Massachusetts Daily Collegian

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A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

Let’s stop pretending we like techno music

A popular and currently unavoidable trend on campuses nationwide is the techno music craze. Before I get into it — I fear my previous statements grant too much credit. While “music” may technically be the most appropriate term to categorize this glitchy-sounding, uninspired noise, such a designation undermines the true artistic nature of music. Techno is a poor attempt to substitute robot sounds for what was once actual instrumental and artistic human expression.

Courtesy Mixtribe Photo/Flickr

A computer is not an instrument. Any Joe Schmo with a MacBook Pro and a Wi-Fi connection can create techno and get his or her sounds out to the public. This ease adds to the commodification of music —  a trend already in action. This marginalization should be alarming to true music fans. The logic is simple: if everyone can easily make music, it’ll bring the “music average” down. When a bunch of inexperienced musicians oversaturate listeners with a bunch of bad music, music that was once considered laughable is suddenly considered decent; what was once considered average is then perceived as above average; what was once considered above average will be called great. It’s a phenomenon that happened years ago with pop music. In turn, it becomes more challenging to find good music, and bad musicians will continue to sell out arenas worldwide, tightening their grip on listeners and further perpetuating this cycle.

The concept of techno was doomed from the start, similar to how a picture made in Photoshop can appear similar to an oil painting, yet is worthless in the eyes of art buffs. Techno music made on a computer using synthetic sounds is just as empty. Combining samples of other people’s songs into one and calling it one’s own is like taking a bunch of famous paintings and trying to somehow form them into one new and therefore “original” painting. The catch is that this newly formed painting would look just as terrible as techno sounds because the stolen elements become mere illusions of their original selves. Worse still, the elements lose their intended artistic integrities and purposes.

What bothers me most about techno is how terrible the sound actually is. While real music spurs revolutions, subtlety reflects entire eras, or provides a means of artistic expression, techno has defined itself as a cheap and scattered, non-flowing conglomerate of sounds. Instead of thoughtful lyrics and carefully constructed melodies, techno is characterized by occasional “bass-drops” and wholly unmoving, random lyric samples like “ohhh sometimes, I get a goooood feeling.”

People need to stop pretending that they actually like techno and instead admit that what they like is the experience of going to techno shows — there’s a big difference.

It may seem that rap and hip-hop suffer from the same robot noise syndrome as techno, but at least rap songs often have insightful, calculated lyrics. In this sense, rap is more like real music than techno, as techno is derivative of some kind of primal experience, rather than one of art.

I understand that going to techno shows is a good time and I don’t mean to offend anyone in attendance. I too have been to a techno show and have had a decent time. Instead, I want to distinguish between going to a techno ‘show’ and music ‘concert.’ They’re completely different things. Parading around as if you’re going to a Deadmau5 show because he is such a good musician is disingenuous. If you admit you’re going for the experience — fine — but let’s stop pretending that these D.J.s are actual musicians, or even anything more than decent producers who can put together a synchronized light show.

Going to a musical concert is about watching talented and gifted musicians perform their songs live. Not everyone has the ability to do this, which makes live music so special and awe-inspiring. Techno performers get on stage, hit the ‘play’ button, and watch crowds go wild, all the while collecting big checks from their premium ticket prices. While this type of spectacle isn’t worthless, it’s not as pure nor as genuine a music experience. It begs the question of whether or not these techno “performers” are pulling the wool over our eyes.

I have this theory that techno performers are the ultimate masters of lip-syncing; a Milli Vanilli or Ashlee Simpson on steroids. Think about how easy it is for these people to go on stage and simply press play on a pre-made set of tracks, while, of course, mixing in a few dozen necessary fist pumps. The nature of techno makes it inherently easy to fake a live set, especially in comparison to traditional musicians with real instruments. When someone is faking playing guitar, it’s immediately obvious. When someone is lip-syncing lyrics, it’s laughably noticeable. Techno is able to sidestep this problem because its origin is within a mysterious and unseen computer. No one knows the live performance’s ratio of computer versus actual performance; for all we know, a techno show could be performed by entirely computers. Even the images on the performer’s computers could be simulated, prearranged screenshots like the highly-complex computer screenshots in any N.A.S.A. or sci-fi movie. The elaborately lit techno stage shows become a distraction to mask their lack of substance. Too often, people fall victim to this ruse, in turn assuming techno is a legitimate form of music because they had a good time at the show.

What’s most bothersome is the legitimacy and credibility these techno performers receive. They’re treated like elite musicians and charge lofty ticket prices when indeed they’re more like ringleaders in a circus. They’re at the middle of the show, but the show could go on without them even being in the building. Surely a Bob Dylan show couldn’t go on without Bob Dylan. While it’s great to go and have fun at a techno show, let’s stop putting these individual performers on pedestals and stop pretending we like the “music” they play and start considering that what we really like is the experience. Or, we can just sit around while they dumb down our music and collect the checks.

Ryan Walsh is a Collegian columnist. He can be reached at [email protected].

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  • J

    Jeremy JonesJan 14, 2023 at 6:09 pm

    Relativity. What can be considered art or music? I think this boils down to whether or not one has the ability to respect others and their right to make choices. When we speak of art or music, we speak from the perspective of our own biases, our own opinions. It is a subjective matter and when one forgets this, intolerance is the result. Always try to remember that one man’s trash is another’s treasure, but that adage holds equally viable in reverse as well when one’s treasure is deemed to be trash.

    Reply
  • I

    IanDec 8, 2022 at 6:42 am

    an analog synth is an instrument…What do you mean techno? There is richard hawtin , tales of us, amelie lens etc….they all suck formulaic, flat computer music that sounds dead and cold..But then you have ellen alien, x dream, simon posford,benji vaughan,Rrose, union jack,dusty kid i could go on forever that are great deep and more musical than bob dylan ever was. Rock,Metal,folk and even jazz all have formulaic songs . Same riffs, same patterns , verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge. It is not the genre is the artist. Excuse my english ,not my first language. No comment about deadmau ,who cares about the guy.

    Reply
  • G

    G RowellOct 21, 2022 at 2:32 pm

    My opinion, techno is noise. It takes zero musical ability to create. That is why is so prolific. Real music should move you in some way. You might like the lyrics or emotions they create. You might admire the voice dynamics. You might enjoy the instrumental parts or the harmonies. You might like the variations in the rhythm, and how it moves you . Techno only moves me to the OFF switch. But, don’t take my word for it. Ask a real musician, a great singer or someone who plays an instrument well what they listen to? I guarantee, isn’t techno.

    Reply
  • L

    Lord of the gameApr 18, 2022 at 7:09 pm

    This post is basically a man embarrassing himself in public, demonstrating poor music genre knowledge, and sounding like a boomer.
    For that reason it is hilarious.

    Reply
  • P

    Preston RichardsonJan 25, 2022 at 4:04 pm

    God, it’s incredible how poorly this aged.

    What’s equally incredible is that if you had a basic understanding of what goes into music production, sound design, all the different forms of synthesis, or even what goes into a live DJ performance, you’d probably understand that it takes genuine talent to do it well.

    You hate that which you do not understand.

    Reply
  • I

    iiiiiiiirNov 10, 2021 at 8:08 am

    Boomer overload

    Reply
  • C

    Clifford AndersonOct 29, 2021 at 7:08 am

    This aged well (LOL)

    Reply
  • A

    Andy KayJul 11, 2021 at 1:25 pm

    Aside from being a Guitarist/Vocalist/Performing Artist for more than a decade that has ventured into many genres from Rock n Roll to all the way up to Melodic Death Metal, Deathcore, Beat Down Hardcore, and Progressive Metalcore, and having also produced and DJ-ed From the most underground genres like Psycore, Tribal Prog Psytrance, Hardcore Techno, Dark Techno, Nu-Disco, Melodic Techno etc… You have quite a bit of knowledge in music. Before you judge, research more about any genre you want to bash and then go ahead and do your jingle.

    Reply
  • E

    Elijah BellieuMay 4, 2021 at 2:08 pm

    Depends on your definition of Techno. Techno is a form of Electronic music, and EDM(or Electronic Dance Music) is one hard form of “music” that can be produced. Not as hard as Jazz, but still hard as shit. Anyways, I digress, I know you are wrong since music is expression and you are denying people’s form of expression. If I went up to you and said Rock music isn’t music and I can make Rock very easily, that would upset you, rock bands, rock fans, and rock cafes. It’s dumb that people think something that has music in the name isn’t music. Noise music is music. You are expressing yourself through literal noise!

    Reply
  • D

    dioxariaFeb 27, 2021 at 8:49 pm

    Hey man, are you getting paid for what you wrote here?

    This is a truly disrespectful article to be shared with people. Everyone has opinions but this way you are trying to eliminate what’s already been a part of human culture.

    Techno isn’t only a single kind of music, it has countless amounts of subgenres, and they are very different from each other. Some sound fully synthetic, and some others are combined with classical touch of music.

    Using their own computers, the musicians can create beautiful line of notes as a strong expression of their ideas, and they sound nice to those who like them.

    Not like you, who just write a bunch of trash with your index fingers.

    You know what? Most of music today including those with recorded instrument performances uses computer to put everything together into a complete track.

    And mixing music isn’t only about adjusting volumes and panning the sounds, you have to do a lot such as spectral and stereo balancing. Maybe they’re too complex for your shallow mind to comprehend.

    Being able to write music is a special ability that has to be developed ourselves. It’s not instantly there when we were born.

    Yet there’s the mixing process which requires different kind of skill, that’s why there are a lot of mixing engineers.

    A lot of talented musicians are able to complete their songs on their own, that’s a talent.

    You may not be listening to music at all. Never thought about this?

    The musicians have hard time polishing their skills, tweaking their mixes, and rising on popularity.

    How dare you stain Techno with words you took from your ass hole.

    Don’t be toxic for money.

    Reply
  • S

    SAP800Dec 24, 2020 at 8:04 am

    Beethoven just pushed some keys, so easy to write a symphony.

    Reply
  • S

    ScottNov 4, 2020 at 11:47 am

    I don’t think you actually know what techno is. Deadmau5 is not techno. Not even close.

    Reply
  • D

    DysoantOct 26, 2020 at 1:42 pm

    I love that this article is still up. It is satire, right? Like you went on to write for the Onion, I am sure. Joking aside, everyone is entitled to their own opinion but one should try to remain open to opposing views. What I am more curious about is why so much hate for something your clearly do not understand? Hopefully, by now you have had time to reflect and consider this seven year old diatribe. Maybe you’ve even come to realize that the statement that electronic music “is not real” actually is socialization that stems from 1970s backlash on disco (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disco_Demolition_Night). This idea has continued to persevere throughout the years as an unexamined statement of fact from folks too afraid to step outside their comfort zone. What I find funny, beyond that fact that you were totally unqualified to make such statements, is that when you wrote this, you clearly did not understand yourself, let alone the music you feared and attacked.

    Reply
  • P

    Peter MarreckOct 9, 2020 at 6:42 pm

    I’m late to this party but this is like someone who only eats Italian complaining about how bad sushi is.

    Like dude… it’s a self-own if millions of people love something and you just can’t see it. You’re like a colorblind person who not only doesn’t understand Kandinsky’s “Autumn Landscape with Boats” but *actively complains about its existence*. Woe unto you, self-owner… The world is *in actuality* a little less rich for you than if you were to appreciate techno. In short, you got no rhythm, son.

    But if you want to open your mind a bit here are a small handful of my favorites.
    Deadmau5- Monophobia (it’s got pop appeal, so it’s going first)
    Deadmau5- Polaris. Absolutely sublime. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnnyQcRbwEI
    Thievery Corporation- Heaven’s Gonna Burn Your Eyes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyYMhFPGYDY
    Thievery- Tomorrow (which has like a bossa-nova beat) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL0AIkT-1pI

    I mean jesus. To disparage an entire GIGANTIC category of music because you can’t stand beats… LOL

    Reply
  • B

    bengtSep 11, 2020 at 8:54 pm

    as a techno producer, it’s not as easy as you think. Any joe shmoe can do it, with one caveat. They need practice. Last time i checked, when i learned to play bass that took practice too. it’s all music.

    Reply
  • N

    NickJun 25, 2020 at 4:15 pm

    “Surely a Bob Dylan show couldn’t go on without Bob Dylan.”

    In the mid 60s when Bob first played the electric guitar people boo’d him and left the venue. He was just using a piece of technology ahead of the curve to his audience at the time to get his point across. I bet if he were that age in 2020, he would’ve been using Ableton on stage. To the bewilderment of the ignorant listeners in the audience.

    The more things change, the more they stay the same.

    Reply
  • A

    AnonymousJun 25, 2020 at 1:49 pm

    Any Joe Schmo with a MacBook Pro and a Wi-Fi connection can write a column and get his or her opinions out to the public.

    Reply
  • B

    bubuJun 25, 2020 at 12:13 pm

    Hey guys, they got this band out there that dresses like robot and their music sounds completely daft. It’s a bunch of punk music made on computers, and honestly this daft punk music is gonna ruin the economy.

    Reply
  • B

    BillJun 25, 2020 at 2:25 am

    Hey I just discovered this article today in 2020 and I couldnt be more excited. This is like a time capsule of cringe that has aged like milk when you consider how big and all encompassing electronic music has gotten over the last 8 years. Very cool

    Reply
  • T

    Truth HurtsMay 31, 2020 at 9:02 pm

    Your article is well written and sound. My friend loves playing Black Coffee on the big screen on full. The music is boring, monotonous and uninspiring.

    The DJ strikes me as arrogant and full of himself. That said, he apparently has a charity organization.

    The mostly white crowd appears as vapid as the computer beats. I suspect that if it were not for the drugs, the attendance would drop like a rock.

    Reply
  • D

    DavMay 26, 2020 at 4:04 pm

    Damn, this article did not age well at all. I don’t exactly remember how bad “techno” (whatever that even means at this point) was in terms of the mainstream artists in the genre in 2012 but like, listen to an artist like Shpongle or Ott, get that crazy avant-garde psychedelic sound. Listen to some synthwave like Emil Rottmayer or maybe chillwave like HOME. Electronic isn’t a genre, it’s a kingdom.

    Reply
  • L

    LouFeb 16, 2020 at 6:15 pm

    A rather old article but wanted to say that I did sort of feel at one time that if all you’re doing musically is moving notes and chords around on a computer then you’re not a musician and that it’s not real music. But it is hard to develop interesting ideas even by this method of using software alone. I have been a musician for several decades now and I am beginning even now to understand that the concept of being that, a musician, isn’t entirely defined by abilities on a music instrument or voice but can be defined any number of ways including by use of software. It’s the idea of the song that is important, not the means or elements in its construction if that makes sense. I find the computer to be better able to help rather than hinder music creation. We can’t limit ourselves and expect that it will lead to greater creative development. On the outset electronic music might have this stigma associated with it but the overall picture is that someone created it from nothing and if people are enjoying it then it was worthy of creation and therefore legitimate.

    Reply
  • K

    kfjefjeifjeifJul 20, 2019 at 2:26 am

    Hi Ryan, I’m from the future and your opinion is ignorant, misinformed and irrelevant. That aside, I hope you are doing well. Sincerely, some guy.

    Reply
  • G

    GravyJul 16, 2019 at 11:10 pm

    Let’s stop pretending we even know what real techno music even is. Hint: It’s not your roommate’s EDM!

    Reply
  • T

    The VoidMar 13, 2019 at 1:02 pm

    This article reads like it was written by a 65 year old man.
    “This noise you kids listen to is not real music”.
    You have absolutely zero knowledge of the music you speak of, or it`s near 30 year history.

    If you ever find yourself saying or writing any of the following

    Anyone can do it
    Computers are not instruments
    It`s noise not music

    Then you are too old or simply not knowledgeable enough about music.

    Stay at home in your cardigan grandpa……..

    Reply
  • J

    justin jamesMar 13, 2019 at 11:41 am

    that was not a very good article. I hope the author takes some writing classes at the university they’re attending.

    Reply
  • T

    Techno vikingMar 13, 2019 at 10:06 am

    Techno is mit ohne singen du schmock!!

    Reply
  • W

    Will WOct 30, 2018 at 2:23 pm

    Anyone who thinks electronic music isn’t real music is an idiot.

    Reply
  • A

    APAug 10, 2018 at 1:40 am

    6 years later: Techno snobs shitting on popular EDM artists to defend Techno. LMAO, but i digress.

    Deprecating pop-music (read: popular music), regardless of its composition is called being a hater. It’s also easy given the common pitfalls of making art consumable and accessible to a large audience.

    okay for real, i digress.

    Why am i commenting: legit was hoping to see what the author thinks today given the emergence of trap, and chopped and pitched vocals. The later being techniques derived directly from electronic music production software/equipment. The former is arguably a type of fusion of southern rap and edm musical descendants .

    The point: Yo this author was wrong AF, maybe sentiments post skrillex peak (circa 2012) were legit, but dawg you gotta check out my soundcloud page. Link and build bro.

    Reply
  • C

    Chris mumfordJun 30, 2018 at 10:39 pm

    I wonder if he read all these comments? I wonder what his opinion is 6 years later? And I REALLY wonder how the duck and the girl photo correlates to the article????????? I’ve been listening to Techno for 22 years. It’s almost all I listen to. That’s a real dedication to pretending right there. Hahahaha.

    Reply
  • B

    BeeannApr 14, 2018 at 4:53 pm

    Seen this article about 5 years late…

    You speak badly of Techno, then drop how bad a techno DJ DeadMau5 is. If you think he is techno and are basing the whole article on the sort of music he and other commercial DJs (David Guetta, Steve Aoki) produce, then I’m not really sure why you wrote this article – that’s quite embarrassing.

