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Techno : Its Special Characteristics and Didactic Perspectives Author(s): Ansgar Jerrentrup Source: The World of Music, Vol. 42, No. 1, Gothic, Metal, Rap, and - Youth Culture and Its Educational Dimensions (2000), pp. 65-82 Published by: VWB - Verlag für Wissenschaft und Bildung Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/41699314 Accessed: 07-06-2019 04:01 UTC

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Techno Music: Its Special Characteristics and Didactic Perspectives

Ansgar Jerrentrup

Abstract

First I will examine here the characteristics typical of the music and general of techno. Then the didactic perspectives and concrete instructional approaches of this music will be introduced.

1. On the Contemporary State of Techno Music

In the past years things have quieted down considerably around the topic of techno music, compared to the near-panic provoked by this music in the first half of the , when it still seemed new. The excitement has died down, and it seems as though techno music has gone beyond its climax of popularity. In the , techno developed quite independently from the dominant offerings of hit parade, main- stream pop and rock, or even as a contrasting alternative to such music; it hardly took on influences from other styles. This changed during the mid-1990s, as stylistic "crossing over" became more significant. Since then, "technoids" can be found increasingly as rock, , EBM (electric body music) or electro pieces, even reaching beyond to styles that are even more distant, such as heavy metal (e.g., Prodigy, , Ethel, Oompf!, ). The borders seem to have been smashed open, as the the earlier isolation and independence have also decreased. In the 1980s and the early 1990s an abundance of stylistic variations or substyles spread over half the world, including some that can be scarcely recognized as sub- styles. But since the mid-1990s, hardly any new or noteworthy substyles have been developed, with the exception of drum 'n' (D'n'B). The once fashionable, high- ly promoted "" is hardly mentioned anymore, and " trance" can be re- garded more as a commercial ploy than as a real stylistic concept- not exactly un- typical for the pop scene. So-called "big bass" seems at this time not to be taking off. In addition, it should also be mentioned that many no longer count D'n'B and big beat as substyles of techno, but rather as belonging to its general sphere. This is par- ticularly the case when, for example, drum tracks sound like mechanical percussion,

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or other tracks are added in which similarly mechanical instruments are used not only as spots of sound but also as decisive parts, such as in D'n'B. Incidentally, this style avoids the stable 4/4 beat ("Four to the Floor") so typical of techno and substitutes it with such a lively and frequently changing that at first the dancers in the discotheques felt confused rather than stimulated to . (Interesting, this chang- ing beat can only be produced with the help of technical machines or computers and not by a percussionist, although it sounds human-made.) But this unusual style has not grown in the last two years. Thus, there are many indications that techno music has lost its broader creative power. Articles in German music magazines speak of the disappearance of this music and scene, in spite of the increasing popularity of the internationally known Love Pa- rade in - or perhaps precisely because of this. In other words, the times are over when the music was so "randy" (to use a German slang expression) that only a few understood it and many hated it. (It should be mentioned that from the pop music camp also contributed to this denigration.) In the same way, the times are over when techno gatherings took place in spartanly furnished cellar rooms where you were more or less with others of your kind, and when were improvised at some bizarre and strange, sometimes half-legal, place where you could celebrate yourself as being part of the "underground." Until the early 1990s, everything about techno and was new, exciting and stimulating in the Federal Republic of . One reason for this was because- particularly in Berlin- the authorities were always searching for places where were being consumed and pursuing hidden cellar like after mice. Signs of the decline or retreat of techno have been perceivable for a while in Ger- many: 1. Several formerly independent, small techno labels (techno independent labels) have joined large international record and distribution firms (major companies), and cooperation between techno labels and extra-musical commerce is conspic- uous. Large music companies organize DJ competitions; cigarette companies sponsor tours with techno musicians; travel bureaus organize trips to raves. Techno magazines introduce the newest creations related to lifestyle and dress code, including underwear, and record stores also offer these magazines. 2. Techno music has become almost a part of our everyday listening environment. It already is played in boutiques, hotel reception halls, warehouses and eleva- tors. (These are usually popularized mix versions of older pieces.) 3. Television and popular magazines hardly treat the scene anymore after having practically devoured it in the first half of the 1990s, the exception being the still widely covered in Berlin. 4. Techno has become particularly popularized on the dance floors; show pro- grams for a mass public have been furnished with such music. 5. Recordings with techno music have been already available for a while not only in stores for a particular market niche but also in the large stores, and

