We never thought techno could be a thing...what's next?

Music industry culture in the 1990s regarded Detroit techno to be one of the most important elements. When Joe Smooth, Frankie Knuckles, and DJ Sneak arrived, the city swiftly became the cradle of techno as we know it now. In light of the rise of prominent EDM musicians like Martin Garrix, Cheat Codes, Dillon Francis, and many more, the question arises: Is techno still underground? It's becoming more and more common for tunes from the techno genre to be included in Spotify playlists, club sets, etc. as social media becomes more and more integrated into our daily lives. In this essay, we'll examine the current state of techno to see whether it can still be considered a genre of the music industry's underground.

Since so many producers want to become famous and make money from their music, genres are in danger of "selling out" as they acquire more attention from the public. However, despite the evident popularity of techno, producers may not be as eager to "jump on the bandwagon" in techno as they usually are.

Social media has undoubtedly enabled the spread of techno culture throughout the globe, thanks to the likes of Boiler Room and many other channels. That said, it is entirely up to individuals to decide whether or not the genre becomes popular. Mainstream listeners don't understand or appreciate the electro and industrial roots of techno, as well as typical techno fans, do.

Electronic dance music musicians that don't want to limit themselves to one specific sound might find a great deal of variety in the techno genre. When a well-known musician decides to experiment with a new genre, they have typically branded a "sellout." There was a lot of opposition when Martin Garrix went from big-room music to commercial EDM, for example. The electronic music community has always had a solid base for techno. Many genres are severely constrained in terms of originality because of their inherent nature. For example, the genre of dubstep was hotly anticipated for a few months (or even years). Because many individuals selected a couple of the genre's features and made a commercially viable single from them, the genre was swiftly overtaken. Although this is almost impossible with techno because of the genre's wide range of possibilities, As a result of its simple structure, the genre has stayed evergreen in the music world since it can be converted into so many various sorts of music while still preserving the core features of the popular genre.

What Will Be In The Future?

In his recent interview with fabric, inventive artist and techno superstar Jeff Mills discussed the future of the scene. Mills' forecast concerning the relationship between people and technology is the most intriguing.

There's a good chance that a lot of physical devices will be phased out in the future." Whether you're holding a screen or iPad in your hand, it will vanish. However, despite this seeming simplicity, the ordinary person's surroundings will really grow considerably more complicated when it comes to the technology they use. How we listen to music, look at art, and dance will be affected by this. And the way we see all aspects of culture. What we do socially, the organization of our parties and DJing will be affected. The days of a live DJ behind a turntable setup may be numbered. No idea what will take its place, but I'm fairly certain it will be gone."

“A lot of electronic music is going to go away, in my opinion. Because computers will ultimately vanish, the machine, such as a drum machine, will be obsolete. As far as I'm concerned, those things will continue to exist from a classical point of view. We're the ones doing the programming, and these machines may or may not be involved. I believe that both the computer and the machine as we know them will go extinct. We may discover a method to influence music in a manner that reflects our individuality. There may be a method for one DJ to utilize music in a manner that another cannot, just because they are two distinct individuals. It's possible that a person's personality might influence the music."

Techno is flourishing in the electronic dance music scene, thanks to its growing recognition in the music business. Techno music has never had it so well, with so many sub-genres to choose from (including minimal techno, melodic techno, acid techno, and harsh techno). There are now a variety of tools available to anybody with an interest in music and the ability to use a computer to create techno. As a result of the massive flood of producers vying for Beatport (and other platforms) chart positions, the genre has gained worldwide attention.

Final Thoughts

In the end, music fans are constantly on the lookout for new and unique methods to enjoy their favorite genres of music. For as dance music continues to have a significant impact on the popularity of music on a worldwide scale, the techno scene (and other genres) is always looking for new ways to connect with its core audiences. Techno may not be for everyone, yet it is liked by the majority of dance music fans.