    That’s like me writing an article ranting about how rubbish heavy metal music like Iron Maiden is, then dropping an example like Arctic Monkeys because they both have a singer, some guitars and drums!!! They are two worlds apart! (FYI even though I don’t like heavy metal music, I don’t think it’s rubbish – people have their reasons for enjoying it) But that’s what you’ve done here, thinking techno is DeadMau5 because his music is produced on a computer just like techno producers. Listen to a set by DeadMau5, then listen to a set by actual techno producers like Dixon, Mano Le Tough, Nina Kraviz. I don’t care if you like it or not, I just want to save you embarrassment in case you have another rant about it.

    No problem having an opinion. In fact, I dislike DeadMau5, but I can understand why people enjoy him – probably for the same reason you enjoy the music you enjoy. But don’t go telling other people what they can and can’t enjoy – that’s dumb – especially after reading this you have about zero knowledge of what you’re talking about

    Reply
  • B

    Brian ArktonFeb 26, 2018 at 12:16 am

    I feel the auther is not particularly familiar with techno beyond EDM. While the mainstream EDM craze is not popular even among most techno fans, its not exactly representative of what a majority of techno is. All this article demonstrates is how terrible mainstream EDM is, many of whose listeners would probably despise techno, especially of the European variety, which has managed to maintain some of its authentic techno and underground techno.

    Reply
  • T

    triangleOct 31, 2016 at 11:16 pm

    ok the guy who wrote this article is simply ignorant and doesn’t have a clue what he’s talking about. techno was never meant to be a traditional form of music where main motives are love, life’s struggles, nature, beauty which are brought by melodies and lyrics. techno brings the images of technology, machines, industry, all of which are a big part of our world today. its point is not to evoke cheap emotional thrills of listeners with cheesy chord progressions and “why don’t you love me” lyrics. it is anti-music made for people who are fed up with cliche’s. it’s everyone’s right not to like it but to say it takes 0 talent to make it, you simply have to be an uneducated moron.

    i wouldn’t even bother writing this, but a post by @STOP THE LIES is what caught my eye. for how long have you actually been listening to electronic music? have you ever even heard ricardo villalobos play live? do you know that he has countless 10 hour sets? I don’t care if you hate his music, the guy is a legend, ONE OF THE FEW who is doing his own thing and doesn’t give a fuck about trends, which is what this music is about. while in comparison, so much of dnb today is actually pop music. it makes me sad that this scene has turned into nothing more than a consumer-frenzy, money making monster led by teenage rockstar djs, no different than fucking hollywood, all the while true artists and their music get labeled as retarded and outdated.

    Reply
  • R

    RudyOct 10, 2016 at 8:35 am

    I’ve seen this same type of judgemental load of horse crap over and over again, and it’s very boring… Yeah, like I rock and metal, classical music, jazz, hip-hop but of course i also thoroughly enjoy electronic music. How can I not be allowed to enjoy multiple genres at once and appreciate them for what they are? I’ve met too many people, namely more ignorant fans of rock and metal music who all cast the same judgement on electronic music, what’s worse that they blatantly refuse to even bother to give the genre a try.

    These people I’ve met cast the same stereotype that electronic music is “easy to make”, “too repetitive”, or “lacks soul/feeling”. They joke that all a techno musician has to do is push a couple of buttons to make couple of robot fart noises and viola, you’re done. Don’t suppose they’ve even wondered how difficult it is to make even a half decent techno track, especially if you’re attempting the styles of Aphex Twin or Squarepusher? Or even wondered how to evoke a feeling or sense of place in an ambient piece? Electronic Music can generate emotions just like any other genre; you’ve just got to find the right place to start.

    I didn’t like electronic music at first as a teenager – I was deep into death metal and progressive rock at the time, but after years of many listening sessions to a couple of electronic musicians (bolstered by my interest in old school industrial music), I’ve found plenty of performers who are as artistic as any musician in rock or metal.

    Don’t be dismissive and ignorant. Don’t close your mind. Trying looking past stereotypes, who knows, you may just find something you grow quite fond of. If not, well then that’s up to you – just don’t destructively criticise what other’s find enjoyable, lest you too be criticised for your taste.

    Reply
  • K

    kyleOct 1, 2016 at 11:21 am

    Techno, and I mean real techno. (not deadmaus, or avicii or whatever you think techno is, because its clear you don’t have a real clue) is as subtle and complex as classical music. A 1 hour mix of deep techno, is a journey that cannot be matched anywhere.

    You sound like an old person, shouting from their porch. “Back in my daayyy” lol

    And techno producers will most definitely be remembered, just because you don’t know any….the techno community would be able to give you a shortlist of 10 of the most influential producers quite easily.

    Rock is dead, and has been for a long time.
    Suck it up.

    Plus…our ears as humans now, have evolved to constantly seek new and more interesting sounds. We will likely never go back to the electric guitar and drums being the super popular thing. It obviously will never go away completely, but to me, I personally feel like rock is as dead as disco, its not where “real musicians/producers” are looking to hear unheard things. Its more like comfort/nostalgia music now. Dont get me wrong, I love me some rock and metal, but nothing from either genre really ‘surprises’ me as ‘new’ anymore, or unheard.

    As musicians, we can only move forward, pushing for wierder and more interesting things, never looking back. So in that sense, you have to adapt and appreciate where music goes, not hold onto an antiquated notion of what you “think” music should be, or what you wish it still was.

    However, I will completely agree with you on the point that most EDM that the kids listen to nowadays is utter shit and complete fucking trash. But EDM is not techno, and techno is not EDM. EDM is shitty rise and drop, big room house/trap bullshit. Dumbed down garbage. If thats what you’re talking about in this article. Then yes, I agree.

    But techno, is brilliant, subtle, and can take you on amazing journeys if you let it.
    The subtelty in a good techno set, is on par with the subtelty of a mozart performance. And while it may not be ‘your thing’, just like classical music is not others ‘thing’. Very few people would say Mozart is shit, just because they dont like it.

    Thats what you sound like.

    Reply
  • C

    CiprianJun 18, 2016 at 2:25 am

    OMG, this guy has no fucking idea on what he is talking about. Millions of people listen to techno all over the world
    and those people are not aphonic pieces of shit like you are !

    Reply
  • K

    KaylaMay 30, 2016 at 11:50 pm

    You are a complete idiot. Please never speak on techno again because you obviously have no idea what techno even is.

    Reply
  • T

    The Chancellor of PoopsvilleMay 11, 2016 at 9:31 pm

    Came here because I hate techno. Stopped reading after “a computer is not an instrument”. Just how retarded must one be to out such a stale brainfart?

    Reply
  • J

    JohnMay 6, 2016 at 5:54 am

    You are a total shit-bag who doesn’t understand the thermodynamics of art in general. To some, the low-fi and sparse minimal aesthetic is more powerful / beautiful than the most amazing jazz concert. You’re the one who’s pretending. Not the people who love this sound. Your taste level for the stuff isn’t refined enough to understand it. Techno (especially the more abstract variants) is an acquired taste. Like wine, coffee, jazz music, and death metal. You haven’t cultivated the taste for it, so you’re bashing it. It’s as relevant and any other art form on the planet. Just because you don’t like it, you don’t have the right to tell others who do that they are pretending to like it. When some people here a beautiful techno song on a good sound system, their synapsis go nuts like they’re having a kundalini awakening. I suppose they are faking this? You are a pompous jerk. Get a life.

    Reply
  • W

    WillMar 23, 2016 at 1:51 am

    Seems like this bloke has just grouped all genres of electronic music as ‘techno’ as he references an avici song and Deadmau5, neither of which are techno
    Drop your elitist attitude to music and you might actually realise there are some decent artists out there who actually put out some awesome tunes
    If you listen to Strobe by Deadmau5 you’ll see how “just a group of mixed up sounds” can actually be a beautifully progressive track with no singing that can stir up more emotions than 95% of the music lyrics put out today
    Isn’t the value of music really in how it makes us feel rather than how it’s made

    Reply
  • S

    stop the lies.Jan 28, 2016 at 4:24 am

    If MDMA and other uppers are gone, so will be techno, way too repetitive, over rated artists and the easiest gerne you can mix, ricardo villalobos is a legend but a kid from UK mixing dnb for 2 years will be able to mix better then him….4 beats, bass off, bass on, it’s like electronic music for slow persons 🙂 Offence intended, techno swallowed most of the underground scene in my city, transform it into a pill circus

    Reply
  • E

    edwardNov 24, 2015 at 11:45 pm

    You are ignorant. I have played jazz guitar and drums for years now and let me tell you that creating any genre of electronic music takes more talent and knowledge than you could ever imagine. These artists are still musicians. But they use computers for complex sound design and arrangement. If you ever had tried to write any form of electronic music you would know how wrong you are

    Reply
  • B

    BNov 18, 2015 at 11:29 pm

    wow you really suck.

    I wish you could hear yourself.

    This is what people like you said about rock n roll 60 years ago. “Wahhhh it’s just noise”

    Music comes in many forms -‘it’s as much about the vibrations (that’s what sound is, after all) than the performative aspect or the form.

    Again. You suck.

    I wouldn’t be a jerk,
    But you were first.

    Reply
  • M

    mattNov 4, 2015 at 8:50 pm

    deadmau5 is NOT techno. What an idiot.

    Reply
  • T

    teknomekaSep 3, 2015 at 1:57 am

    sorry to disagree but I have been listening to Techno for over 20 years, it s not an experience, it is a lifestyle. I get you guys point that techno artists are not necessarily musicians but no techno artists call themselves musicians in first place. At the end of the day it s not cause you guys don t like it no more that it is not music to others. One thing that Techno has over other genres, open mindedness.

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    RockOnApr 14, 2015 at 11:34 pm

    I have to agree with Ryan on this. Sorry Aziz but your argument is really weak. You didn’t really address any of the points that Ryan made regarding the true artistry of great musicians compared to what Techno DJs, producers, et al, do when they create techno music. The true test is time. How many techno artists will be considered or even remembered in 50 years? Great musicians make an impact on music and they survive the test of time. The problem with EDM is that there is so much crap out there and as Ryan stated, everyone is creating it in high school, college, and else where. Much of it all sounds the same and most of it is not original stuff. I went through the techno faze when I was younger and you know what…it dies quickly. So much of it just sounds the same and is associated with big events – Raves (or whatever they call them now)…as Ryan stated. It is the experience that is lasting, not the music. People go to pick people up, drink, do E and just simply go crazy. You do this for a few years and then one day you wake up and say…WTF am I doing. And it ends…and then you crank up the rock music and you never stop listening!! Rock On!!!!

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    AZIZMar 23, 2015 at 9:57 pm

    hi everybody, sorry for my poor english i will do my best to be understand.
    yes obviously Ryan don’t know what he’s talking about, like it’s been three years people are saying it. but I suspect a “clic article”, like say something stupid people will stay on the website otherwise it’s a real lack of culture and of course education.

    so some culture :

    – all mélodies that can be achieve have been done all ready in a way, the only things with infinite exploration/possibility are rythm, rythm are unpredictable, with notes it’s like ocean of possibility.

    – secondly, there illusion in musique like with the same sound at the same time it produce a note that have nothing to do with an instrument, those kinda illusion are branch of music call “acousmatic”, it’s been like 60 years musician are working on it with modular synth at the beginning, for example : “elliane radigue”.

    – now techno play on it ( assuming you know what your talking about, here it’s techno, it’s a genre. to be sure we are speaking the same), the dj will cut the sound to break and create rythmic/rythm, with some echo (it’s an audio effect) he will amplifie what you hear, a reflection of the sound produce by the cut, this phenomena is an illusion and at the same time a physical stuff, like if we play the sound and cut it at right time the reverberation will be interpreted by your brain as a note. this thing is a major discovery of modern music.

    so now going back to france, here in europe techno is widely recognize, acousmatic music is the phaser of techno, so thanks detroit, and chicago, a great mean for a complex musician thought.

    dum dum di dam

    bam bam ba doum

    boum boum boum bi dam

    bam bam ba doum

    dum dum di da da da da da da da

    di da di -di da di -di da di -di da di -di da di -di da di -di da di -di da di -di da di -di da di -di da di -di da di –

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    Lee HMar 23, 2015 at 4:55 am

    The guy that wrote this is definitely thrashing away to Def Leppard with a broom handle for a guitar in his bedroom right now – talk about miss the point. Get back to the 80’s and take your permed mullet with you.

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    OMar 16, 2015 at 1:31 pm

    Hey Ryan – I challenge you to re-create this Aphex Twin song 100% from scratch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIeA2ct5Sew Not using your laptop and yr wifi.

    …that’s what i thought.

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    JesusMar 4, 2015 at 12:12 pm

    These defensive reprisals of half grown minds against an intellectual analysis are amusing.

    By definition the noise which is the subject at hand can not be called music. It’s just syncopation. All other attributes of actual music are clearly missing. Electronic sound is not at all a form of music.

    Clearly many simple minds are infected by and ownership complex feeling a sense of high rank, wanting to cry out as to what it is that is so new and original that they alone have euphorically discovered.

    I’m happy for you all that sense a feeling of discovery involving electronic syncopation. Discovery is a good first step with in the long learning curve of becoming a knowledgeable human being. By traversing this learning curve, Wisdom can one day be attained where you may find yourself complete and able to comprehend what is missing in yourself today.
    As averages go, I trust that many defenders of electronic syncopation will grow right forth and away from this half witted trend, moving towards tangible civilized living. I will keep all these delusional minds in my thoughts the same as I think positive for methamphetamine users and those that have sex with farm animals.
    Until then, please keep smiling happy with your new trends but keep them to yourself. Please refrain from corrupting other people with your dis ease of needing to fit in or be a part of something meaningless. It is an impossible challenge of dramatic madness to exclaim electronic syncopation as being any thing at all but a non positive delusional merriment. Bless you and wake up.

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    SimonFeb 24, 2015 at 8:48 pm

    Dear idiot,

    Before you start generalizing all electronic music, please fire up your iTunes or Soundcloud and listen to Aphex Twin, Future Sound of London, Orbital, Squarepusher, Photek and Air and come back here and tell me that electronic music doesn’t count as legitimate music.

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    L.Feb 21, 2015 at 11:48 pm

    This is not a legitimate article. This is an elaborate ruse. Either that or a college professor wanted an example of how not to write a piece.

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    LOLFeb 21, 2015 at 5:14 pm

    hahaha well, you can tell this kid doesn’t get laid. Hey dumbaas, you do realize most of these producers ARE PLAYING THEIR FUCKING SONGS ON A MIDI KEYBOARD?

    also of course they aren’t just pressing play. they’re matching the tepmos of the two records, counting the bars t o make sure the phrasing is correct, and using a variety of effects/filters etc. You gonna tell me guitar pedals aren’t music instruments? cause its the same shit, idiot.

    if you opened up ableton live you would stare at it with a blank face and have no idea what the fuck to do.

    Anyway you’re a retard. please do us all a favor and never open your mouth to give your worthless opinion about music.

    p.s. i’m better at drums and guitar than you are.

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    Ryan Walsh SucksFeb 21, 2015 at 4:46 pm

    Wow, what an idiot. Wherever the hell this kid is, I hope he looks back on this one day and realize how stupid he is. I am a guitar player/electronic music producer/DJ, and i can tell you that I find the composition aspect of electronic music more challenging than playing guitar in my band. Much more so, actually.

    But yeah, what an awful, awful article. You should be ashamed of yourself.

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    UnknownNov 11, 2014 at 1:08 pm

    Just from looking at this article, I can tell this is a biased report. If you actually look deeper into techno, you will actually find some music appropriate to the ears and actually “sound” good. Progressive House, for one.

    “Talamanca- Ocean Drive”

    ^^ Try it…

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    BrupenisSep 10, 2014 at 12:45 am

    You suck mtfukr you don’t know a sht fking loser please kill yourself smoke a joint a you’ll se that techno is better than your mather as fk you weirdo

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    anangryfrenchguySep 4, 2014 at 10:08 am

    It’s a shame that as a journalist you didn’t even take the time to really dig into the subject, resulting in a shitty & off-topic article with absurd (& funny by the way) pseudo-proofs of why techno is not music, because made by an embiterred guy. Real techno can be compared to jazz music in terms of artistic value (cf. Laurent Garnier’s article about music becoming like any consumable product ) as it totally breaks the “standards” of modern music. Techno listeners don’t always look only for musicality or rythm in a track, but also for congruence & mental experience. Also I’m tired of stubborn musicians that criticize techno or even EDM (which I also hate, BUT let be) with that same argument just to add legitimity to the fact they play an instrument, & importance to their self : “music can only be made with instruments”..
    However I totally agree on the fact that the music “scene” is now overwhelmed with uninteresting stuff because of the increasing accessibility to internet & everything (most of it being electronic music, hence potentially techno music).
    Still you’re the kind of guy who keeps alive the idea of techno being music for junkies & simple-minded people, & this is not tolerable.

    PS : sorry for my english if there are mistakes

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    rickyzgAug 1, 2014 at 11:37 am

    As former party person I attended all kind of edm music and i must admitt from all edm music, pop, rock, classical, dance and all subgenres most that i dislike is music without emotion or real instruments, like minimal techno or similar techno without emotion. True is that 98% of party people goes because of show , drugs and other problems (childhood,experiment,depression,etc.) and most of them are on minimal techno party or similar minimalistic sound that can make you feel like dark psycho. Who can listen music without emotion of real instrument sober, only if you are past drug party person. If you want to prove that minimal stuff have emotion then you are delusional.