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even in the medium-sized stores. In the past years the two largest chain stores also have offered this music in maxi-vinyl format. 6. The flair of being special, exclusive, and also underground, as still exuded at the first special houses and raves, is long gone. Techno discotheques have been established around the world and no longer draw only a select crowds of insid- ers. 7. In this techno scene as well, stardom has set in. A few "great artists" are mar- keted worldwide by distribution companies and agencies. Others who initiated and inspired this scene, but who do not want to be a part of this new turn in events, have withdrawn. Many of the ideas about a techno community have disappeared or have been turned around to the exact opposite. 8. According to this author's observations, more techno labels have dissolved as have been newly founded. Other labels that until now have only dealt with techno music are now broadening their musical supply to neighboring styles. It may be that in the past ten years little has changed outwardly in the creation and manifestation of this music, but ambitious techno musicians are still searching for unusual sounds and subtle processes that remain, in their own way, bound to the pri- macy of dance stimulation. As sound manifestations and in the way these sounds are made into an arrangement, these products reach a respectable level for techno and pop music, rising above the mass of uniform and hardly inspired techno music. But such artistic and aesthetic efforts remain individual; there are few signs of a creative movement that would stimulate many musicians to initiate similar activities. Typical for music of such ambitions is that it is hardly played in the usual discotheques. In- stead, it can be heard in smaller specialized houses and at special techno events, as organized occasionally by their creators or by special fans (e.g., the "Battery Park" Festivals of 1998 and 1999 in ). Whether such unusual, minimalistic-tech- noid sound structures can provide the breeding grounds for substantial further devel- opment-who knows? As far as creative power goes, it would be possible. But it is doubtful whether techno youths would see it this way.

2. On Techno Music and Its Ambience

Whoever approaches techno music should know that it is fundamentally produced from vinyl. Only in this form can the DJ do something with the music so that it can be used in a discotheque (see below). It is also hardly available in the usual record stores in Germany, which passes over this kind of music. Only small specialty music stores offer LPs or maxis with current techno productions that are being played in discos. When CDs with techno music are for sale, it is above all those which: a) enjoy mass popularity in the discotheques, usually due to lesser originality; b) are thus easy to play elsewhere and; c) they are recordings expected by the larger companies to have reasonable com- mercial success.

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Furthermore, the pieces are usually recorded in a slightly edited form (mostly shortened) and never in the incessant musical flow found in the discos. (Distinctive for this CD market is also that here more compilations are offered as products of in- dividual techno creators. In discos, compilations are practically never played.) The basic guideline for techno music reads: it is not produced for listening, for singing along or for day-dreaming. First and foremost techno music is a for the longest lasting, most exuberant (to self-absorbed) kind of dancing that takes place at discotheques or raves. From this premise, we can discern its decisive measure of value: a techno piece is per se "good" when it animates the most possible people to long-lasting, loose or imaginative dancing. It should thereby emanate "good vibra- tions" for all, whether the piece has a meager musical structure or not. But when it shows even more qualities beyond this, all the better. In order to reach this main goal, a DJ is necessary for techno music who actively forms the progress of the music. In assembling this music, which first exists in a "conserved" (recorded) form, the DJ controls the proceedings. This means he must be able to work, as a physical skill and musically, with the music on vinyl. For this, sensitive expertise is as much required as an aesthetic feeling for dealing with vari- ous music samples, and an antenna for the mood in the hall has to be kept raised in the course of the long night or better, should be heightened even more over time. This means also that those who produce techno music on vinyl never deliver a finished product that can simply be played back. Rather, the DJ must be open to actively deal- ing with the gathered dancers. Techniques for this are: making the music longer or shorter, selecting musical sections in order to shorten, lengthen or mix these with each other, to change the sound using special filters, either continuously or to the of the beat, and to modify the speeds to match each other, or else to change them imperceptibly. This functions to the present in a satisfactory way only with the sound medium of vinyl. As with pop music in general, techno music is not made to have a long life. Many pieces can be heard only on a few techno evenings and then disappear afterwards because they had no special magnetic effect on the dancers. The use of music in discos is immense, and therefore techno pieces are produced in a far shorter time as is otherwise usual for pop or rock productions. For this reason, this small sub-scene produces in relative terms a great deal- according to my obser- vations in Germany, it amounts to several hundred maxi productions every month- and the newest vinyls are briskly consumed by the discos. This cooperation is one sign of the close relationship between discotheques, DJs and record labels. The la- bels are mostly quite small and are able to react far more quickly to changes in the market than the major companies for reason of much smaller administrative costs. In addition, the smaller labels and the discos can more easily concentrate on a particular region of manageable size. Further serving this interlocking relationship is the oft- found congruence in personnel among techno creators, DJs, owners of labels and owners of record shops. In which other music branches does such a situation exist? Thus, now both regionalism and smallness as well as internationalism and powerful size are a part of the techno phenomenon.

