The Origins of Techno
Black lights flashing, hearts racing, and thunderous bass all describe one type of music that is very much under appreciated: techno. Synthesizers, drum and bass, electronica, and chill, are among the many different genres of techno. Many may recall listening to techno. Many may even recall dancing to it in a nightclub or on the radio. But do you know how it got it roots? What is exactly the origin of techno? To begin with, techno music originated in the 1980’s. Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson are credited with starting the whole thing in Detroit, Michigan. It was discovered using synth-pop. Synth-pop is pop music, but the main instrument used is a synthesizer. A Synthesizer is an electronic instrument. It is much like a keyboard, but with different frequency modulations. Using Synth-pop, combined with different musical genres such as soul, and funk, techno was born. While in school, Atkins, May and Saunderson got fellow students into listening to their budding music form. It was very much well liked. Since it was the 80’s, everything was rock and roll, so, for some, this new type of music was a haven. After school clubs started sprouting all over Detroit, promoting the growth of techno music. Other surrounding cities also had clubs such as this. Consequently, Chicago became a hotbed for clubs and techno music. May and Saunderson, both fascinated by the Chicago club scene, packed up and moved to Chicago for a brief stint of time, promoting and playing their music. This decision was a huge success. Chicago became a playground for Dj’s, and clubbers alike. Meanwhile, back in Detroit, Atkins was still producing new music. New genres of techno were invented everyday with his synthesizer. At this time, techno was beginning to flourish all over the United States. Germany also had a very big techno scene. In 1988, Atkins opened a nightclub which played experimental techno called The Music Institute. While The Music Institute did not stay open for