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    micahJul 31, 2014 at 1:23 pm

    The basis of all that we call music is the same; longitudinal waves of energy oscillating at varying frequencies which stimulate our “sound sensors” (ears) in what we hope are favorable ways. Humans appreciate different notes, pitches, and sound intensities. In the way that a nice meaty power chord on a guitar might be satisfying to one person’s ear, a fuzzy bass “beat” from a speaker also can appeal to someone else. Its all music in the end.

    Either way the person generating the music needs to be able to compose a sequence of these notes to make something that someone will appreciate. How do you think people responded to the advent of the electric guitar especially when the use of distortion became popular?

    To answer mec,

    In my opinion the word “techno” is a broad term which covers a lot of different genres. There’s House, Jungle, Trance, Melodic Trance, dubstep, breakbeat, industrial – just to name a few. Here is a big list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_electronic_music_genres. These can be likened to types of rock music (e.g. classic, hard, soft, christian).

    You have the entire internet to provide with information on what “techno” is. Insulting and making unhelpful comments about something when you have a wealth of information in front of you tells me that you don’t want to understand, you want to insult and remain stubborn and close-minded on the issue.

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    mecJul 22, 2014 at 4:40 pm

    i love that so many comments negate what techno isn’t, but never tell us what techno really is. if it’s so confusable by other sub genres then the point of it all sounds the same still stands.

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    BradonMay 3, 2014 at 3:18 pm

    I just have one thing to say yes anyone with a computer can create this music but also anyone with a piano can play it it just won’t sound well. I play a variety of “real” instruments but also am working on creating techno. you see anyone can create music but not everyone will become famous from it technically music is just a bunch of sounds that appeals to certain people therefore rock is sounds that some find appealing while techno EDM Dubstep speed core trance or the billions of other genres appeal to others there are so many sub genres of techno that being stereotyping makes sense but there are techno influences on most music after about 95 but it has become more popular among young artists or even some older artists have evolved their music to it. or around it I understand it is hard to understand this music but all music has an acquired taste to it some like rock some like hip hop some like techno.

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    Michael from GermanyApr 26, 2014 at 1:39 pm

    Hello everyone

    “Techno music made on a computer using synthetic sounds is just as empty. Combining samples of other people’s songs into one and calling it one’s own is like taking a bunch of famous paintings and trying to somehow form them into one new and therefore “original” painting.”

    This shows that the poster of this article hasn’t got one clue what Techno really is, what makes that genre and what doesn’t.
    To produce Techno is not about sampling stuff together. There was something happening in the 90s, when it was all about the ‘raves’. Artists from everywhere began to rise and putting their shit into the scene. But Techo was pretty abscent.
    Take on L.A. Style. Two guys sampling things together. Why didn’t they get more than one album out? Because they did nothing but poor sampling. They didn’t even take sampling onto another level. They just made their cheap stuff with ‘James Brown is Dead’ being their best effort. But don’t call that Techno.
    Like todays EDM scene, so was the rave scene. Some electronic genres mixed together, every artists doing his shit and everyone calls it the name that comes to their minds first.
    Like most ravers in the 90s had no idea about Techno, Trance and even no clue about House, so it is with todays EDM base. As long as it is electronic everything goes.
    That is why the rave scene vanished and the EDM scene will be gone soon too.
    The genres like Techno will survive, untouched by this mess, unaltered by the mainstream.
    The idea of Techno, the spirit that got it kickstarted in Detroit and Düsseldorf (the ideas got mixed over the following years) is still there and you will find none in the mainstream.
    For me 2013 was the year in which I could no longer resist but to return to listening to Techno music, only to realise how much it is still a genre with high quality, diversity and lots of love been put into by the producers/artists. And I was amazed how much it has evolved. Techno has become a living, breathing beast with a steady heart beat.
    I was not actively following the developement of Techno, instead I was abscent for many years. And in 2013 I thought about that one album by Ken Ishii. What was he doing all the time? New album? And I was searching. I found it, in form of a collaboration with Marc Romboy (another Techno artists). The albums name: Taiyo. That brought me back on track. Found lots of albums, finally understand myself what Techno music is.
    Incubation by Function is just another awesome Techno album, athmospheric and dark.
    Want something that is so alive it seems to eat you up?
    Dadub with You Are Eternity.
    And there are many more.
    I was listening to several styles of electronic music all the years, but I never had a clear idea about Techno myself. Shame on me? Maybe.
    There are so many artists that really know their stuff, no matter if it leans towards glitch, drone, has vocals or other genre bending characteristics – Techno is a genre so rich, so true to its root idea. Almost unbelievable.

    Same goes for House and Trance. There is so much going on, despite the mainstream stuff, one has really to dig deeper to get it. But once you found it, you will know you are there. Just don’t give in to the mainstream and let not some rave or EDM acts fool you.

    Now that’s quite a lenthy and passionate comment. Sorry, but it has to be.

    With best regards
    Michael from Germany

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    AnnaMar 21, 2014 at 3:14 pm

    Well, fuck off.

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    Ha you've never heard techMar 15, 2014 at 4:48 am

    This artical is the epitome of someone with diarrhea of the mouth. Just because you don’t know the term for the shitty electronic pop music you write about shows you nothing about music in general. I bet you like third eye blind and nickleback you uninformed tool shed. Techno is probably one of the most intricate forms of music out there. Do you think dr dre could make 9mins of the same loops over and over again without the aid of a rapper?anyone with a respectable taste in music will enjoy and unserstand the reward of the subtle changes and progression of real techno music. Whatever “rave” you went to with a bunch of college bros jumping around to garbage pop music played off some pseudo dj’s iPod was not texhno. A real writer would be informed about his topic before he writes an artical. It’s retarded close minded people like you that have made the shitty music your talking about so popular.

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    DerekFeb 17, 2014 at 12:32 am

    I used to like going to raves, not anymore but I still like techno music. There is alot of crappy pop music on the radio these days but that doesn’t mean all pop is crap.

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    AdrianDec 29, 2013 at 11:23 pm

    This article is untruthful first let me state that I’m a DJ with over fifteen years of experience. I perform in some of the biggest cities Los Angles, Chicago, Seattle, Boston, Denver, etc. First let me say that Techno music is not created by untalented musician their is a lot that goes into making just one song. Not just any person with a computer can wake up one Moring an do this its takes a lot of skill and a good ear for it. Not to mention that the equipment is expensive and can be tricky to understand. Now I’m not saying that you don’t have the right to your opinion every one does. I’m just saying you should look a little deeper into the electronic music world before you begin criticizing us DJ’s. Now I’m not talking go to a few raves and share you experiences I’m talking about going to the roots of it and see what DJ’s really have to go through just to be noticed.

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    BradDec 12, 2013 at 10:24 pm

    I love how techno fans are responding “you just don’t understand techno” without any substatiation whatsoever. I completely agree with the article. If music is math, techno is simple addition while using a calculator. For the guy who said composers are like DJs because they don’t play instuments, composers actuially write musical notation for dozens of instruments to make a piece of music…the analogy is…dumb. Composers are the pinnacle of music. “unst unst unst “we are the future” (in robot voice) unst unst unst” is not music. It is noise. People go to techno concerts go to do E and get drunk. They can wear thier shiny cloths and gyrate like primates in heat. The “music” becomes more deep, and the crappy public domain speech samples like “we are the future” become more profound the more high and drunk you get. This is why people that listen to techno are always alcoholics and burnouts.

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    Ryan Walsh MoronDec 11, 2013 at 8:34 pm

    What an absolute moron this guy is.

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    yupOct 13, 2013 at 2:05 am

    This is just downright stupidity, what you should be going after is the mainstream media, and music of the mainstream, that is crap with no soul, techno, or EDM as it is ACTUALLY called, is full of artistic talent and soul. You really have no idea when you are typing these things so, go after what is truly important and that is the music that is ACTUALLY dumbing down our society. EVERYTHING mainstream.

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    Devin MagallanesSep 23, 2013 at 4:10 pm

    Whoever wrote this is a clown

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    IKHANSep 16, 2013 at 5:29 pm

    This arrival is practically telling us to all get rid of our electronic devices
    Because they don’t exist
    Every single song that you have ever heard that was live
    And even then sometimes has used electronic equipment

    But you see if you are against the use if electronic equipment
    Then we ALL might as well be
    And get rid of our eletronics all together

    Then, any shit stain on a piece of paper is art while the exact replica of the Mona Lisa made in photoshop is not and required no talent and was made by some Joe Schmo character

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    VoidlossAug 25, 2013 at 11:25 am

    So music is only something that contains lyrics?
    Steve Reich? Arvo Part? The whole of contemporary orchestral music (the composers don`t pay the music themselves, other people do it for them, namely the orchestra.
    For the simple minded out there, just pretend that the computer, as a modern day instrument, is like a little orchestra inside a magic box. And you can tell the little orchestra what notes to play, or when to play them etc.
    You become a composer directing everything rather than just being a member of the band/orchestra playing the music written by someone. ALL music is valid, wether it be abstract and experimental, or a very obvious formulaic bit of disposable pop music.
    The writer of this article just sounds like every generations old person. “Oh the music of today, it all sounds the same/too loud/too repetetive/no proper tune/satans music etc etc.
    Congratulations, you now sound old and ignorant.
    Techno is a music style that covers a wide emotional pallette. There is very melodic, stuff, dubby chilled out dub influenced stuff, aggressive, abstract industrial influenced stuff, very cheesy obvious poppy stuff, fast, slow, jazzy, melancholy. It is one of the most diverse forms of electronic music in fact, being very hard to pin down. And yes, it is made with electronic instruments, drum machines, synthesizers and computers, which have become the instruments of today.
    To produce music on a computer means you need to take on a lot more roles. You need to be a musician to actually compose and make the music (or a sample smith if you solely use samples), and this involves making the bass, the drums, the lead and so on, covering more rolls than say, just a bass player. Then you need to actually mix and produce the music, knowing how to apply EQ, compression, reverb and all the various effects that are required to make a finished piece of electronic music (of course there are some who do this badly).
    Computers can be instruments. So can a yoghurt pot, or a piece of wood. Music is made by musicians, the instrument is irrelevant.

    Anyway, you can simplify this whole, wasted, ignorant article by simple re-writing it and saying
    “I don`t like/understand techno”.
    And leave it at that, rather than wasting all the words you used to simply say “I don`t like this music, and therefore in my ignorance of it, I am going to make lots of unfounded, and factually incorrect statements about how it is mad, and then apply irrelevant aesthetic judgements on it”.

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    Tom LawsAug 25, 2013 at 10:48 am

    Oh my god , I don’t no he just wrote this to get a debate going (which it will) or if you are being genuine . So I’m not going to even waist my time writing a long reply to this wankers post!!!…………

    To sit here and argue a point for Techno with this narrow minded clueless dick head would just make two idiots. So ill keep t short. It just shows how uneducated you are to even think that Techno/Dance music done not take control and skill to make. Some of the worlds leading Techno artists are insanely clever and have rewired computers and software all there lives and this music is extremely hard to lurn how to make it sound warm and good. Granted some of it is shit but you tell me a genre that dose’t have crap bits in!!…………

    And for this prick Aaron Rones sticking up for this Ryan walch c**t saying what he is trying to say is that any one can sit at a computer and make it , I’d love to see you guys figure the various programs to make this music on out and try make it sound good, wanker!…………..
    Oh and buy they way if you think that you don’t use a computer to make every thing you listen to, from classical to R&B to Heavy rock, pop etc etc then you are a total prick, so your telling me there people who mix down in the studio to make all music presentable for a album are talentless, well its all made on the same programs as Techno producers use and allot are you fucking pair of s**t c**ts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    And one more thing try going to Europe and saying this you absolute toss piece. There is only one word for tossers like you lot that . C**T!

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    4ndyAug 25, 2013 at 10:22 am

    I am extremely annoyed by your article “Let’s stop pretending we like techno music”
    Firstly let me state That I am a professional lead blues guitarist with over 25 years playing in successful bands all around the globe, I am also a time-served drummer, keyboardist, bassist – and have a degree in sound engineering and an S.A.E masters in music production – and I have been producing music of all styles for the best part of 20 years. Your biassed attitude is equivalent to that of a stroppy toddler … Techno music isn’t any electronic music – Techno is mainly rhythmical, USUALLY quite slow, and dark. (I am beginning to get annoyed at other styles of “immature dance music” being classified as my beloved genre) – there are many different sub-genres of techno; and the vast majority of techno producers are HIGHLY accomplished musicians with decades of experience. When referring to “Glitchy sounds” you are most likely referring to trance, or dubstep; and yes many of these styles are horrible – and make me puke in my mouth a little when I hear them. I don’t wish to bleat on; so I will keep it short. If I was in a rock, or blues band, or recording an act in the studio – each part is recorded either separately as an “overdub” over a raw take, or in certain RARE instances when the band is tight; you can record the whole performance in one take. This is INFINITELY easier than making GOOD QUALITY dance music. Yes there is an absolute hoard of bedroom producers out there since the advent of digital production software, however to be at the top end of the spectrum takes years of experience and incredible talent; as you have to write the track, and create and shape every sound yourself from scratch – (Yes every sound – from the kick drum, the high hats, the synths, the bass etc … and then spend hours doing the arrangement) A good techno track takes anywhere between 7 – 24 hours of solid graft – and then at least an hour of mastering (Bringing all of the levels up to broadcast quality, and spreading the sound, and EQ’ing etc), and there are over 12 different sub-genres of Techno ranging from minimal to acid. Compare this to live music recording when the whole band is usually done after an hour or so, leaving to producer to tweak, cut and master which usually takes and additional 1 – 2 hours (Bearing in mind the producer hasn’t written the track in the first place, and only needs to make the track sound professional). So in summary; please do some research before posting such an a audacious piece of literature, and if you don’t like something, you should understand that humans tastes are different in all areas, and not condemn others just because they are not into what you are …. Let’s face it; if we all listened to the same music, wore the same clothes, ate the same food, and drove the same cars …. life would be fucking boring.
    P.S – Paul Mcartney once stated in an interview “If i was the same age in the 90’s as I was when I formed the Beatles, I would have definitely been a part of the dance music scene …. as it is the biggest music movement to hit the globe ever” …. yes – it is much bigger than Rock, Blues, Urban, etc ….
    Thanks for taking the time to read this; I hope it allows you to look at our world with a little bit more of an open mind.

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    BrochachoMay 30, 2013 at 12:33 am

    I find it hard to believe that rap is more like real music than EDM. If you don’t agree, listen to the rappers Soulja Boy, Lil B, and Plies. EDM is definitely a musical movement that is still currently happening at the moment. But labeling it as horrible and destructive is a matter of opinion. Personally, I love EDM. As a 21 year old college student, going with a group of close friends to a club or arena to watch a familiar DJ perform a set proves to be a great time over and over again. The music is not for everyone. It is more geared for the partying lifestyle of a new generation. My parents told me stories of people flocking to Woodstock and other music festivals of their day. It was not for everyone. But EDM’s overarching theme is an acronym, PLUR. It stands for peace, love, unity, and respect. You won’t find anger or hate at these festivals. Everyone is gathered together to celebrate a style of music that they love and enjoy. And to harp on the legitimacy of the DJs, if it is so easy, then why am I not a DJ? Why is the author not a DJ? Why aren’t we all selling out crowds at major festivals? While I will admit that DJing isn’t as difficult as mastering the guitar or violin, a certain amount of skill is required for a DJ to turn at least one head. Otherwise, why would anyone listen to them?

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    APMay 19, 2013 at 10:51 pm

    I am a multi-instrumentalist, i play guitar, bass, keys, and mediocre drums. I think everyone needs to remind these “musicians” of the great synth players. Bernie Worrell is one of the best keyboard players i can think of. He plays funk, rock, classical, and some things he played were kind of disco. disco is the predecessor to house. he also is a big influence on dr dre. playing guitar does not prepare you to be a turntablist, dj, or producer. most guitarists could not just jump in and fill in for a DJ even if he knew the equipment, because he doesnt know the music or the techniques required to keep a dance floor packed. electronic music DOES have a learning curve if you dont know shit about it. its a different skill set, but a man shouldn’t cut on another man for something hes incapable of.

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    EddieMay 10, 2013 at 7:54 am

    Ha this is quite amusing to say the least. First of all to the person writing this article, you have NO clue as to what you are talking about. Everything you have said is highly inaccurate. You obviously have no idea what goes into making music, from writing it, to actually producing it, engineering it, mixing it down etc etc etc, NOT just any joe shmoe with a computer can do this. The fact is, it IS music. Whether you like it not is irrelevant. And why you would write an article like this is way beyond me. It serves NO purpose.

    Techno, house, trance, edm etc etc whatever you want to call it, is not just a type of MUSIC, but more, a lifestyle of which you know nothing about, have never truly experienced, and should NOT be making idiotic statements about. As far as even knowing exactly what “TECHNO” music is, you also need to educate yourself about. The reference you made to a song by Avicii called ‘Levels’, with the sample from Etta James singing “ohhh sometimes, I get a goooood feeling.” is NOT techno!. There are many styles of dance music including many with ORIGINAL vocals, oh but right I forgot it’s not REAL MUSIC. It’s not just about going to the, what YOU call “techno shows” it is a lot bigger than that. It’s about the love of the music and the feeling it gives, period. The style of music promotes peace & love, and I stand by that til the day I die.