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Furthermore, techno music is created for a particular ambience: for the techno- specific discotheque, or for the so-called "raves" at special places with a specifically sub-culture flair (e.g., cellars of factories, workhalls, tunnel vaults). Techno is thus an important element of a particular club culture in Germany. Belonging to this cul- ture are appropriate clothing (in earlier times often conspicuous, exuberant or half- carnivalistic), a relaxed, erotic flair and long nights. During these long nights, techno music is played, one piece after the other, without pause and mixed into each other. A techno evening usually lasts from 1 1 p.m. to the early morning, while some special events even last several days. Techno cannot develop its special effect without the particular combination of , loudly played rhythmic music and light effects produced by stroboscopes. These confusing as well as fascinating effects are pro- duced by rotating and flickering spotlights and lasers which sometimes move to the rhythm of the music. The entirety of techno cannot be found, therefore, only in the music; in , we are dealing here with a multi-sensual phenomenon. For this rea- son as well, techno music cannot meet the demands that one would place on music that is meant only for listening. Such a multimedia interplay of elements would be comparable to the successful combination in film of a series of images and music, or in musical theater of music, speech and drama. However, different in techno events is the duration and power of the sensual , which affect the senses for a longer time and reinforce the musical experience- and this is all not seldom intensified by the taking of drugs. Dealing with individual sensual qualities would only provide a poor imitation of the true scenario. Where else can one find such a swaying human mass, the atmosphere of "cultivated" exuberance, the hammering , the extreme, deep bass, the vol- ume that overwhelms everything else, and the whirling flashes, beaming floodlights, turning spotlights and moving light figures? And this for hours in a special ? Since techno music is so closely tied to an all-dominating function (that is, to pro- vide ) and to an appropriate ambience, it cannot become the kind of trad- ing commodity that other types of pop music have become. Already the lack of the crucial process of storing the music prevents mass distribution, because recording a CD at a techno event and playing it at can in no way replicate the actual effect this music originally had in the , with its special equipment and large crowds late at night. Thus, sales of 600 to 800 copies of a techno piece are already considered sufficient because this can at least cover the production and distribution costs; sales of several thousand copies are considered excellent. If we also count the many prod- ucts that are completely unable to assert themselves on the market, we may come to an average sales count of about 100 or 200 copies per recording. Measured against the hundreds of thousands of techno fans and disco visitors in Germany, such num- bers are hardly impressive. But this is understandable just from the music: what dancer goes to listen to music at the disco in order to search for an attractive piece of music that he'll keep in mind so that he can purchase it the next day? For him or her, the important thing is the euphoric experience at a particular place and time and in the company of similarly minded people.

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When techno music is listened to at home or on the road, it is usually in remem- brance of a specific club atmosphere. The listener thus perceives indirectly with the music the environment to which it belongs. (For many, it's enough to hear the "su- per" rhythms, the "randy" sounds and the deep bass, and to show off their great ste- reos to others with this music.) This description of the techno environment and all that goes with it should make clear that we cannot evaluate this music without such background knowledge. Only seldom can we find areas of perception that are so closely interlocked with each oth- er, or a kind of music that comprehends such an array of multi-sensual stimulants: auditive, visual, physical, social and mental (drugs). Unfortunately, to the present we as scholars are not accustomed to including such environments in our musical obser- vations; from scores, at any rate, the extra-musical surroundings will never emerge. It is well known, however, that it was first the ethnomusicologists and then the music sociologists who have made observations that include the more comprehensive cul- tural setting; for this reason, they have been among the first scholars to be able to un- derstand something about techno.

3. On Didactic Perspectives

Music education in Germany must fight against the fundamental problem that it was designed to remove music created for a particular space and time to a space for which it was not created and that can hardly supply the proper aura. The that have close connections to a particular space and time such as spiritual or liturgical music, opera and ballet music, symphonic and ethnic music, but also and of course techno music- all of these suffer under this problem. On top of this, the younger they are, the less our students know about the ambiences of such musics. This makes the approach to music instruction increasingly difficult. But music edu- cation has learned to get around this deficit and, with interesting and pedagogically skilled involvement, with playful approaches appropriate to the school and with ad- ditional information and placement in a larger context, it can also take on techno mu- sic. On the other hand, it is not absolutely necessary to make the entirety of a work or a musical piece the object of music instruction. Music teachers are often forced to ap- proach a particular kind of music in excerpts. It is well known that one hour of music instruction is not sufficient for an opera; for one on the level of Wagner, three con- secutive hours are not enough. It is also impossible to treat all facets of a musical piece in music instruction, especially when it is very complex and rich in its connec- tions with extra-musical facets. The music teacher is basically accustomed to making a didactic approach to the details of a music ("didactic reduction"). With these perspectives in mind, it is also possible to include techno music in mu- sic instruction. It is after all a music that is comprised of musical components, that follows principles of form and that exercises a particular effect on people because of

