As early techno tracks were laid down using rudimentary equipment like inexpensive mixing consoles and four track tape recorders, the genre traditionally has a crunchy feel that’s a whole ocean of fun to recreate in 2020.

While techno seems reasonably simple in construction, it can be harder to make than you think. However, we’ve got your back with this guide to making your own techno track using just your DAW and the samples that you can find over at musicradar.com/howto/em427-july-2020-examples-and-files.

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