    So you made a reference to DJ’s not being musicians… ok we never said we were. However with that being said, DJing IS an art form, an expression of music which NOT everyone can do. It seems to me that you have based this article around ONE experience at a huge show possibly by Swedish House Mafia or someone on that level… If that’s the case, then it proves that you truly have not researched to any extent what really is involved with EDM. I am going to guess that you are probably somewhere around the age of hmmmmmm 22, 23. Which in turn proves my point that you have no knowledge of the house culture which stems way back into the 70’s. I would like you to explain to me and everyone else how this all works, as far as the DJs performing and faking their performances, back when DJs used ONLY vinyl records??? Was that fake then too?? The computer has only really been introduced to the scene over the last 6-7 years.

    So what you call a “trend” has been going on for 30+ years. It is a deep rooted culture that extends itself all around the world, going in the most underground of nightclubs to the biggest arenas and into peoples cars, to private parties etc etc etc.

    The bottom line here seems to be that YOU simply don’t like EDM, or the term you seriously MISUSED, techno. Sorry to tell you that it is not going anywhere, has been around for many years before you and will be here long after you are gone.

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    BitchyodaApr 27, 2013 at 12:52 pm

    Actually Stonerbasher, Acid, or mushroooms would be a better choice for straight up techno. Unless you are using Techno as a generic term, which Ryan appears to be doing. Music is always going to have fluff and no genre can escape cheese. Electronic music is very fast food for your ear, but you can find tracks that could entertain you for years. I am sure there is at least one genre of electronic music or artist that he would find appealing. He may just have heard the wrong material. However, he could have a subjective preference for other musical tastes, and that is fine. Music is subjective, just like taste. Substances aren’t required, but I don’t judge.

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    Aaron RonesApr 3, 2013 at 7:36 pm

    Okay, to nullify all of your bitching, you keep saying you like your own genre of music, but regardless of what you call it, it’s still not music. The point Ryan is making is that by using a computer to put sounds together and sell it as “music” is wrong. What he is saying about rap music isn`t that he likes it, in fact his tone would indicate he doesn`t. What he is saying that he accepts rap as music because at least it uses music and actual lyrics. And to refute whatever you electric heads, or whatever you call yourselves (and for the love of god don`t reply to this saying I need to research before I talk because you know what im saying) are saying about music being repetitive and that the use of computers is needed and that most bands use them is true. However they aren’t the only thing being used, unlike techo or elctronica or whatever that is just a computer. It’s simple using purely a computer as an “instrument” isn’t music, playing an instrument, or singing without autotune is music.

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    markym how he says rap is decent makes me laugh and think this arkFeb 28, 2013 at 9:18 am

    apparently how he says rap is near decent what with all the saying Bi**h and N*g*a and talking about money and televisions just proves to me he is an under educated african american who smoked too much weed and didnt get enough crack and he thought he could sound smart. its the same how youre saying these things about techno which was also said about alot of music genres just rephrasing doesnt make this any more sensible than other articles. hey if i like techno thats my choice also i dont bash on other music genres. the point is that if you dont like something and other do deal with it youre not forced to participate.

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    StonerbasherFeb 14, 2013 at 7:20 pm

    I love how all of these brain dead E-tards are getting so offended by this article. Very amusing. Does the truth hurt my friends? Find a new hobby, kids. Popping Molly pills in your moms basement and mixing tracks on your computer isn’t going to last forever.

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    Joe SchmoJan 11, 2013 at 9:22 am

    Funny, I stumbled on this article because I was looking for help and ideas in composing EDM. Pretty ironic, given that the writer dismisses the entire culture as musically unworthy. I recently acquired appropriate hardware and software enough to amuse myself making electronic music. My perception was that it would be virtually ‘music by numbers’; I would just paste together loops and clips and not have to worry too much about music theory or stuff like that. How wrong I was! Take it from me, no amount of modern tech can replace creativity. It’s actually very hard work and if I’m not careful, I could give up easily, just like I did when I had a guitar as a kid. So now I am in awe of artists whom I was previously rather indifferent about. The music of deadmau5, for example, I have now come to appreciate, is rather wonderful (although not “techno”)! It is extremely well-produced and, while many might consider his stuff to be tedious and hypnotic, I now perceive it to be inventive and very clever. Added to which, this form of criticism about a new style of music and how that music is produced and promulgated is so backward-thinking, in general. I see it as a great democratization, musically-speaking, where anyone can give give it a go and have fun; and some of us will be lucky to have our efforts appreciated by a wider audience. Another genie let out of the bottle, and no amount of whingeing is gonna stop it!

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    Rogue AiNov 12, 2012 at 1:50 am

    http://soundcloud.com/rogue-ai/analog-track-2

    Tell me this isn’t music. And don’t go telling me that this isn’t a song because a computer isn’t an instrument as I didn’t use a computer at all in the process other than to record a digital copy so that I could upload it.

    Oh, and if you (the author) are wondering what techno actually sounds like: http://soundcloud.com/rogue-ai/rain-thunder

    Also, I suggest you read up on Juan Atkins

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    AlastairOct 31, 2012 at 8:54 am

    What the hell are people doing posting up these stupid youtube links to Deadmau5 and Laid Bck Luke?

    that is NOT techno!

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    ella vatorOct 31, 2012 at 4:15 am

    “A popular and currently unavoidable trend on campuses nationwide is the techno music craze”

    i lol’d at that line. you sound like an idiot and you obviously have no idea what you’re talking about. just because a bunch of idots are moshing it up to skrillex you think you know all about techno.

    but your piece is funny. i read it sarcastically and really got a laugh.

    you are not a music journalist and have a long way to go, kid.

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    coschollOct 31, 2012 at 12:34 am

    Have you heard early Rock ‘n’ Roll? The same beat in just about every Bo Diddley song. Have you ever heard a Blues progression? Just about the same, every time. Ever heard a ballad? That, too has a structure that is repeated over and over again. Is repetition the enemy? The same rhythm used over and over again defines many genres. Techno is a genre of electronic music that follows certain characteristics, like Rock ‘n’ Roll and like the Blues. I guess Rock and Blues are uninspired.

    Photoshop is based on actual darkroom techniques recreated in a digital format. You can create awful, kitschy photos in the darkroom just as much as you can create beautiful doctored images in the darkroom. A computer is an analog to many things, like a dark room. A computer is an analog to an analog synthesizer, which has discrete, dedicated circuits to producing a sound. An analog synthesizer can be an analog to a woodwind instrument. A synthesizer can just produce a wider variety of sounds, and needs electricity to run.

    Sampling. Really? Do you understand Post Modernism, or have you not advanced to that part of your general education? There is a strong case for using found sounds and recontextualizing them to derive new meaning. Kind of like how Lewis Carroll snipped bits of this word, and bobs of that word to make a new word.

    Musicianship and composition: already commented on by another person. Remember, though, with the invention of the first sequencer, new avenues of sound design were created. One could program (i.e. compose) a sound, and then adjust the timbre by manipulating the envelopes, filters, and other control parameters of the synthesizer while it was being “played” by the sequencer. That’s like having an extra set of hands. The idea that the machine just made the music out of nothing is ridiculous. A DJ is a composer. A producer is a composer. Odds are, they are controlling a lot of pre-destined parameters, like a conductor leads a symphony, but in the end, they are still performing.

    A Bob Dylan concert could not happen without Bob Dylan, nor could a Daft Punk show go on without a Daft Punk. A Deadmau5 show cannot go on without a Deadmau5. Bob Dylan wasn’t always loved and adored: he was reviled by some when he went electric. I guess they thought that Rock ‘n’ Roll wasn’t a pure enough musical form.

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    RonOct 30, 2012 at 10:37 pm

    Great article. I agree 1000% with every point you make. Except I’ve never pretended to like techno music. I don’t like it and never have. I’ve been to one rave about 15 yrs ago and had no interest in ever experiencing that again either. I love electronic analog synthesizers when used in funk, jazz, rock, r&b, etc, when used to play real music. Listening to repetitve bips/bleeps for 4 min straight, no thank you. Electronic instruments get a bad rep a lot of times because techno, but really its the techno thats bad, not the instruments. Analog synthesizers, the ones with keyboards are real instruments and make beatiful music when used by real musicians.

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    Audio.1Oct 30, 2012 at 7:58 pm

    Dear whoever wrote this article:

    I do appreciate your opinion. I really do. But, due to what my dreams and goals are in life, you probably have destroyed ANY EDM artists’ hope in getting fans/record companies liking our type of music.
    And, like all reporters should do, research before you write. Electronic music is a genre of music. All music now needs a computer. Mixers in recording studios need a program like Reason, REAPER, and FL Studio to make a good sound and EQ.
    Also, being “Any Joe Schmo with a MacBook Pro and a Wi-Fi connection” as you precisely said, I make this music for the future, and modern music is EDM.

    From, Dj Audio.1
    EDM producer, dj, and Any Joe Schmo with a MacBook Pro and a Wi-Fi connection. ^-^

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    beaverOct 29, 2012 at 2:16 am

    This article has described precisely my feelings regarding this from of “music”, I have felt this way since the dawn of its inception, just not smart enough to express it. The many independent artists that spend years of finger bleeding and soul searching to be able to play the guitar or learn the piano can be confident that there are those still out there that appreciate real art!

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    T-clipseOct 11, 2012 at 4:09 pm

    I agree with the article, techno, dubstep, house, whatever you want to call it I don’t care. It’s all repetitive lyrics and synthetic drum beats that have no individuality from one another, it all sounds the same. Autotune vocals with no emotion or feeling, no message in the lyrics unless you consider “get up and dance dance dance dance” a message. It’s all a part of the dumbing down of the masses right alongside Reality TV.

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    Appariti0nAug 11, 2012 at 12:39 pm

    I like that techno song that goes “unce unce unce unce unce unce”

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    CamusenseiAug 9, 2012 at 11:10 am

    It’s funny how people think their biased opinion is forcibly right just because they have the mean of writing an article that people will read. I haven’t yet read the article, but I will, and then I’ll comment again to tell you what I think of it.
    Let me moderate my previous statement:
    There is nothing wrong in thinking you are right _if you really are_. But when you talk about a SUBJECTIVE topic, you can NEVER be right about the opinion of OTHERS. (I’ll finish a book about that in a few months^^)

    Camusensei

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    AnthonyJul 31, 2012 at 5:09 am

    No. One can’t argue about tastes.

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    mGMay 31, 2012 at 3:10 pm

    you my friend have failed humanity… you need to understand more about techno before you write such idiotic threads are you sure your listening to techno? tech-house rather to dubstep .. maybe you just dont know your generas yet.

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    RyApr 10, 2012 at 6:38 pm

    Ryan,

    In a similar fashion that any nimrod with a laptop and music software can be an artist, any jackass with an average or lower writing ability, a laptop, and Microsoft Word can express his opinion about a type of music he is absolutely ignorant about on the internet. Technology is a wonderful thing that allows people a medium and means to express themselves, much like you did with this article, where they may have otherwise not had the ability to do so.

    What is this, 1990? Are you really still classifying all electronic music as “Techno”? Your first dead-set giveaway that you are the said jackass with a laptop and microsoft word was your repeated use of this term to describe ‘Electronic Music’ or EDM (Electronic Dance Music). Upon any further research you’d learn that techno is a small sub-genre of electronic music as a whole. As a classification, a good amount of the sonic content that you describe does not exist in that format that originated from Detroit.

    Further, after reading this article I have drawn the conclusion that you are just one of those uptight folk who refuses to accept that times and mediums of expression do change and evolve. Do you think that your thumb-to-your-nose attitude about a genre makes you elite in some form? What format of music do you prefer, the same rehashed thing that’s been done over and over with a guitar, bass, drums, and vocals? Or perhaps you’re into classical, because that’s not changed much in the last couple hundred of years and it’s ‘safe’ for your small noggin. I’m sure it’s going to shatter your world when you learn that much of the production and editing techniques used in electronic music today is also used in Rock, Pop, Hip-Hop, Indie… likely even something you listen to on a daily basis.

    I do have one more serious question for you… what do you need wi-fi for in music production again? Oh wait, I forgot you don’t research your topics. I would stick to writing about things that are simple and easier for you to understand and I sincerely hope you have no career to look forward to in your future for your poor journalism.

    Cheers,

    -A Guy That Makes A Living In “ELECTRONIC” Music

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    Smarter than RyanApr 10, 2012 at 6:37 pm

    Ryan has simply failed to understand the difference between “performance” and “composition”. By that logic, orchestral composers are not “real musicians” because they cannot play all of those varied instruments all at once.

    See how ignorant a statement like that reads? Performance and Composition are two wildly different acts with equal artistic validity.

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    Count ViolenciaApr 8, 2012 at 1:09 pm

    i have to admit that whoever wrote this article is abit misinformed, techno is one of the most interestin forms of edm and what is being refered to is dubstep to be precise, that is the shitty music. house is not bad and what if we love “techno” will you still hate on people if they love hiphop or rnb

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    coolsongbroMar 14, 2012 at 10:48 pm

    Just adding my voice to the chorus of butt hurt techno fans – http://wp.me/p2dLez-2P

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    bobMar 11, 2012 at 9:19 pm

    possibly one of the best trolls iv ever seen

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    RewiredMar 9, 2012 at 12:30 am

    Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, even if it is stupid and ignorant.

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    OP is a fagMar 8, 2012 at 12:01 pm

    You do realize techno is an actual genre of music right? There are many different ways to produce electronic music. As you said, some rap music can have very calculated lyrics; it can be beautiful like poetry. However, when you listen to artists like Gucci Mane or Lil Wayne, the beauty of poetry is lost and their lyrics are terrible. Some electronic music is for easy listening and can genuinely be good music. Some of it is for partying, and I agree that stuff can be pretty terrible. It’s pretty pathetic of you to write an article like this when you obviously have no knowledge on the subject whatsoever.

    Almost every radio hit you hear has been produced through a computer, it’s really ignorant of you to think that artists can’t make good music through computers. It’s all the same frequencies in the end anyway.

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    MarkMar 8, 2012 at 8:41 am

    Ryan, you’ve confused commercial garbage with Techno. What are you, 12 years old? This should explain EVERYTHING. http://techno.org/electronic-music-guide/

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    GabeMar 8, 2012 at 12:52 am

    I am convinced he just trolled everyone above… there is just no way…

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    Marshall McluhanMar 7, 2012 at 11:36 pm

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wWUc8BZgWE&feature=player_detailpage#t=46s

    In all honesty though this article is amateurish drivel. Despite any of my personal opinions on Walsh’s topic of discussion, this article lacks any inkling that this person has any idea what he’s talking about. Don’t be angry with the obviously mentally challenged Ryan Walsh, but direct your malcontent at the publishers of this “newspaper” and their complete lack of an editing staff!! This poor boy had no business being in print!! I’m sorry they did this to you Ryan someone should be taking care of you! I hope you recover from whatever massive head trauma you suffered in your life that causes you to write with such an incredible level of incompetence and misinformation! :(((

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    Tyler MillerMar 7, 2012 at 3:36 pm

    i fail to understand how A) a computer is not “an instrument” when you would qualify an electric guitar as an instrument or B) how it is not human expression when a human is expressing themselves with their computer?
    Also any “Schmo” with a laptop AND a guitar can easily record their music and get their sounds to the public. Music has been a commodity since people could record and sell it, this isn’t some 22nd century witchcraft.
    BUT OH NOES everyone making music = the standard of music will go down! so then people will be forced to make an opinion on what is actually good music, and be able to choose from thousands of sources. Because i mean if there was one musician there music would just be good by default because there is no one else to compete. Sounds like a monopoly to me.
    “Stealing” in your context is parallel with “inspiration” and is a natural progression. You are inspired and informed by all the things you see, so if you’ve ever seen a painting or heard a classical song and you make your own painting/song/photoshop/”techno” then it is being inspired/informed by what you’ve observed. Weird that a “TRUE” artist even said that stealing is a part of art.
    I think we can all take a second to say that you cannot possibly be implying that lyrics are “insightful and calculated” in every rap or rock song. Because that would be stupid. Also, did you know, that before 1800 music barely involved lyrics? and it was considered a huge disaster when someone sang during a symphony?
    How can you separate art and primal? what about either or those things are separate, and why do they have to be?
    How is hitting the play button different than strumming a guitar? How do you know all electronic musicians use CDJS? do you know what a CDJ is? I happen to know that in fact, they don’t. You can perform live however you choose to, but fact of the matter is that I came to experience the performer’s live show. This is never a guarantee I’ll like it but I’m there to experience it.
    Some people do premix live shows, because some people play lots and lots and LOTS of live shows and they think its necessary. What does it matter, if you are enjoying it why does it sadden you that they have done it differently?
    You are right wing. you are conservative. you are everything about the world that will stop progress and let things change. The world will always change, and you will always be a stick in the mud. enjoy the mud.

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    JesseMar 7, 2012 at 1:26 pm

    Well you sir, are clearly an idiot. I’ve spent 20 years practicing jazz and classical piano as well as more than 10 on guitar, bass, drums, clarinet, sax and vocals. Now I dedicate all my time to djing EDM because it is seriously as challenging as any of my time learning complex jazz chord structures, or whatever music theory you might think EDM lacks. As for actually producing tracks, I consider that way beyond me. GRADE 8 CLASSICAL AND JAZZ PIANO BEFORE MY 12TH BIRTHDAY, CHECK. PRODUCTION – CAN’T EVEN MAKE A DECENT NOISE DESPITE YEARS OF PRACTICE.

    Come back to me once you have made a techno tune which gets played out (any Joe Schmoe can do it, right?), and I will eat my hat and tickle your bollocks.

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    Music FanMar 7, 2012 at 12:39 pm

    You must just hate all the fun everyone else is having without you. Look I wish Rage Against the Machine was still making music too but they aren’t. I just drove hours to go see Tool in Toronto and while it was fun reminiscing, it only made me think that I prefer heavy EDM.