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its specific construction- as is true for every kind of music. In this case, the effect is clear: to be a stimulation to move. Techno music exercises this function to a certain extent even without a visit to its true setting. Thus, a first didactic approach for in- struction emerges. Music for dancing is not only a worldwide but also an exceedingly old practice. From this, the connection between techno music to other thematic complexes is auto- matically established, such as 1) "dance music among diverse cultures and peoples"; 2) "dance music in the past and present"; and 3) "dance forms and current popular music." Naturally this also involves helping the students to appreciate different dance forms, to encourage them to dance them, and for them to occasionally explore the music and its making themselves. In their own attempts to dance to different kinds of music, they can also discover the most appropriate forms of movement and dance, also providing room for creative ideas and physical self-discovery. Under the first point, dance music among different cultures, clearly only a nar- row, perhaps somewhat peculiar, spectrum is involved. Certainly techno cannot be considered representative for a people or a culture, but rather as an example for the removal of ethnic ties to dance music and for a musical culture delimited by civiliza- tion. Accordingly, among the most appropriate dance forms for techno music could be -like movements, with which students today are certainly familiar. Referring to the second point, comparing historical and contemporary musics, one could go back for example to the Middle Ages. Since the sounds of those times sometimes re- semble the sound of modern pop music today, they are gaining popularity within the pop scene and occasionally appear as "Medieval Style" music in German pop charts. There are also enough mixtures of medieval music and modern rock/pop styles (e.g., the mixture of heavy metal in the music of groups like In Extremo, Tanzwut, Hag- gard and Therion; the mixture of "" and similar musics in , Ataraxia, Engel Wider Willen, Qntal and the former Love Is Colder Than Death; and the mixture with light hip hop in the music of Pilgrimage.) As far as dance forms and current pop music are concerned, different can be danced to com- pare techno with dance pieces from EBM (""), electro, hip hop or punk (or else with many dance pieces from 1950s and 1960s pop, particularly from "high school" or "teenage" pop). But of course even detached from historicizing or comparative perspectives, techno music can still be used well for dancing. There are several pieces which even elementary school students like, thanks to their lively rhythms, simple structures and a few "pretty" melodic phrases and sound effects. They can also develop their own choreographies, dance creations or narratives. Of course, dance music cannot do without rhythmic patterns. Particularly techno music is full of these, which has frequently led to the judgment that the "mindless" repetitions of patterns were extremely monotonous and devoid of imagination. Natu- rally, modern electronic instruments are a critical part of this compository picture, with their manner of lining up, effortlessly and incessantly, patterns that are 100 per- cent identical. Accordingly, students can easily discover for themselves how simple

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it is to create such patteras using programs for music production, rhythm machines or drum machines, or phrase and groove samplers. Select, copy, layer, press two or three buttons- finished! (Well, for the time being.) Such an approach is truly enjoy- able for students and fascinates them, even those who have difficulties with playing instruments or other kinds of creative musical activity. Our teenagers and students increasingly use such equipment, quickly creating modern music without long years of practice or expensive special instruction. (This new kind of introduction to music- making may be the way of the future within the next years or decades, a fact of which music teachers should be aware.) Since it is now usual to include the own movement exercises and games in didactic approaches to rhythms, we will not go into this point here. In dealing with pattern repetition, our students should also learn that not techno music but rather an older musical style- probably unknown to them- was the first to indulge in the principle of pattern repetition. (Techno is not as new as their creators always like to emphasize.) Since 1965 the repetitive of Steve Reich has helped itself to repetition as a principle and technical device to achieve special ef- fects. A comparison of creative method and function of both musical styles becomes compelling, styles that sociologically have absolutely nothing to do with each other, whereby the differences (and musical parallels) are striking. There is indeed a reason for applying the expression "minimalistic techno" to describe those techno pieces that consciously concentrate on the repetition of one or a few (usually conspicuous) patterns and change these in almost imperceptible details. In 1999, actually surpris- ingly late and yet logically, a CD was published on which techno musicians adapted pieces of the most well-known American minimalist composer and arranged them according to their own aesthetic: "Steve Reich Remixed" (EastWest 7559/91382). Whether a "between product" emerged from this- a fusion of minimal and techno musics- is something the students can decide. Techno music can also be used in other areas of school life in which music is im- portant due to its own special power (of course, one would check with the students on the appropriate selection of music). Other than the demonstration of dance choreog- raphies, this could include, for example: • as opening or closing music for events at which the results of group projects and instruction are introduced • as background to film, video or slide presentations • as a musical frame for an exhibition • as accompaniment to a fashion show that the students organize themselves, or • as intermission music between events at a sport event or a theater event. In such action- and project-oriented music instruction, connections can easily be made between issues and observations that bind the cognitive with emotive and im- pressionistic moments (with ear-training, with observations on feelings associated with music and critical discussions on those observations). What are the differences between dance music pieces? On both the topics "dance music in different cultures" and "dance music in the past and present": from what elements can one recognize