    HATERS GONNA HATE

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    smartassMar 7, 2012 at 12:02 pm

    if everyone can make techno, that means the poule of creativity is much bigger, as only the top few percent will perform or release their work, it means the quality of the avarage should go up, not down. like if everyone would learn to play guitar, there will be more really good guitar players, and in turn better guitar music released… this article is very biased, and the auther clearly has no clue about electronic music.
    waste of bandwith…

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    BrandonMar 7, 2012 at 12:00 pm

    Oh Christ someone who doesn’t know a thing about music is writing about it what is this world coming to…

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    SamMar 7, 2012 at 9:57 am

    Techno is one genre of electronic music, and is not the genre that you’re referring to getting popular on college campuses. As a techno fan, my friends on my campus think I’m crazy while they listen to dubstep. Before you publish something online, check your facts. You’ve made a gross overgeneralization that basically disqualifies anything you say in this article.

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    JackieMar 7, 2012 at 9:57 am

    LOL what a nerd

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    CoryMar 7, 2012 at 9:35 am

    LOL you so silly.

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    btxMar 7, 2012 at 8:59 am

    Classic case of ‘I don’t understand this music, therefore it must be bad’ syndrome. The computer is just as much an instrument as any guitar is – it creates vibrations that we perceive as sound – and like any guitar or other instrument, it takes time and practice to learn and master. Some of the most emotional music on this planet was created on a computer alone.If you cannot appreciate the beauty of electronic music, I feel sorry for you. I feel sorry that you are numb to what I personally consider to be one of the best musical sensations in history.
    I like all music, but to see those so shut off from a whole universe of music simply because it is electronical is a massive shame.

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    RickyMar 7, 2012 at 7:11 am

    I can personally attest to The Sex Pistols being a lot easier to perform live than anything my friend does on his turntables.

    I guess that makes their music worthless.

    If you liked music at all you would drop your silly childish prejudices and stop pretending you know what youre talking about. Also calling it techno makes you look like you stepped out of the early 90’s. All rock is not punk, all EDM is not techno.

    TL:DR Its not okay to hate an entire genre of music because in the last month you discovered Bob Dylan.

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    nicMar 7, 2012 at 4:28 am

    It’s people like you who are destroying what music stands for. Stop being a close minded twat and realise that music is music, no matter how it is made.

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    tomMar 7, 2012 at 2:38 am

    What the hell? This article is an essence of bad writing.

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    markMar 7, 2012 at 12:56 am

    this is a disgustingly ignorant editorial. please, never publish another article.

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    LukeMar 7, 2012 at 12:08 am

    “techno is derivative of some kind of primal experience, rather than one of art.”

    RIGGGGHHHTTTTT… Cause last time I checked the true aim of art is not to covey primal experience? Even within your own statements you prove you create contradiction.

    I could go on, but it’s really pointless.

    I think your just upset your band didn’t get the gig and the “Techno”… artist did.

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    Gavin O'NeillMar 6, 2012 at 11:56 pm

    Ryan,

    This is some of the most uninformed nonsense I’ve read in a long time. If you’re trying to write for laughs, at least include some research and effort. Clearly you know nothing of what you’ve talked about here. I myself, am not the biggest fan of this particular genre of music, but as a writer, it’s insulting to see someone take an article to such an unprofessional level. If you had any idea about the subject you’ve hap-hazardly attacked, you’d also know that the devices and techniques used to create a beat, no less a song, have probably been used in some of the most popular and influential music of all time. There is a satyrical way to dispute any subject. There most definitely could have been a way to execute your point by doing one article reading first and you wouldn’t have gotten yourself into this world of hurt. This isn’t just a blemish on your own writing career, it honestly discredits your university. As an author for a college newspaper, you don’t just have to give an apology for yourself, but an apology on behalf of the University you represent as well.

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    alexMar 6, 2012 at 11:23 pm

    if its so easy to make EDM why do you sell a million records? its not as easy as you say it is. Sure any 11 year old can watch youtube with a macbook, but none of them will compare to deadmau5. Imagine how hard it is to convey emotion through edm. Just listen to this song and tell me you think.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKi9Z-f6qX4&ob=av2e

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    patchMar 6, 2012 at 11:20 pm

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTx3G6h2xyA
    yeah…no skill what so ever
    such an ignorant article

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    CJ SindlerMar 6, 2012 at 10:36 pm

    I read only about a paragraph and a half of your article before I stopped reading because I realized that’s about how far you’ve read into this “techno music” scene as you call it. Just the fact that you call it that proves it. Before you put words into print you might want to do some actual investigation because right now you look like an idiot. I’m a PSU ’08 grad and this article is just embarrassing.

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    JayMar 6, 2012 at 10:12 pm

    As a violinist for 14 yearsand someone who has been making “techno” for about 6 years now, i find this incredibly insulting and close minded. EDM is just as much music as anything else, it is just as challenging as playing an instrument, sometimes even more so. Please stop spreading this ignorance and refrain from writing anymore

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    CocoMar 6, 2012 at 9:50 pm

    You are a humongous idiot, and are in NO WAY qualified whatsoever to write something like this and pretend that you know what you’re talking about. First of all, techno is NOT an all-encompassing term for all dance music. If you are looking for an umbrella term to carelessly toss around, that would be EDM (Electronic Dance Music). If you knew ANYTHING about dance music you would know that techno is now a somewhat more obscure, underground sub-genre of the EDM culture in the contemporary realm (particularly in America which is a very trendy market), and it has very little mainstream appeal compared to other genres such as dubstep, progressive house, or electro. Dubstep IS NOT TECHNO. Progressive House such as Avicii IS NOT TECHNO. Electro such as Porter Robinson IS NOT TECHNO. Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s talk about your preposterous and unfounded claims that EDM, or “techno” as you call it requires little talent, and that “anyone can do it”. Are you serious??! As if “anyone” can’t pick up a guitar or any other instrument and call it music. At one point in the article you ACTUALLY made a slightly accurate observation about the quality of music being diluted by the large influx of artists who really don’t know what they are doing, but your entire article was so idiotic that it overshadowed the ONE good (but blatantly obvious) point you made in this entire article. On the topic of that, yes, congratulations on your astute observation. Plenty of talentless wannabe musicians start making music for the wrong reasons in all genres of music. Uhh, have you ever noticed how some douchebags decide they want to start playing guitar just to get laid? Well, it’s like that. And it happens with ALL kinds of music. But in the EDM community, guess who cares about those people? No one, and they never succeed because they are still transparently douchebags. Next, how are you gonna sit here and bash on an entire genre of music of music just because YOU are too shallow-minded to understand it? WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE??? Let me explain a little something to you about producing EDM. And let me preface this by saying that I have an extensively wide musical palate. Classic rock has always been and will always be my primary source of musical inspiration. I also love hip-hip. I also love bossa nova (apparently you know nothing about music, so i’ll spare you the google attempt. It’s a hybrid genre of jazz and samba). I am an appreciator of ALL genres of music, and I feel that if you’re going to be pretentious enough to write an article proclaiming all these “truths” about music, you should appreciate all genres of music, and oh, I don’t know, maybe actually know something about them. I am a producer of EDM music, specifically progressive house, and I am a DJ. I’m a huge nerd, and I love software and hardware, and all kind of technology. And i’m a girl. And I care more about this sh*t than I care about anything else in the world. I started producing a year ago, and I started DJing 2 years ago. Every day in the past year, I have woken up and devoted HOURS every day to learning everything that goes into being a successful house music producer. I have read countless books, watched hours of tutorials, and spent hours trying and failing and learning. And guess what, after all that time, all that commitment, I am JUST now almost finished my FIRST song. Why? Because producing computer music is hard as SH*T when done right, and I have a level of musical integrity that forbids me from putting out anything under my name that is trash. I don’t DJ and produce to be “cool” or “trendy”. I’m not cool. I don’t want to be cool. I do it because I love it, and it brightens up my life in a way that nothing in this world can, and my music makes people happy. And you’re gonna sit here and tell me that anyone can do it, and that i’m “not a real musician” or something? How about YOU write multiple melodies, figure out how to layer them, make a complex drum and percussion beat, and make from scratch about 10 different synths to use for a single song? Why don’t you tell me how to take a saw wave, adjust the ASDR (Attack/Sustain/Decay/Release), tweak the cutoff and put effects on the sound to make a nice trancey pluck sound? Do you even know what a saw wave sounds like? I’d LOVE to see you even figure out a production DAW (digital audio workspace) interface! And that’s honestly just scratching the surface. You have NO IDEA what goes into making this kind of music, and you know nothing about the music itself. So I just want to ask, who the hell you think you are, and what led you to believe you were qualified to write an article making such bold claims about something like dance music. Regardless of what media outlet you write for, you are a writer, and people come to you, and they trust you and what you say. They are supposed to. I would know. I am a writer for a popular Google News website, as well as one of the biggest dance music blogs in the world–and I don’t write about stuff that I don’t know what i’m talking about. And neither should you. Frankly, this is extremely embarrassing for you and The Massachusetts Daily Collegian. I hope that they really take the time to consider this atrocity and assess whether you are the kind of person who should be given the authority to speak on this kind of a platform. Judging by your incredibly misinformed opinions and statements, I don’t think you really have a place a serious journalist anywhere, at least until you start knowing what you’re talking about. In the EDM artist community, this article has been spreading like wildfire. People have actually been wondering if this was a satirical style article like something in The Onion. I wish that were the case. I am extremely embarrassed for you, and I am very sorry for you that you have such a misconstrued perception of dance music, because it can be a wonderful thing that brings joy to myself and many other appreciators of music. This is literally the first time I have ever commented on anything like this, but this article is truly unbelievable.

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    Joe SchmoMar 6, 2012 at 8:12 pm

    Only in America…

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    Phil ReillyMar 6, 2012 at 8:06 pm

    So after what year are new instruments invalid? Using complicated instruments you don’t understand doesn’t mean what they do isn’t music.

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    The BestMar 6, 2012 at 8:01 pm

    Obviously anyone who calls electronic music as a whole “techno” is instantly a non-creditable source.

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    Leonard PearceMar 6, 2012 at 7:36 pm

    Don’t be so arrogant. Everyone has different tastes in everything, be it art, food, or even music. Just because you don’t like something doesn’t mean everyone is secretly agreeing with you.

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    Colin ScruggsMar 6, 2012 at 7:20 pm

    Yeah.. everything you just said was purely opinion and utterly biased. YOU obviously don’t know ANYTHING about techno production or what mixing is. Please, stop writing about electronic music when you arrogantly spew out false information and go on and on about topics YOU don’t know anything about (talk about ignorance). Just… stop.

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    TimMar 6, 2012 at 5:59 pm

    Techno is a form of electronic dance music (EDM)[1] that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Techno

    So… current trend, eh?

    Please get your facts straight before you write an article about something you don’t understand.

    (By the by, a computer IS an instrument.)

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    Enn EraMar 6, 2012 at 5:37 pm

    The fact that you use the word Techno to identify Electronic Dance Music as a whole takes all credibility out of this article.

    There is no such thing as bad press… however this article makes this column and your publishing manager look very unprofessional–and you a douche bag.

    http://regenerationmusicproject.com/
    So I guess Members of The Doors, Berklee Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Ralph Stanley, LeAnn Rhymes and Mos Def aren’t legitimate music artists?

    At least you got some hits on this article!

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    JohnMar 6, 2012 at 5:14 pm

    Terrible article.

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    EisaMar 6, 2012 at 4:24 pm

    simply narrow-minded

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    AnonMar 6, 2012 at 4:04 pm

    Hae you ever attempeted to make any sort of music whatsoever from a computer. Have you ever stop to wonder ho difficult it can be to mmaster the sounds using software. Talk about stuff you know about, like journalism, I don`t like your opinion. Fact is, alot of artist in all genres are posers and their are the perls that make your heart sing. I love all music because I know how to appreciate talent.

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    JordanMar 6, 2012 at 3:58 pm

    “A computer is not an instrument. Any Joe Schmo with a MacBook Pro and a Wi-Fi connection can create techno and get his or her sounds out to the public.”

    A guitar is not an instrument. Any Joe Schmo with an acoustic guitar and knowledge of four chords can create rock music and get his or her sounds out to the public.

    Please. Real originality died decades ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pidokakU4I

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    MikeMar 6, 2012 at 3:27 pm

    TL;DR: I’m a very insecure person, so I wrote an article to re-assure myself about how enlightened and superior my taste in music is.

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    AlexMar 6, 2012 at 2:56 pm

    Art/Music is made in all mediums, whether you like it or not, Ryan.

    By your logic, Jackson Pollock wasn’t a painter because he didn’t use a paint brush.

    …I’m tempted to see what Reddit has to say about your article.

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    Rick BMar 6, 2012 at 2:29 pm

    I can only hope you are an expert troll, because the only alternative is admitting you’re an absolute moron.

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    AllyMar 6, 2012 at 1:51 pm

    Dubstep isn’t music you say? Well then what is this?
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuunY8BTqNs

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    JoeMar 6, 2012 at 1:46 pm

    HEY GUYS STOP LIKING THINGS I DON’T LIKE!

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    AnonMar 6, 2012 at 1:42 pm

    Ignorance.

    Music is human. Who are you to decide what is and isn’t music? It’s creativity, that’s what’s great about it. You don’t have to like it, but just because you don’t, slamming skilled and gifted artists is not necessary.

    I would be absolutely ashamed to have written this article.

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    Robb GeorgeMar 6, 2012 at 1:40 pm

    So, where does that put me? I went to school for music production, and learned how to make synthesizer preset from scratch. I use samples that I made, and I create wholly new songs. Not only that, but I also play the guitar, the piano, the bass, the drums, and the cello and make music in that fashion too. So just because I make EDM (Electronic Dance Music), does that make me less of a musician? Not only that, but artists like Daft Punk, Deadmau5, and Bassnectar mix their songs and other songs LIVE every night. They know how to preform EDM live, and they are masters of the craft. On top of that, they all know MUSIC THEORY! Something the vast majority of rock, pop, and hip-hop artists know nothing about! How many rock musicians can create a synth from scratch, and resample a sound, as well as produce their own album from scratch? I’d say maybe a handful, and that includes Trent Reznor, ohGr, and myself. Thank you, sir, for your input. But you should have asked some EDM musicians/producers how they do their work, and what they know about music.

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    BambooraMar 6, 2012 at 12:45 pm

    Let’s not hate Ryan for not liking electronic music! Because there are plenty of other things to bash him on such as him just being another pawn to refer to EDM as techno, and a college newspaper to allow someone who is this uneducated on the matter to publish an article! I am assuming Ryan is a true “music lover. He loves Pink Floyd, and Allman Brothers! Shall we call those bands METAL just because there are bunch of long haired old man with a couple guitars and a drum set on stage? What happens to subgenres like punk,funk,hard,grunge,. . and so on than? This music is not for everyone, and we can’t expect all 6+ billion to like it. This is why music has a ton of variety around the world for people, and cultures to like different sounds. However, We can protect the sounds we love by informing people like Ryan on what he doesn’t know while respecting him not liking it, so next time he decides to talk about it , at least he can hate on the right genre 🙂

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    John CageMar 6, 2012 at 12:40 pm

    Then I guess the Renaissance is also a musical tragedy since the proliferation of art in one form or another does absolutely nothing but demean “real” art and artists, right, I mean, that’s what we’re facing today, right?

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    Robert InsardiMar 6, 2012 at 12:40 pm

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ve2siaiXgwE

    Ryan,

    Listen to to this
    and then tell me that electronic music is empty. It takes skill and expertise to make music like this, as well as a muscial background that isn’t just based in elctronic music. You should listen before you judge man. You can never have too much music in your life.

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    HermanMar 6, 2012 at 12:26 pm

    “Vishal says:
    February 29, 2012 at 2:31 pm
    Let’s make some more objective statements about entirely subjective things…”

    lol… this isnt going to go well for the author

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    MaagsMar 6, 2012 at 12:11 pm

    please watch this video ryan and tell me this man is just “pressing play” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJfpVzLN90U&feature=related fast forward about 15 mins to see my point……..I mean clearly this guys just completely untalented and shouldn’t be rewarded for abilities…..HATERS GONNA HATE.

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    David RobbMar 6, 2012 at 11:27 am

    Dear Ryan
    I can see that you are somewhat frustrated with this elctronic music take over that is currently upon us. However i feel you are overlooking many factors about “techno” music. First off the techno music that you are talking about is probably considered house music, the most popular. But electronic music has several sub genres. Maybe youve heard of the ear pounding dub step, then theres tech house, electro house, nu disco, progressive house, just to name a few. While these sub genres might seem similar to you, they are infact very different and challenging to produce quality sounds. Now, the impression i got from this article was a hate article.(haters gonna hate) Fact, and before you go bash a whole music genre do some researcch so you dont sound like a complete fool. The top electronic music producers/djs are extremely talented in music, melodies, percussion, and not to mention most of them can shred the grand piano. (seb ingrosso, eric prydz, even deadmau5). Change is upon us Ryan, whether you like it or not, so my suggestion to you is go to one of the many electronic house music shows that mass edmc and nv concepts have been hosting all around and near umass and while you there dont forget to get a little cultured. This is the most popular music in the world and if u wanted you could pick up a guitar and play a house song on it. Open you eyes man, the future is now, get in while you can.

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    TorrieMar 6, 2012 at 11:02 am

    http://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&source=mog&hl=en&gl=us&client=safari&tab=wi&q=digital%20art&sa=N&biw=320&bih=356#p=0

    Would you ever say this isn’t art? Then then why are you saying techno or computer generated music isn’t music?