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their (approximate) ethnic or time context? (Here organological references- includ- ing those on electronic devices on the modern dancefloor- will be important.) Fur- ther: why is the electronic sound so attractive for many students, for others not at all? What comprises the dance stimulation of different kinds of music? (Compare here the hitherto unattained impulsivity of electronic sound production: attack-time, or the moment a tone begins to vibrate, is equal to 0!) How strong is the respective movement that derives from the patterns of a techno piece (derived, for exam- ple, from the intensity or strength of the dance movements). Objectively, we are then confronted with the relationship between the creation and effect. This leads automat- ically to analytical observations in view of the structure of dance patterns, drawing our attention as well to other, similarly functioning musics and their creation. Considering the many repetitions of dance patterns in techno, I would like to make a small observation on "running" music with the question, how long does the energy of a "grooving" pattern last? (Here minimalistic techno pieces are particularly appropriate because they present their patterns for quite a while without changing.) Where does the energy lie (e.g., in the electronic percussivity, in the precision of rhythms and their repetitions, in the formation of original rhythm-sounds and the sound arrangement)? This then leads to the question of where the art of techno cre- ation lies. Concerning movement energy, the students can observe this relatively easily from the perseverance and intensity of dancing, as well as by observing each other. Thus detailed observations to music pieces can be integrated: after how long a time does a piece become boring? When, or after how many repetitions, is a changed de- sired by the students (e.g., with a break, a separate bridge excerpt, a change in ar- rangement, the beginning of the next piece )? Are there prominent (or subtle) sec- tions, and if so, after how long do these appear? What is the progression of dance movements during the music? The observations are gathered, discussed and interpreted. Automatically, obser- vations are reached concerning formal arrangements and the central relationship be- tween musical material, its formation and the subjective experiential time. We then have a measuring stick with which each piece can be compared with another (of course considering function as well). In the end, the knowledge that results from such observations in the school can only be convincing to a point, or temporarily, due to the lack of a proper atmosphere. A series of additional questions on this complex can be added. What kind of ef- fect do the students feel when they simply listen to such music? What kinds of effects are there other than the well-known dance stimulation? For these observations, video recordings should be quite useful for analysis as well as for possibly creating a dance performance to be shown to a larger public. Additional detailed questions on the ex- perience of techno music include: when (during what mood, what condition) is re- generative music and when is noisy, even deafening music appropriate? For the ex- hilarating effect of techno music, one could compare it to excerpts from that have similar effects (e.g., Beethoven: conclusion of the Ninth Symphony ;

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Mussorgsky: Night on Bald Mountain ; Wagner: conclusion of Götterdämmerung ; Mahler: Eighth Symphony ; Schoenberg: Gurrelieder, ; Stravinsky: Sacre; Ravel: /fa- terò -itself its own minimalistic study on a dance pattern). Further: with what musi- cal means are the respective functions achieved? What kinds of interaction take place between rhythms and their sounds; what kinds between the sounds in the foreground (mostly drum sounds) and those in the background (mostly minor melodic ones or broad, general ones)? What is the relationship between effort, means used and the ef- fect that is felt by the individual? Part of these questions can be treated using the different styles of techno music it- self, its substyles or stylistic variations. For seldom is the range of style variations within a type of music so overwhelming as in this case; to date there are over 70, and there is no end in sight. Even if most are not so different from the others, or those dif- ferences have been exaggerated, there are still clear structural differences between the main styles, for example, of the more quiet "trance" (-techno), the more relaxed "house" music, the sharper and faster "acid" techno and the and extremely fast "" pieces. In instruction, one can recognize the more obvious differences in both the various effects of these styles as well as in exercises in listening, notation and verbalization. Together with the students, a study of styles in techno music could be evolved in which an inventory and a list of repertoire with clear descriptions are developed. This depends on the degree to which the students are willing to do this, that is, whether they feel overwhelmed, and also whether the appropriate music ex- amples are available for the classroom. Considering the imprecise use of concepts in specialty magazines and even in the first techno dictionary, this could be a worth- while project. In an advanced course, one could refer to the larger field of stylistic categorization in pop music (musicians themselves frequently call this disparagingly " Schubladendenken " (cubbyhole thinking). From here, one could advance to funda- mental observations on stylistic problems in and classical genres, and to the con- cept of "stylistic epochs" as well. Kinds of dance stimulation and dance types also differ according to the different creative methods in dance music, even among pupils who have never seen the inside of a discotheque. To this degree, techno is didactically a valuable musical style, as are other, more comprehensive dance music styles and their substyles. Dance suites from older periods, with their differently structured movements, could be used as a basis of comparison, as well as dance-oriented styles of jazz. Of course, techno mu- sic is not arranged in suites, but in the classroom various styles of techno could be ar- ranged in this way (or others) to emphasize their differences in composition and ef- fect. Further, an accompanying or background use of techno can be shown to different scenarios, even to quiet landscape pictures or meditative mood pictures. At first glance, techno music presents us with no interesting rhythms at all. Par- ticularly in comparison to the diversity of Latin American dance rhythms or rhythms in jazz, they seem extremely simple. (The rhythmic quality of techno does not lie in the time distribution of different impulse sounds into patterns and layering of pat- terns, but rather in the formation of percussivity and its sound.) Still, it always hap-