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    josh ritterMar 6, 2012 at 10:30 am

    They said the same things in the 90’s but we are still here, and like it or not we aren’t going anywhere so get used to it

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    DPMar 6, 2012 at 10:01 am

    Ryan,

    You make a valid point about the idea of live techno shows not actually being “live”. A talented synthesizer and mix artist can pre-plan an entire show, and snychronize it with an epic light show.

    That being said, you are very wrong in two instances. The first being that “anybody” with a laptop and Wi-fi signal can create these works of music (yes music). It takes an exceptional ear and understanding on the intricacies of sound to create something worth listening to – something that will provoke 1000’s to experience an endorphine rush and jump up and down fist pumping. I dare you to attempt to create something from scratch (i’m not talking about a mash-up of pop songs) that parallels the emotional spike these world-famous DJs’ sounds inspire.

    The second point you are wrong about is that we are “pretending to like techno”. Over the span of my life, I have jumped around genres just like anybody else (rock, metal, rap, hip-hop, classic rock, country). Nothing compares to the house music wave beginning in late 2009 that currently reigns over college campuses. Progressive house, electronica, trance has provided me with nothing but pure ecstasy to my ears. I have never spent more time listening, following, and searching for more music like this to satisfy my craving for MORE.

    While I believe your argument is mainly pitted with the “dubstep” genre (and i admit your argument makes 90% more sense when applied to dubstep), people actually DO experience an inevitable high when listening to GOOD electronic dance music tracks.

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    dlobrienMar 6, 2012 at 9:42 am

    Great article, I couldn’t agree with you more. Please don’t waste your time reading these hateful comments! And kudos to you for posting your opinion on such a “sensitive” topic!

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    PeterMar 6, 2012 at 8:30 am

    First of all Ryan why don’t you go out, get a Macbook and an internet connection and try and make some “techno” music. I play guitar, bass and piano and making “techno” is much harder than any of these instruments. The main reason is that you have to compose every instrument yourself. It allows an entire composition to come out of one person. “Techno” music saved the music world forever. This genre brought back complex and intricate music. If you were to replace all of these “cheap and scattered, non-flowing conglomerate of sounds” with symphony instruments you would get something resembling exactly that. Second of all you should really do much more research about a topic before you write something like this. Any idiot with a Macbook and an internet connection can complain on the internet. Deadmau5 is not a DJ, in fact he is a producer and if you think he just hits play at his shows, never mind that his show could go on without him, you are even more misinformed than I thought. While “Levels” by Avicii is probably the most overplayed song ever, “ohhh sometimes, I get a goooood feeling.” is actually an Etta James song, she happens to be one of the most inspiring vocalists of all time. Lastly, yes these shows are a hell of a lot of fun. Is that not half of the musical experience? Shows are supposed to be fun and just the lights themselves are an amazing product of the human mind. If the Doors or the Beatles had these light shows you can bet they would use them (by the way Skrillex and the Doors collaborated on a song recently and they really appreciate his music). So next time, before you somehow get an article like this published in the Collegian, do a little bit more research.

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    DanielMar 6, 2012 at 7:29 am

    >techno is characterized by occasional “bass-drops” and wholly unmoving, random lyric samples like “ohhh sometimes, I get a goooood feeling.”

    “Oh sometimes, I get a good feeling.” This is from a song by avicii is it not? Avicii is not techno!! It doesn’t come anywhere close to actual techno.

    When will you silly yanks learn that electronic dance music =/= techno.

    There are many varying genres of electronic dance music, from trance to techno to house to dubstep, all of them vary a lot with regards to sound, tempo and structure. And even within those genres, the subgenres vary a lot too, for example, compare tech house with progressive house or deep house.

    So educate yourself before you start spewing your ignorance for the whole world to see.

    Oh yeah, and I would honestly like to see you try and compose your own electronic music using any DAW of your choice, I guarantee you that you would find it impossible to even create a simple synth line, let alone a whole track that is worthy of listening to.

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    BlueMar 6, 2012 at 3:47 am

    “ny Joe Schmo with a MacBook Pro and a Wi-Fi connection can create techno and get his or her sounds out to the public” I dare u writer.. Pick up your MacBook and produce a track that gets released.

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    Mary ReinesMar 6, 2012 at 3:34 am

    I’m not well acquainted with a long-standing passion for electronic music. I’ve merely heard stories about Camp Bisco, and read reviews of Deadmau5 concerts. But since yesterday morning, I haven’t been able to get Skrillex’s “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites” out of my head. And as a girl who likes to sing her favorite songs out loud, it gets awkward.
    Trying to imitate mechanically contrived sounds with my own voice is nearly impossible, but I just can’t get over it. I move my left arm in front of my body as if I’m casting a magic powder upon the ground. My body sways forward and my head bites into the bubble of space. Although this music is machine-manufactured, I feel a primal pull to its strange arrangement of noise.
    The sounds express what words cannot.
    The stress of six classes, endless homework, two books a week, ten essays a month, interviews upon interviews and deadlines that truly kill, put this aggressive and highly pressured sound into perspective. A human becomes a machine on a treadmill of duties and schedules. Nothing empathizes with my stress so much as this unabashed collision of violent vibrations, this pushing and pulling of melodies and mayhem, this monstrous voice mimicking an unseen and threatening force.
    As the beats combust my body thrashes about, savoring a brief period of personal freedom. The music isolates me from self-conscious movement and suggested modes of behavior.
    Primal urges stand paramount in this music’s appeal. My own personal pent up frustration and thirst for physical redemption attract me to this chaotic chorus of computer cacophonies. The song evokes confusion, hysteria, and violence. It feels more pronouncedly raw than songs with words or consonantly crafted melodies. Conspicuously disorganized, the arrangement actually replicates an uncontrolled aspect of human nature, and draws forth deep-set emotions that are uncontrived.
    Don’t think, just feel. This music thrives off of variation in meter, timbre, and structure, by hastening rhythms, re-looping beats, bending pitch, and ultimately interrupting itself. These artists act as engineers, making the sound seem coincidental and therefore realistic and lifelike. They are skilled musicians with an ear for a passionate madness, which unites us all. Randomness, a central theme of life, now appears as a theme in music. What’s so bad about that? Give it a listen.

    “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites” Skrillex

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    FromredditMar 6, 2012 at 3:03 am

    I really hope you don’t include this article in your portfolio. I understand it’s an opinion piece…but just…yeah. You don’t use ANY correct terminology. No matter what your opinion is – in the journalism world you have to AT LEAST use the commonly and/or officially used words for things. Does your campus have a library?

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    Jeremy FauvelMar 6, 2012 at 1:51 am

    Are you kidding me? All music is GOOD music. It is all creative, inventive, and beautiful. I BEG you to make mashup, techno, dubstep, or electro music, just so you can realize how much effort people like myself go through to attain the final results. How can you say a computer isn’t an instrument. A computer is an instrument when it’s used as one. You’re just an old sack who prefers acoustic guitar to “robotic sound”. It’s not any different creatively or musically, just different sounds. I have been playing piano since I was seven, and picked up guitar, drums, bass, accordion, and singing. I teach drums and piano. I appreciate all music. By the way, ALL music has been played before. Ever heard of classical, romantic, etc eras. Yea. Everything you can imagine musically has been done. I can play Hungarian Rhapsody, shred Eruption by Eddie Van Halen, Perform Billy Joel’s NY State of Mind or Thelonius monk on piano, Play Neon by John Mayer on Acoustic, and can play a medley of Whitney Houston on Accordion. (goes on & on)… but… I have never came across something more difficult than producing electronic/dubstep music, WELL. I bet you have no idea how even to create any GOOD sounds for techno, dubstep, electro, or trance. Let’s see: Sine, Square, Saw waveforms, portemento, reverb, lofi, distortion, oscillators, attack, gain, velocity, gate time, chorus, pan, bit rate crush, LFO, decay, filter, so on & so forth. Describe to me every one of those terms and how to apply. PLEASE. You somehow believe it is simply done. “Ohh, this sound is cool, pick it, record, BAM, techno”… Try doing it, post it on this, & we’ll talk. Yes, techno can be made simply, to get a shitty track. That goes with everything though… When people are making sounds never even heard by the human ear, that is more amazing than replaying Beethoven’s 5th for the 18 millionth time the world has heard it. Feeling the bass drops at a festival, with that atmosphere is indescribable. Being able to completely control the audience’s emotion, %100 of the show, is more impressive than playing a live set with separated songs. Creating an entire work of music, all by yourself, brings a new definition to the one-man-band. Ryan Walsh, if you are a person who enjoys and respects music the way I do, then you can see both sides of the story, Not just your one-sided & outdated argument. I will guarantee that in 20 years, “techno” will be much more respected, than you give it credit. This is the technology age buddy, get used to it.

    – I would love a response, If you have the time

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    Jake DustinMar 6, 2012 at 1:14 am

    Kind of a good premise, poor attempt.
    I agree mostly with the parts that say ‘music that samples other songs is not making new music’ and that ‘The experience of club music is better than the music.’
    That isn’t unfair to say, really.
    what is bullshit is ‘all music created on a computer is crap’ and ‘this entire genre shouldn’t exist’. Come come now. Real music isn’t going anywhere. Creating music on a computer is easy; so is finding a guitar and learning chords. Either way, someone without musical talent has no chance. Try again later.

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    BrianMar 6, 2012 at 1:03 am

    “Any Joe Schmo with a MacBook Pro and a Wi-Fi connection can create techno and get his or her sounds out to the public. This ease adds to the commodification of music — a trend already in action. This marginalization should be alarming to true music fans.”

    Ok, I’m calling you out on this. If its that easy, write a good “techno” song.

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    JakobiakMar 6, 2012 at 12:50 am

    Why ya gotta be like that? Before we talk about what is and isn’t “real” music let’s talk about what constitutes “real” journalism, shall we?

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    Ryan WalshMar 6, 2012 at 12:31 am

    Hey guys! I’m an uninformed idiot. I’ll never be a credible journalist because I fill my stories with bias about things I don’t like.

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    KyleMar 5, 2012 at 9:11 pm

    Hi Ryan, I really hope you read all of the comments on this article, hopefully you know by now that you didn’t do nearly enough research on this subject before you wrote about it. It seems incredibly obvious you were writing this based on your own musical tastes, instead of educating the public with an informative news article.

    I don’t even know where to start, but first things first, your simple use of the word ‘techno’ to define all electronic music is the exact equivalent to calling all rock music metal. Techno is one of the many sub-genres of electronic music, and should never be used to define the entire spectrum…unless you believe John Mayer sounds just like Metallica.

    It’s also clear you’re basing your entire opinion on mainstream “techno”, maybe because you went to a show with Avicci, or Skrillex DJing it. Avicci is to EDM (electronic dance music) as Nicki Minaj is to Rap. He’s got a couple catchy songs, but there’s WAY better talent out there. Even at that, Avicci is still immensely talented. I dare you to go look up a few tutorial videos on how to PRODUCE a “techno” song on Ableton or Cubase along with programs like Massive. Then try looking up the detail the actual pros go into when producing, along with the ones who use analog equipment, then come back here and try to say that anyone can make “techno.”

    Electronic music is blowing up this year in the US, which means the mainstream music scene is going to borrow from it and make “more average” versions of it. It happens in every musical genre – look at rock, alternative bands like The Foo Fighters get real popular, so then The Jonas Brothers are born. If you listen to hip-hop, people like Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, and others cause it to become popular, so then Vanilla Ice is made. If all I listened to were people like The Jonas Brothers, Vanilla Ice, Wocka Flocka Flame, and Nickelback; I don’t have a doubt in my mind that I’d hate both rock and rap.

    If you want to educate yourself on real EDM, instead of “techno”, I would suggest looking up Laidback Luke, Tradelove, or some Deadmau5 songs that aren’t Ghosts n Stuff if you like dance (house/electro house) music. If you want something more progressive/atmospheric, try trance – Tiesto (in the early-mid 2000’s era), Paul Van Dyk, or Armin Van Buuren. If you like Skrillex but don’t want it as obnoxious, try some real dubstep like Phaeleh, Burial, or Skream. If you like that but want something more fast paced try drum and bass – Pendulum, Dirtyphonics, High Contrast. If you like rap (judging from your article, you do) then try some glitch hop – The Glitch Mob, some Bassnectar, or ill.Gates. There’s tons of more genres to pick from that I won’t even get into. If you just consider yourself a fan of music in general (which I don’t personally think you are) you should just check out the greats over time in electronic music: Aphex Twin, The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, Daft Punk, Underworld, or Pete Tong. Maybe that would teach you what “techno” is actually about.

    Hopefully you check this out and look up some of these guys^^ because you’re definitely missing out on some awesome music that you don’t even know exists.

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    WankoMar 5, 2012 at 3:43 pm

    Look up facts/terminology next time before you write the article! Your generalizations about how it is made are mostly to completely false as well. Also, a Bob Dylan concert would probably sound better today if Bob Dylan was not in attendance

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    Holy Wow.Mar 5, 2012 at 11:33 am

    Techno is not EDM.(None of what you see people going to is a “techno show”.) It’s a subgenre; that basically no one listens to anymore. So first, you’re misinformed.. Obviously know nothing about music. To compare Bob Dylan to Deadmau5, is pure childish whimsy. To compare Bob Dylan to Tool is just as childish. Different, eras, different genres. Every genre is not the same; it’s just how it is. People love EDM, the umbrella term for this type of music. It’s great to dance to, to excercise, bang out on a system, party the night away. It offers a completely different experience than a rock concert, or even a rap/hip-hop concert. But that doesn’t make one inherently better, it just shows you have an opinion that you put too much value on.

    It’s sad rock is dead, but lets not go attacking other genre’s because of some perceived valuelessness to music. I see value in any music that can move people on the dance floor; or get them banging their heads or truly feeling the music.

    So basically anything but beiber, etc.

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    Get a life.Mar 5, 2012 at 11:26 am

    Get a life. Listen to Miley Cyrus; your favorite.

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    Yevin RohMar 5, 2012 at 1:10 am

    I love techno music and the new counter culture scene that goes along with it.

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    derpMar 4, 2012 at 11:56 pm

    ‘any joe schmoe’ can pick up a guitar and start a band, lot’s of punks have. a guy on a computer programming it make music is no different than anybody else. lot’s of great song writers couldn’t even play an instrument

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    Tony BMar 4, 2012 at 2:49 pm

    You have a right to your own opinion, but to tell an entire group of people that what they listen to is wrong and that we actually dont like this music we just like the environment? You’re a [expletive deleted] idiot.

    Just because you don’t like a genre doesn’t mean you can slam it when you don’t know a damn thing on the subject.

    There is a lot of [expletive deleted] music produced JUST LIKE ANY GENRE. But that doesn’t make the genre, it’s all about finding the music you enjoy, not what somebody tells you to ” Music Nazi -.- ”
    If you think its that easy go get yourself a macbook pro and lets hear you make something better.

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    Ivan MahonyMar 3, 2012 at 8:12 pm

    Could you do me a favor Ryan? Before you write your next fluff piece, do some research. Please. As an exponent of critical thought, as you seem to be, judging by your other articles in this publication, you owe it to yourself to look at what you describe as “techno” in detail. Being critical of a whole genre because of only what you have heard within that genre is a natural, and as I assume you are aware, biased human response. It is weak inductive reasoning as it argues from the specific to the general.

    But then again, if you are too lazy to actually go out and do some digging into the origins of electronic music, from musique concrete in France, through to German and American experimentalism, via the BBC radiophonic workshop, Switched On Bach and the deprivations of Detroit that led to, and I quote,
    “subtlety [that] reflects entire eras”, well, if you can’t be bothered to educate yourself, perhaps you should title your next article “Let’s stop pretending we have genuine journalistic aspirations.”

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    SierraMar 3, 2012 at 7:44 pm

    First off this entire thing is rediculous. The author has never really delved into the world of EDM to find all the hidden goodness that makes it great, which totally discredits his broad generalizations about “techno.” Alco you mock the lyric “ohhh sometimes, I get a goooood feeling” well that is sampled from Etta James, and you can’t mock a respected legend like her.

    btw, Ryan, bad move putting your email on this, so many people are gonna send you hate mail. The Dubstep fb page has already commanded its fans to troll this article 😛

    This article did give me a good laugh though – keep up the good work

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    Robert MemoryMar 3, 2012 at 6:55 pm

    What an ignorant git.

    As if the act of producing enjoyable music is anything to do with the equipment utilized. Granted, techno production is a very different beast to traditional methods, but it is involved and complex, and to denigrate it to the level of “not being music” is just plain insulting, the only respite being your lack of any compelling reason why it isn’t.

    Just because you have been to a few shows, you act as if the entire genre can be discounted. More than anything else, though, I feel the legitimacy can be measured by how it is accepted. Pop music is real music, as is rap, and any other genre. Music is here for our entertainment, and in the examples you cite, mission certainly accomplished.

    If you don’t like it, don’t listen to it. It really is as simple as that. I think you need to learn how to state your opinion for what it is, rather than as fact. This is a mistake students make on a regular, infuriating basis.

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    WillMar 3, 2012 at 6:49 pm

    I haven’t seen a post that’s as ignorant as this as a long time. You clearly don’t know much of anything of which you are talking about.

    Go crawl back into your hole

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    homieMar 3, 2012 at 6:48 pm

    you say with a computer you can create techno and get his or her sounds out to the public

    how is this different as playing guitar?

    you hit the snares and you will get sound just as you would by pressing a button on a computer

    that doesn’t make it easier or harder to make music on a computer or a guitar.

    get real

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    RachaelMar 3, 2012 at 6:32 pm

    Please do some research into what you’re talking about before you bash it. Please. It will save you from looking like a bigoted idiot.