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pens that some ambitious techno creators weave in a few rhythmic tricks into the generally unyielding 4/4 beat. Particularly difficult to categorize are the rhythms that are produced with the help of delay devices (or echo devices) with which individual- ly selected impulses of an arrangement are inserted. The amount of delay in the rhythm can be adjusted so that the selected impulse is repeated completely outside the basic meter, and thus is able to sound confusing and forced. If one owns such a device, then experiments can be held with the students to determine how strong the echo can be, which sound is to be covered with it, how many repetitions are appropri- ate, etc. Regarding such generally track-oriented rhythms, the question naturally arises: who can beat or play these rhythms in imitation? (Transcribing these presents diffi- culties even for many music teachers.) When several rhythms are layered, perhaps one can try together a full performance with distributed roles or instruments (key- boards and percussion instruments). It is convenient for such a performance that techno offers an extremely stable and precise 4/4 beat that allows plenty of time to get going (see Fig. 1). Because it aims at a particular effect, functional music is especially subject to particular limits or guidelines in its creation. For example, dance music cannot dis- pense with clear meters, a that is as precise as possible, or the use of rhythmic- percussive patterns. This is true the world over. Here we come across the question, what is a techno musician then allowed to freely arrange or create? This question can be discussed with students under two aspects: 1) it is given that the largest number of people should like this music, and it should be conceived to achieve high sales, or; 2) in contrast, the music is made without caring about such commercially oriented pop- ularity. In other words: how unique may techno be? Can the creator, for example, dispense with electronic sounds and use those from "natural" mechanical instru- ments without offending his fans? To what degree can he or she dispense with the obligatory electro-acoustic sound? Must the continuous 4/4 beat always be main- tained so incessantly, and must it always be a 4/4 beat? (There are even techno pieces in 5/4 beat, but the dancers have hardly noticed this!) How thick or in how many tracks may rhythms become without suffering as a dance stimulus? How many (and which) competing rhythms are acceptable or make sense because they do force the beat? This could be connected with creative projects from the students, if appropriate production devices are available. Fortunately, numerous recordings are marked by originality in sound and special features in the rhythm and are appropriate for the disco; these could be used as illus- trating examples. There are also numerous techno pieces that rise above the more usual in their form and spatial-sound structure. "On Freedom and Guidelines in Mu- sic" is also a topic which one could connect to every kind of music. Carried over to the social sphere, it is a topic that everyone is somehow confronted with, never be- coming outdated. In music, there are not only guidelines from commerce but also from the instruments and cultural (as well as subcultural), general communicative, and style-aesthetic guidelines.

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Fig. 1. Techno patterns of techno music. Excerpts from " Take Control" and "Three. " Transcriptions by author.

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The decisive art of the techno scene is DJaying, that is, mixing different pieces or musical excerpts seamlessly into each other; the goal is an absolutely smooth, unin- terrupted musical progression. Necessary for this are two independent record players and a special mixer that, next to other features, must have a crossfader. It is quite fas- cinating to observe how music on records is treated in the disco. The transitions are (and must be) made in such a skillful manner by the techno DJ that one often cannot hear them at all. If this is not the case, the flow of dance movements is interrupted, which would be inimical to techno itself and its typically important dance atmo- sphere. After all, what this is all about is an unchanging continuum of dance (or that changes only imperceptibly) which stretches over many hours. Only if you watch this dancing can you see what is important to reaching this goal: adapting both tem- pos and sound characteristics through filter adjustments as well as the volume of each new piece to the last one. For this, you must check by listening back and forth many times both to the new piece and that being played. A special headphone set helps the DJ to do this. With certain crossfader movements, the new, prepared music is then blended into the old music in the exact same tempo and rhythm. If such mixing equipment is available in the school or can be obtained (e.g., invit- ing a DJ to the school with his equipment), or if one is lucky enough to have a student in the class who already has experience as a DJ, then this process can be demonstrat- ed in the classroom. In this case, the following listening exercise can be easily added. Without looking at the DJ, the students should try to determine simply from listening when the crossfading begins and when it ends- that is, when the new music begins. The DJ can do this using two pieces known by the students from their studies, as well as by using two unknown pieces, a process that is considerably more difficult. The students follow the running time with a clock and mark the time of the mix phase. (Or can they even pick up the manner of crossfade movement?) If the DJ is skilled, the students will probably not succeed in marking the correct moments. A video record- ing of the activity of the class-DJs would be good for proof of what occurred, or else one student could make a record of the times and crossfade movements of the DJ. Tied to attempts to graphically record observations (as in the recording of heard parts in tracks and time fields or on the monitor image of a music program), many lis- tening projects can involve the comparison of mix versions, of which techno music has so many. Questions can regard 1) the weight and scope of different arrange- ments; 2) functional variations (e.g., when an piece becomes or trance techno, or when a long piece is shortened for radio or CD) or ; 3) the reasons behind making such variations (a well-known piece that is available in different ver- sions can be used at different times during a techno night, or a DJ can use particular versions for different stylistic themes chosen by the event organizer). The key word "arrangement" also opens up an educationally rewarding gate to the many other kinds of musical "editing" of classical works or folk music, for example. A compre- hensive instructional series on "Arrangement in Music" can be easily imagined in which techno music (as well as the different versions of other pop music) can occupy