    Have a nice day.

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    BenMar 3, 2012 at 6:26 pm

    Wow. Ignorance at it’s finest right here. It’s true that anyone can pick up a laptop, get a hooky copy of FL and create tunes, but how is that different to someone going down to a shop, picking up a cheap guitar and calling themselves a musician because they can play powerchords and sing an uninspired, generic melody about how much he misses his girlfriend?

    Anyone can makes electronic music, not everyone can make it well. Compression, EQ, these things are what separate bedroom wannabes from professionals. You’re right, there are countless tunes out there on Soundcloud that are unmastered, uncompressed messes. But that doesn’t mean they all are. You just have to look for the good ones. (I’m not claiming to be a professional by the way). And to slam techno DJs as “these people to go on stage and simply press play on a pre-made set of tracks”, is [expletive deleted] laughable, I’m sorry. I’ve played guitar for 13 years, and I’ve been a DJ for 4, and I’m so much more nervous about messing up a DJ set than I am missing a chord, or going out of key. In live music, you’ve got others around to support you, a mistake can sometimes be hidden by other instruments. But when it’s you vs. the music, one bad mix can make it all go wrong. And it’s not just “pressing play”, please. You need to have been on both sides before you can label DJs as talentless.

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    VictorMar 3, 2012 at 6:22 pm

    Dude, saying that electro isn’t real music and that anybody could do it just proves that you never made music in your whole life. We are waiting for your genius electro productions, if this is so easy.

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    IgnoranceMar 3, 2012 at 6:19 pm

    You may be the most ignorant human being ive ever seen. You try to produce EDM (electronic dance music) which is actually what the genre as a whole is called, techno, dubstep, electro, house, glitch, ectectect are all subgenres of EDM, then tell me that its not music and it doesnt take talent and practice to be able to do.

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    Emmanuel TurpinFeb 29, 2012 at 9:19 pm

    Any entropic system which can be rearranged by a conscious being to express a inner activity have the potential to produce art. The nature of this system can’t be a criteria to judge the artistic value of it’s output. The higher the entropy, the higher the possible outputs. Consider a piano with only one key versus a grand piano. Of course constraints can induce in itself an artistic challenge but this is beside the point here. As an art concerned individual, you should embrace and prone diversity in such system as it allow artist to communicate a wider realm of human inner activity. Do you think that Beethoven or Bach composed music pieces intended to be played by an orchestra only to preserve some kind of musical tradition, of course not. Orchestras were then the only ‘musical instrument’ capable of translating their complex emotions. The essence of art is in the way we use, transform and associate different medium, not the medium themselves.

    From a technological stand point, there is absolutely no difference between a flute and a synthesizer. The are both products of human engineering producing air transmitted waves which have the potential to change the electro-psychological activities of the individual hit by them. Their historical baggage of the instrument has no effect to the kind of change it produces in the mind of the recipient. This last statement could be argued but once again, this is beside the point. In the future there will be virtually no difference between the appearance of the first flute and the first synthesizer. Electronic musician have a lot on their back as the nature of the medium allow them to have a total control over each step of the music production pipe. Even before they can think about a musical ideal, they have to invent the instruments they wish to use. Synthesizers are tool capable of creating an instrument. Imagine a band that would have to create their own instrument for each tracks they want to produce. Some instrument are so off this world that it can’t be mapped to any mental image other than what your imagination can create. I’d go further by saying they even have to design a virtual environment in which they want to play their instruments. Often creating impossible rooms in which sound propagate itself like nowhere in the world or perhaps exactly like in the Sistine chapel for example. You have right there two steps of the creative process that most musicians don’t have access to. A lot of electronic music artists also record random sound or even parts of other songs and manipulate them in order give them another meaning. This could be analyzed with the memetic theory if you consider each sound around you as a unit of culture which can evolve by going trough the mind of different artists. This alone have the poetic value to stand out by itself as a form of art. The technology helps artists explore the untapped universe of sounds that is simply unreachable by other instruments. The complexity of those composition makes it difficult to perform everything live. It like if you would ask a conductor to perform all the instruments at once. There is an upside to this, the diversity of electronic sound is almost equal to the amount of way of performing them. Every artists can reshape it’s relationship with it’s instruments and reinvent from ground up. This freedom can lead to performances ranging from awful to blissfully genius.

    Mass produced music often with pecuniary motives is an undeniable reality that hits and has hit every music genre and more broadly every form of art. Every artistic value added to this world can and will be transposed to economic value by profit seeking individuals. Sadly, the process economic optimization to a market is incompatible with the art producing process. Think about how the concept of profit can influence what was originally art. The production time restriction to increase profit, the need to reach bigger market force artist the dilute its art with broadly accepted trends. The business tradition installed by a legacy a show-business giants are some intangible barrier keeping the artist in a state where innovation must not endanger an already profitable product. The rules of the free market induces an art where the relationship between the artist and its public is more important than the one his having with it’s own creation.

    You are reducing a wonderful and mystical branch of the musical art spectrum to it’s lowest common denominator. Think about how , given the same set of tools, different culture evolved different form of sound, rhythms and musical paradigms form a chaos of socio-political context and personal experiences colliding with each other. The lost of this diversity would be a tragedy to our historical and art legacy. The furthest you could go would be to admit that your subjectivity haven’t had access to experiences allowing you to enjoy this form of art yet. When listening to electronic music you cannot just use the set of ears you would use when listening to another genre. The complex beauty in this music isn’t to the places you’re used to find it. Try to educate yourself about the production process and the artists background and motivations like you’d do for the deep analysis of any art manifestation. I can understand that due to your social-cultural context you haven’t had the chance to be exposed masterpieces that the art of frequency modulation have produced but then again it raises the question about the pertinence of the exposure of your simplistic vision to this tribune.

    By the way Techno is a small sub-genre (which you’ve probably never heard) of a phenomena we call Electronic music.

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    secondplanetFeb 29, 2012 at 4:36 pm

    Computers are tools just like any other instrument. When used well, they can express the human’s creativity at times.

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    AnonFeb 29, 2012 at 3:21 pm

    The bias in this article is through the charts. Just because you personally do not like house music doesn’t mean some people can. I have liked house music since the nineties so…..

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    DaveFeb 29, 2012 at 2:45 pm

    Be calm folks: this is just one biased opinion from one man. Just FYI there are no facts or even any intelligent citation of artists, events, or anything within the frame of music history. There is only opinion and speculation that produces no constructive discourse or feedback on an incredibly diverse and deep rooted genre. Ryan is entitled to his opinion of course, but why waste time publishing an article that provides nothing insightful or productive? In short: don’t feed Ryan, he’s just trolling for your validation.

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    VishalFeb 29, 2012 at 2:31 pm

    Let’s make some more objective statements about entirely subjective things…

    Also, the author of this article shows his blatant ignorance of the subject he’s trying to critique by using the word “techno” for every type of electronic music. Yeah, I hate country too, that’s why I hate The Beatles and Blink 182?

    I will personally offer the author $500 in cash if he can produce a decent EDM track within the next 7 days (it’s so easy after all, right?) and get more than 500 likes on SoundCloud.

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    Little RhinoFeb 29, 2012 at 2:13 pm

    Mate you need an education on Techno, firstly the artists you have mentioned above are the pop stars of the dance industry. You have obviously never listened to any good techno or taken the time to appreciate it. Before making such gross generalizations as above you need to make sure you know what you are talking about.
    Have a listen to Bookashade, Tiger & Woods, Maceoplex, Todd Terje etc.. And try to argue that it’s not music.

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    JesusFeb 29, 2012 at 1:21 pm

    Carl Cox? Junior Vazquez? SLR? Altern-8? Masters at Work? Nookie? ShyFX?? Listen to just one LTJ Bukem track and tell me that ain’t music!

    If you’re going to classify “music” based on whether it is synthetically produce or not (i.e. whether people play instruments to make the music), then you’ll have to knock quite a bunch of artists off your list of Things I Like because they do the same, too. Hell, have you ever even tried using a synthesizer before? It’s a lot harder than playing a guitar or banging on a drum. Then you have to set up track sequences and all the post-production editing has to be done. It’s like you almost had no idea what you were talking about!

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    AnneFeb 29, 2012 at 1:20 pm

    Anyone can make it. That’s why it’s really hard to find the good stuff. Trentemoller is my favorite.

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    JonathanFeb 29, 2012 at 1:02 pm

    The author is obviously uneducated about any sort of musical theory and what it takes to make music sound listenable in the first place, or essentially the topic he is writing on. Any person with a computer and wifi actually cannot create electronic music that the masses will like. Any person with knowledge of musical theory, composition, and marketing can though, in other words a musician with a computer and wifi can do so.

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    BrettFeb 29, 2012 at 12:53 pm

    I completely respect your opinion for mine was the same when I first heard ‘techno’. However, as the entire music industry has filled with disingenuous, over produced white noise, I found myself taking to the creativity of the compositions many ELECTRONIC MUSIC producers create. As far as the shows go, many of these producers do just use a computer and press buttons which I’m sure is frustrating to “real” musicians. You seemed to have forget about DJs, who in their own right are true musicians. Go to a boys noize or A-trak show, and then form an encompassing opinion on what you have called ‘techno’.

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    JasonFeb 29, 2012 at 12:11 pm

    Best article I have ever read. Techno and dubstep is not real music. Real music is country, rock, original music. Not some trash mixed together. I put rap above this shitty music by far. This isn’t real music

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    adamFeb 29, 2012 at 11:38 am

    this is so dumb. why would you act like your opinion represents any sort of generality of the population? the fact that you call everything “techno” shows you don’t really know what you’re talking about, and the whole post is just really pretentious. this is the kind of stuff you post to a blog. it was very poor taste to post this in a formal publication.

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    Drew TerronezFeb 29, 2012 at 10:53 am

    A popular and currently unavoidable trend on campuses nationwide is the rock music craze. Before I get into it – I fear my previous statements grant too much credit. While “music” may technically be the most appropriate term to categorize this sloppy, uninspired noise, such a designation undermines the true artistic nature of music. Rock is a poor attempt to substitute groaning sounds for what was once actual instrumental and artistic human expression.
    A guitar is not an instrument. Any Joe Schmo with a hundred dollars can go to Guitar Center and create rock and get his or her sounds out to the public. This ease adds to the commodification of music – a trend already in action. This marginalization should be alarming to true music fans. The logic is simple: if everyone can easily make music, it’ll bring the “music average” down. When a bunch of inexperienced muscicians oversaturate listeneres with a bunch of bad music, music that was once considered laughable is suddenly considered decent; what was once considered average is then perceived as above average; what was once considered above average will be called great. It’s a phenomenon that happened years ago with pop music. In turn, it becomes more challenging to find good music, and bad musicians will continue to sell out arenas worldwide, tightening their grip on listneres and further perpetuating this cycle.
    The concept of rock was doomed from the start, similar to how an oil painting can appear similar to a fresco painting, yet is worthless in the eyes of art buffs. Rock music made in a garage using synthetic sounds on an electric guitar is just as empty. Combining chords from other people’s songs into one and calling it one’s own is liking taking a bunch of famous paintings and trying to somehow form them into one new and therefore “original” piece of art, which is called a collage, which I am again baldly and falsely asserting the REAL (copyright) artistic community has no interest in. The catch is that this newly formed collage would look just as terrible as techno sounds because the stolen elements become mere illusions of their original selves. This is why cover, parody and homage songs are never acceptable in any style of music, as I’m sure Ryan agrees. Worse still, the elements lose their intended artistic integrities and purposes, and this is bad because I said so.
    What bothers me most about rock is how terrible the sound actually is. While real music spurs revolutions, subtlety reflects entire eras (what?), or provides a means of artistic expression, rock has defined itself as a cheap and inebriated, repetitive conglomerate of sounds. Instead of thoughtful lyrics and carefully constructed melodies, rock is characterized by occasional “breakdowns” and wholly unmoving, random lyrics like “Can you take me higher/to a place where blind men see/can you take me higher/to a pace with golden streets” and “Look at this photograph/every time I do it makes me laugh/how did our eyes get so red/and what the hell is on Joey’s head.” As we all know, even though I just spent a paragraph harping on instrumentation, lyrics are the only things that make music worthwhile and therefore rock music is objectively worthless.
    People need to stop pretending that they actually like rock and instead admit that what they like is the experience of going to rock shows – there’s a big difference.
    *random ambiguously racist comment that contributes nothing goes here*
    I understand that going to rock shows is a good time and I don’t mean to offend anyone in attendance. I too have been to a rock show and had a decent time. Instead, I want to distinguish between going to a rock “show” and music “concert.” They’re completely different things. Parading around as if you’e going to a Jonas Brothers show because they are good musicians is disingenuous. If you admit you’re going to experience – fine – but let’s stop pretending these “musicians” are anything more than decent bussinessmen who can move a piece of plastic over some strings.
    Going to a musical concert is about watching talented and gifted musicians perform their songs live. Not everyone has the ability to do this, which makes live music so special and awe-inspiring. Rock performers get on stage, move a string and watch crowds go wild, all the while collecting big checks from their premium ticket prices. While this type of spectacle isn’t worhtless, it’s not as pure nor genuine a music experience. It begs the question of whether or not these rock “performers” are pulling the wool over our eyes.
    I have this theory that rock performers are the ultimate masters of lip-syncing; a Milli Vanilli or Ashlee Simpson on steroids. Think about how easy it would be for these artists t give the sound man the CD, have him play that while, of course, mixing in a few air strums and jumps. I mean, I just said it out of nowhere so it’s probably happening, trust me.
    What’s most bothersome is the legitimacy and credibility these rock performers receive. They’re treated like elite musicians and charge lofty ticket prices when indeed they’re more like ringleaders in a circus. They’re at the middle of the show, but the show could go on without them even in the building. Even at a Bob Dylan show could go on without Bob Dylan, just play his CD over the spekers, who cares, it’s all the same thing because as I already so masterfully demonstrated it’s not real music. While it’s great to go and have fun at a rock show, let’s stop putting these indivdual performers on pedestals and stop pretending we like the “music” they play because I write for a shitty college newspaper and don’t respond to any criticism so I obviously know what you all are thinking. Or, we can just sit around while they dumb down or music and collect the checks.

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    aliceFeb 29, 2012 at 10:47 am

    Ryan: Dave Grohl also went on to say this after the show

    “I love music. I love ALL kinds of music. From Kyuss to Kraftwerk, Pinetop Perkins to Prodigy, Dead Kennedys to Deadmau5…..I love music. Electronic or acoustic, it doesn’t matter to me. The simple act of creating music is a beautiful gift that ALL human beings are blessed with. And the diversity of one musician’s personality to the next is what makes music so exciting and…..human.”

    So don’t get it twisted.

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    Drew TerronezFeb 29, 2012 at 10:38 am

    Kid Koala putting on an awesome light show: http://youtu.be/KbFIGFv4GLQ

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    danFeb 29, 2012 at 10:32 am

    i hate singer/songwriter music. every idiot with a guitar can make a song and publish it…..

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    corpsertFeb 29, 2012 at 9:29 am

    Stop liking what I don’t like!

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    shizFeb 29, 2012 at 8:48 am

    Skimmed the first few sentences and it seems that this article is full of old-fashioned ideas.

    Computers not only act as an instrument, but are capable of perfectly recording and/or synthesizing other instruments, including by acting as devices for other instruments to hook up to.

    Computers facilitate the production of most if not all commercial music today.

    Troll? Or delusional?

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    StepFeb 29, 2012 at 6:24 am

    So any major bands that use digital amplification tech is not music in this case, considering they use a computer to replicate the sound of an amplifier?

    So many holes in your argument. This here, what you have displayed, is an unparalleled level of ignorance.

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    DanielFeb 29, 2012 at 6:05 am

    Music that are produced today are basically DJs like deadmau5, Guetta and Daft Punk. Hell, Daft Punk even made a freakin film score. How do you compete with that? EDM is made with a lot of instruments with several synthetic sounds. When the DJ or producer is performing, they do not just fiddle around their Macbooks, they use MIDI devices. EDM is like bringing back history in which we can express feelings wifh just sound instead of vocals. Back then, the simplicity was just humans beating on drums and that was it. Get your research right.

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    RyanFeb 29, 2012 at 5:47 am

    I can’t palm my face hard enough for this fail of an attempt at obtaining any accurate information before ranting about something you don’t like and don’t understand.

    In related news, I think everyone should stop pretending to like trolling. I mean, anyone can do it, just pick a popular subject, and make stupid comments about it just to piss off anyone who actually knows anything about the subject. The art has really lost its merit with the availability of keyboards and the internet. Real trolling only takes place on obscure internet forums and youtube comment sections. *sigh* amateurs ruining the scene…

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    TechnoFanFeb 29, 2012 at 5:47 am

    Ryan, if it is so easy to make “techno”, then why don’t you go and start producing it and making money? If DJing is so easy, why don’t you get some decks and start mixing? If you don’t like electronic music then don’t listen to it, but there are millions of people who *do* like it. It takes a hell of a lot of work to make a track, and years of practice to become a quality big club level DJ. The artists and DJs that produce and play electronic music often do it for little money, until they start producing and playing a more commercial sound.

    What you are discounting in your article is the hundreds and thousands of amateur and “bedroom” DJs/producers who make and play music, often for little or no money at all, and the even larger following of people who regularly attend the events they play at.

    Obviously your experience with electronic music has tainted your view, but I invite you to download and listen to the latest CLR and Drumcode podcasts. Between them these will give you are real taste of high quality techno.

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    technoesFeb 29, 2012 at 5:19 am

    none of the ‘techno’ you are referring to is actually techno though. You should do some research before trying to write articles.

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    Composer/performerFeb 29, 2012 at 4:59 am

    Ryan, you should look up these following albums on Grooveshark/Spotify for just what “techno” can be, and how they contradict basically everything you’ve said in your article.

    BT – This Binary Universe
    Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
    Jazzanova – In Between

    All of them are, for the vast majority, electronic in nature. And all of them were not simply thrown together to give the club something to dance to. None of them could have been put together by anyone less than very trained, artistic, and talented musicians.

    Music is not restrained to guitars, basses, drums and vocals. You ought to broaden your horizons and put down your prejudice.

    Oh, and by the way, I’ve written/recorded/conducted for orchestras, rock bands, jazz groups, latin ensembles, and more. I play three instruments (trumpet, piano, guitar), and I make a lot of electronic music. Just want you to know who this is coming from.

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    HygroFeb 29, 2012 at 4:32 am

    Haha funny article, could use a lot more hyperbole. Sounds too earnest. But I must ask if “anyone” can just up and make it, why don’t you give it a try? Maybe a summer, have a hit, have an experience, get laid, tell a story…

    … or discover that 4 years later you are still busting your ass 30 hours a week trying to work around your schedule to learn and incredibly complicated and intricate production and composition process. You will pour your heart and soul and obsess over every piece of music of every genre you happen to come across from free jazz to power metal to post-punk to modern pop to all the “techno” you want. You will find it to be one of the most challenging undertakings your have embarked on.

    P.S. you go to UMass. So does this kid http://soundcloud.com/djrome . Maybe as a journalist you might interview him about his process and what it’s like.

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    MikeFeb 29, 2012 at 4:23 am

    So, what you’re saying is “I don’t like techno so neither should you”

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    DoccSampsonFeb 29, 2012 at 4:16 am

    This troll is obvious. Go back to where you came from, troll!!

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    joeFeb 29, 2012 at 4:09 am

    I am a multi-instrumentalist. I can play guitar, bass, trombone, recorder, and keyboards at a high level as well as having a moderate amount of skill on violin, piano, trumpet, bell lyre, drums and vocals. I also happen to produce electronic music. Guess which out of that list is the most difficult to do? Producing electronic music is not simple. As a musician you are expected to be able to play the instrument you are playing well and thats all. You may write some of the music, but in a traditional setting you are a single player, the recording, arrangement etc is not on your shoulders either solely or in other cases at all. When you are making electronic music you are expected to be able to play the instruments (synths, samplers, drum machines etc.) well. You are expected to have enough knowledge of said instruments to be able to change the parameters on them to make the sound you want. You are expected to have technical knowledge of the programs you use. You are expected to be able to at the very least mix and balance your own work to a decent standard, if not master it (as in mastering, not skill). You are expected to be able to decide what sounds are needed, what sounds work well together (and how to make those sounds) and know how to tweak or adjust any part of the piece to create a coherent and engaging arrangement. You are basically expected to be able to make the instruments you use, play all of them, write all of the parts, record all of the parts, know how to use and effectively apply effects, use buses and aux sends, mix, produce and arrange the entire track. You are expected to be a one man band with a huge range of skills. Its taken me about 8 years to get to a point where I feel I am starting to make some decent music with electronica and to sweep all of that under the rug with this article is ridiculous. I honestly dare you to attempt making a “techno” (and I am SURE you dont even actually mean techno) track that doesn’t sound awful. Journal it or record it as you go so we can all see you struggle to learn the complexity of a modern DAW without any help. I look forward to it.

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    WowFeb 29, 2012 at 4:03 am

    Any Joe Schmoe can make electronic music? Please… make a track and put it on youtube for us all to see. I’m begging you.

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    i have wifiFeb 29, 2012 at 3:23 am

    Okay so I didn’t read the whole article. I basically got through the first few sentences, then I skimmed through the first few paragraphs and I was done. Pretty much I gave your article as much of a chance as you have given “techno.” The same stupid arguments you made about electronic music could easily be made about writing articles and blogs and other shit that you might enjoy. All it takes is a Mac, a wifi connection and fingers. No wait, it doesn’t even require that.

    Why don’t you maybe play the devil’s advocate for yourself and search for beautifully created electronic music instead of turning your radio dial, finding the stupid shit that a large portion of listeners find uninteresting as well, then report back on something real.

    You are entitled to an opinion. Please educate yourself more on the subject next time though.

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    revenantprimeFeb 29, 2012 at 2:51 am

    I can’t even begin to describe how woefully uninformed you are sir. Your definition of music is being applied to a genre (a very diverse genre at that) for which it is entirely inappropriate. If we examine Beethoven in the context of Rock music, he sucks, because Beethoven doesn’t need to be at his performances. Fuck, he just writes notes on a piece of paper! All the other people do the real work, right?! Beethoven sucks.

    Learn a little bit. And stop calling it techno. God Damn.

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    MarkemarkFeb 29, 2012 at 2:18 am

    I kept waiting for the drop. Never came. :/ Can somebody with a Macbook Pro and Wi-Fi connection do a remix please?

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    producerFeb 28, 2012 at 8:24 pm

    and this kid is in college, lol. you can continue crying without anyone giving a fuck but for the sake of (at the very least), your pride, and electronic musicians everywhere at least do it quietly.

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    mindk1llerFeb 28, 2012 at 7:34 pm

    “A computer is not an instrument.”

    Your definition of music is pretty messed up then. Music is the art of sound. Computers can make sounds. Even the sounds of birds chirping and NYC car horns can become music if a person arranges them artistically. Of course it isn’t guaranteed to be good music, but it’s still music.

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    thedillyFeb 28, 2012 at 7:08 pm

    ‘…wholly unmoving, random lyric samples like “ohhh sometimes, I get a goooood feeling.”’

    A sample from ‘Something’s Got a Hold of Me’ by the late Etta James. You tell me Etta James is ‘wholly unmoving’ and ‘random’ and I put your opinion about music exactly where it belongs: in the garbage.

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    Dj AudioFeb 24, 2012 at 6:37 pm

    Really???!! wow.I guess I have been pretending to like EDM (Electronic dance music) for the last 15 years. Your wrong not every one can pick up a mac and just let dance music just fall out of it! I think you should load up your pro tools and make this so easy to produce music and post your track link on this comment thread! I also want to know what you consider real music.

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    rischaadFeb 24, 2012 at 2:00 pm

    I respect your opinion. But your wrong. No one likes techno music anyway. We just pretend to because its fun watching you become upset. 🙂

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    JeremyFeb 21, 2012 at 12:29 pm

    Some serious trolling:

    “The logic is simple: if everyone can easily make music, it’ll bring the “music average” down.”

    What kind of logic is that? More people making music will ruin the art-form? Get real.

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    Thorian MaxwellFeb 16, 2012 at 12:49 pm

    Unfortunately, after weeks of trying, Ryan has proven impervious to my seduction techniques and refuses to come on the show. A minor setback indeed, but we at Spaced Out Radio shall persevere in bringing you the finest quality house and techno even in the face of such adversity.

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    bassweightFeb 14, 2012 at 10:46 pm

    yet he worked with deadmau5

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    RyanFeb 14, 2012 at 6:07 pm

    Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters in his acceptance speech at the 2012 Grammys:

    “To me this award means a lot because it shows that the human element of making music is what’s most important. Singing into a microphone, and learning to play an instrument, and learning to do your craft, that’s the most important thing for people to do. It’s not about being perfect, it’s not about sounding absolutely correct, it’s not what goes on in a computer, it’s about what goes on in here [points to heart], and it’s about what goes on in here [points to head]”

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    AlexFeb 14, 2012 at 1:31 am

    What is this rant doing on a news website?

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    CO 80420Feb 10, 2012 at 9:01 am

    techno shows=jam band shows=monotonous music with good drugs available

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    BrandonFeb 8, 2012 at 8:15 pm

    By definition, both rap and techno qualify as music. People are confusing “not real music” with a genre that they don’t find appealing. However, the lack of interest in a genre combined with claiming it is “not real music” does not make the statement true.

    Almost anyone can pick up a guitar and play it. But that doesn’t imply that everyone who picks up a guitar and plays is creative, talented, or experienced enough to combine chords into a song that other people will find appealing. With electronic music, there is an enormous amount of digital media to work with to create a song. There is certainly an art and skill, like playing an instrument, in combining sometimes disparate sounds into a product that is worth listening to. I’ve heard some terrible and excellent electronic music; the music is simply not all the same. The author and some others here truly do not wish to give electronic artists any credibility, yet will refrain from the challenge issued by myself others to try to make a song that we will want to listen to.

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    some guyFeb 8, 2012 at 11:17 am

    saying that rap music is not “real music” but closer to it than electronic music is not only hilarious but also racist.
    the thing about live music is totally true though. as an electronic music listener its very disappointing how few electronic musicians do anything to their shows when they are live. I have often thought of ways that people could make live shows more interesting but nobody is interested because the audience will just be dancing anyway. So it does make electronic music inherently more active and less of a spectacle like live rock music is.

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    SnoopFeb 7, 2012 at 7:23 pm

    Great article. Techno music is fake and this is the 100% true. ANYONE CAN GO ON A MAC AND MAKE TECHNO MUSIC. It sucks. Great job bro

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    fishboneFeb 7, 2012 at 7:09 pm

    i really want to see this electronic music performing monkey. where’s the video link??? this i have to see!

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    MassholeFeb 7, 2012 at 6:47 pm

    Electronic “music” isn’t really music at all. Put a monkey behind a computer and he can make electronic “music”.

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    Hickory LaneFeb 7, 2012 at 2:14 pm

    Tuna fill me in on the history then kind sir. Also, you started liking the music when you were 16 and went to a bass nectar concert in Boston, rolled face and got disgustingly sweaty.

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    TunaFeb 7, 2012 at 1:29 pm

    Obviously this is the most biased article I think anyone has read. Obviously you don’t understand the music or the difficulties that go into producing a track. Grab yourself some of the tools of the trade and try to make a beat. Also, no one is pretending to like the music, I have been on the techno train my whole life and for you to say something such as this is straight up offensive to me. You don’t know the history, you don’t have the techno soul, you didn’t research your topic very well, and you obviously should have never published this article.

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    ToshibaFeb 7, 2012 at 1:25 pm

    I would like to meet this hipster at White Hut

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    BGFeb 7, 2012 at 10:52 am

    No comments from the columnist????

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    JulienFeb 7, 2012 at 8:39 am

    Does your point still stands if we change the theme from music to writing? kthxbye

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    MickaelFeb 7, 2012 at 8:36 am

    I may accept that you do not like electronic music, but please don’t tell me I should not like it myself.

    I’m one of these people who listen to hour longs trance and ambient tracks, and no I don’t need the show to enjoy them. As a programmer for example I find this kind of music extremely helpful when trying to concentrate on a problem that requires flow of thoughts.

    And as other commentators wrote earlier: It’s easy to criticize, but it’s actually difficult to make good electronic music. (Also know that a significant number of perfomers are actually doing it in real time, one classical example would be Jean-Michel Jarre – sure he does not make techno but it’s definitely electronic music).

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    mathewFeb 7, 2012 at 8:10 am

    I think you’re not a hipster? You’re just trollling around to get onto peoples nerves…

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    fishboneFeb 6, 2012 at 10:07 pm

    and if “techno” music is really what’s bringing the music average down, how do you explain Nickelback???? seriously. explain that one for me. i look forward to your highly intelligent explanation.

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    Brian CanovaFeb 6, 2012 at 9:38 pm

    Good music is still out there. The thrill of discovering great music is in just that, it’s discovery. While cheaper-to-produce techno music may lower the so-called “music average,” the school teacher who moonlights as an acoustic guitarist will still play his Thursday night coffee shop gig, jam bands will still play house parties on the weekends if you can find yourself into the right circles, and for its pitfalls the mathematical precision of dancey techno beats will innovate music like other genre’s have in the mainstream music scene as far back as printing presses began churning out music journals across Europe centuries ago. Going to musical concerts is as much about watching talented musicians as it is about being part of something huge in a venue housing thousands intent on having a good time. Techno music isn’t going anywhere, for better or for worse.

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    ChelseaFeb 6, 2012 at 7:03 pm

    I have 4 words for you: Moby & Theivery Corporation… js

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    StepDubFeb 6, 2012 at 6:36 pm

    but yeah maaaaaaaan you just like dont understand the music maaaaaannnnnn it like moves your body maaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnn

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    Ron JonFeb 6, 2012 at 5:43 pm

    “This is foolish.
    Poorly researched, barely substantiated, rhetorically unsound and written terribly.”

    That pretty much sum’s it up. Admittedly I once had the same opinion. I have been a musician my entire life and once ridiculed the entire electronic music genre in the same way. Then I started to make it and realized it was not quite as easy as I had once imagined. You must become a mastering engineer, do mix down’s and write the music all by yourself (unless the label does that for you). It’s not just as easy as buying a mac book and instantly becoming good. It takes years and years of hard work and dedication with no certainty of success like any other musical application. I challenge you to write some electronic music. Since it’s so easy why not go for it? You could potentially make a lot of money and travel a whole lot 🙂

    Good luck.

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    DSalonenFeb 6, 2012 at 5:41 pm

    First, grouping all electronic music into the techno sub-genre is a dead give-away as to how informed the columnist is. That’s like saying that all music with real instruments is Rock and Roll. Secondly, no, there is no secondly. This guy’s an idiot.

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    AshamedFeb 6, 2012 at 5:08 pm

    Tyler Molander has a pen-name!

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    uaFeb 6, 2012 at 3:26 pm

    This just tells me that you have a very limited understanding of music and art in general; this conservatism is a big obstacle in art actually. FYI, art can be made many ways with many tools. When you look at futurist or a cubist painting or even better an abstract product I wonder what you would think.

    The problem is that you are missing the most important piece in art;subjectivity. That is why I have to ask you what in the world are you talking about when you say “that is a bad music, good musician”? Define me bad or good and find one person who will agree with you. Good luck with that! (And I wonder what makes you an expert in that).

    Since that is all subjective, there is no overall good or bad music or art. There is art you like or you don’t. Art of course includes technique; that is a necessity. Now you claim that it is missing in techno or electronic music. Then why don’t you try to produce something that many people enjoy, so you can give us a lesson that everybody can do it..

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      Jason AppletonMar 24, 2018 at 4:21 am

      Holy shit- another fake techno garbage noise lover!

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    ColinFeb 6, 2012 at 2:44 pm

    This is foolish.
    Poorly researched, barely substantiated, rhetorically unsound and written terribly.

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    BGFeb 6, 2012 at 1:23 pm

    while i can agree to some points…I must say I would love to see you get on your mac and garage band and make a good song…seems easy but there is actually a lot to it. In fact, in order to make a good “techno” (that is actually a sub genre of electronic dance music which has many catagories…techno is no longer really popular fyi) song you must be able to have music theory/ keyboard skills in order to get the proper melody. Its not as easy as it looks so that point is null and void. Other than that …yea the market is saturated…but hey, look at bloggers and columnist..there are a dime a dozen and anyone can get on Microsoft word and express there opinion….just saying…the Internet and technology is changing everything…

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    Joe GagliardoFeb 6, 2012 at 1:11 pm

    This article is, to put it mildly, RIDICULOUS. It is one thing to have a taste preference for one kind of music or another, but to ridicule a whole genre because it is against your own personal preference is the height of hypocracy. Every genre has its good and its bad. Techno producers are some of the most brilliant musical composers of our time – akin to some of the great classical composers of the past. In fact, classical music was ridiculed in much the same way back in their day. Just ask Mozart and Beethovin.

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      Jason AppletonMar 24, 2018 at 4:17 am

      I weep for your generation.

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    CommenterFeb 6, 2012 at 12:19 pm

    Where are the comments?

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    Thorian MaxwellFeb 6, 2012 at 11:36 am

    Ryan, I’m really glad I got to you when I did. This could have been bad. I have a radio show on Umass’ own WMUA 91.1fm on Friday Nights from 10pm to Midnight. It’s called Spaced Out Radio and what I deliver every week, is Electronic Music for the connoisseur.

    Obviously you are not a connoisseur, but we can change that. You have made the rookie mistake of lumping all electronic music into one category based on whatever the hands-in-the-air genre seems to have attracted the masses. It happened in the mid-to-late 90’s with the big beat invasion with groups like the Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, and Fatboy Slim. Then it happened around the turn of the century with epic trance and progressive like Tiesto and the Global Underground lineup of dj’s. Now unfortunately, its happening again with dubstep.

    You said something about the ‘musical average’ being brought down. I’m not sure what music you listen to (you didn’t think it relevant to list any music you find worthy) but everything I play to is a 10 out of 10 so I don’t concern myself with ‘average’ music in any genre and you don’t need to either.

    There is too much to do here over teh internets, but maybe you should join me on my show this week so we can discuss this in detail. Don’t worry Ryan, you’re in a safe place, and there’s people here to help.

    See you Friday! (I won’t techno for an answer)

    Thorian Maxwell

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    floodFeb 6, 2012 at 10:03 am

    Quit being an elitist. This is the same argument they lobbed at rock and roll in the fifties. Music can be made through all types of instruments; a guitar, a steel drum, a wooden block, and yes, even a computer.

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      Jason AppletonMar 24, 2018 at 4:16 am

      Rock n’ roll is genius. EDM is the epitome of mindlessnesss, of stupidity.

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