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much attention. In addition, the most different types of music adaptations can also be examined. In this connection, we must inevitably take a look at sampling and its possibilities to select sections from existing music and place them in completely different con- texts or to mix them. The authorized or unauthorized use (in the latter case, the Klau , or "stealing") of such elements is obvious when the main compositional work lies in the creation and use of such materials. On the market, there is an enormous abun- dance of CDs with such musical samples (one- or two-beat rhythms, individual sounds, chords or melodic figures), and every simple composing software program also contains such material on CDs. It is certainly more original to search for one's own sounds for sampling or for already available music that achieves an unexpected effect when placed in a new musical context. Concluding this discussion on arrangement (in classic, folk, and pop music, in- cluding techno), the teacher could discuss with the students issues such as: what would you say if a stranger used your music, either asking for permission or not, for his arrangement? How much is he or she allowed to adapt it, e.g., to the point of un- recognizability, as is sometimes the case? Do you think it's important that your name is mentioned by such use? And in connection with sampling, the questions go: how much music from your own composition may another musician (a stranger or friend) use for her own production without payment? What kind of understanding of compo- sition underlies such a treatment of music? What kind of musical samples are useable in composition? (Usually the composer looks for elements appropriate in the manner of playing, but also for suitable elements in terms of pitch, sound, rhythm and tempo. Pattern lengths of one, two or four beats are also standard.) Are the "compositions" of such samples really compositions? In this method of composition, how can we judge the respective work of the sample manufacturers, users and adaptors? The an- swers to these questions demand the active use of the computer. If the suitable instruments, composing programs and CD-ROMs with techno mu- sic components can be used in musical instruction, it is possible to give creative or compositional projects to different working groups of students. Here are just a few examples of such possible exercises: • The students create a dance rhythm that is as original as possible, without layer- ing too many samples on top of each other, causing a too thick rhythm; • A short techno piece should be created of the least possible samples that is as exciting as possible; • The students can assess whether rests or silence can be inserted into such a piece to increase the tension (there are different kinds of rests in techno); • The teacher introduces the introductory and main sections of a techno piece and the students create the transition between the two; • This transition could be made continuous and hardly audible, going from one style to the next in the shortest possible time;

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• The students can find one or two parts that aesthetically contrast within a dance rhythm (given or self-made) and connect the two so that they are perceived as belonging together or being unified. Teachers wanting to work with the students in a polyaesthetic, interdisciplinary way can use the following exercises, which could be developed into projects. Some of these can be tied in varied forms with other kinds of music, thus making possible a parallel or comparative approach: • Students design or develop a record cover for a techno piece or, if a style-related rave event, for example, is involved, the appropriate poster or flyer for it. (In the techno scene in Germany, colorfully designed flyers that look like mini-posters often are widespread. They can be found in specialty stores and then used in instruction.) • The students design or sketch the optimal space and equipment for a techno disco or decorate a room in the school in this way, so that the music can be at its most effective. • They paint a fantasy machine or design fantasy objects (or even simply "modern art") according to a particular kind of music. On this basis, one could go further and ask the students to match different techno pieces to, for example, works of modern art, in the course of which the students should naturally be able to defend their choices. Conceivable would be cooperative work with an art teacher in making a techno dance for modern marionettes. • Since video clips for techno music usually show their own aesthetic, viewing and evaluating such videos (also in comparison with videos of completely dif- ferent types of music) would be appropriate. The central question here: to what degree does the visual aesthetic of the videos match the musical aesthetic? Where are there contrasts, breaks or divergences? • With some knowledge of light show equipment (and catalogues are available for this, as well as ordering by Internet), an interested class could work on a light show for a particular techno piece. Which kinds of laser should be used at what times? How many spotlights should hit which movements with which colors, when? When should the stroboscope be used? (The author has experienced polyaesthetically impressive examples of opulent beginner light shows, partially worked on by two light jockeys, which fascinated the dancers.) In this area, cooperative work with a teacher specializing in a related field is imaginable, with whom similar spotlights could be built and "performances" arranged. Com- puter programs for the abstract visualization of music could also help here. • Other multimedia can be developed with the help of drop & drag or composing programs, if they can put together both musical samples and video sequences. Both of these can easily produce techno-like music. The accompanying video material usually consists of the common dance scenes, in which one or two dancers move. But images from the techno culture environment, from fictitious worlds or also abstract forms could be assembled like components in a visual- ization of music or a video clip. Like the music samples, these are selected from

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the supply file, dragged to the tracks on the monitor screen (drag & drop) and then shortened, lengthened, layered, mixed and changed in contour, brightness and color. The use of such programs open up endless possibilities for the multimedia cre- ation of events with students; the above are just a few suggestions. Finally, students themselves can search for information sources on techno music and its scene, bringing these to the class and evaluating them: • Students collect specialty fan magazines from the techno scene (in Germany, these have names like Raveline, Beam me up, De bug and Groove ) and evaluate these (e.g., according to categories, style and share of text and pictures, informa- tional content and size). • They criticize and evaluate the portraits of musicians and record reviews (also comparing these between magazines). They review new techno records them- selves for their school newspaper, comparing their evaluations with those in the music magazines and discovering the differences in critical criteria. • They keep track of the techno music that is broadcast over radio. • They visit specialty stores for techno and interview their owners, who them- selves often appear as DJs themselves. • They explore the Internet, informing themselves for example about current activities in the techno scene, equipment of discos and about DJ equipment. Clearly, much of what is suggested here for a didactic approach to techno music can be transferred- at least in principle- to other kinds of music. This reflects the fact that each kind of music is based on a kernel of commonality with other kinds of music, although they may seem outwardly quite unique, marked by time and by cul- ture. Comparative observations that discover both the individual and unique as well as the common and fundamental emerge in a stimulating way when techno music is involved.

Notes

1 For example, to be mentioned in this context are the names Beaumont Hanant, m-zik, Micros- toria, Porter Ricks, Mike lne, Mika Vaino, Witchman, , Orderly Chaos or Hallu- cinator. It cannot however be said that these musicians basically create only ambitious music.

2 An overview by the author of the mix techniques used by techno DJs and turntable operators will appear soon in journal of the Arbeitskreis Musikpädagogische Forschung. 3 In this connection, it is remarkable that techno music, which is actually regarded as a global phenomenon, has also asserted itself as a regional one to the present, with no signs of abate- ment. Alone in Germany there are the categories of "Berlin School," " School," and "Cologne School," with corresponding CD samplers available. However, one should be care- ful not to automatically equate "school" with "style."

4 Someone who owns a computer and a program for the digital recording of music can show stu- dents different versions of a piece that has, through editing, been shortened, lengthened or arranged with breaks, fill-ins, bridges or auxiliary parts. The students can then choose the most

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exciting or (depending on the use) optimal version, and compare it to the "original." There are programs which allow a person to continuously repeat patterns as the music is running live, thus while watching the movements of the dancers, or to substitute them with others when the dancers appear exhausted (e.g., "Media DJ" by Koch for PC). The so-called phrase and groove samplers are even easier and are meant from the beginning for live use. These are currently available from Yamaha, Roland, Ensoniq, Boss, and Zoom. Of course drum machines are also appropriate for the investigation of the rhythms alone.

5 The Techno-Lexikon by Schäfer, Waltmann and Schäfers (1998) contains over 60 stylistic des- ignations. But even in the 24-page description of styles, it is hard to learn anything precisely about the music. In the specialty magazines, stylistic concepts are used without any kind of musical explanation.

6 Unfortunately, the person searching for techno music (or for many unusual "independent" musics) is confronted with the extremely difficult problem of gathering materials. The author could name many originally created pieces, but because of quick turnover and relatively nar- row and limited distribution (on vinyl!), these are scarcely available in stores. It also makes lit- tle sense to list order numbers. It is however recommendable that one consult a specialty store and ask about current examples.

7 Cf. also the revival of almost "forgotten" music through its "modernization," which can also produce enormous popularity, for example the Gregorian chants in Enigma's dance floor piece "Sadeness" of 1990.

8 For lack of space, we mention only a few that should be still on sale: "XoPose It" for the Mac and PC, "MetaSynth" from Arboretum for Apple's PowerPC and "Midi Vision" from the Stu- dio für elektronische Klangerzeugung in Dresden SEK 'D for PC.

9 A few such multimedia programs: "Frequency 99" by Friar and by Modified for Mac and PC; "Music Maker" by Magix for PC; "Music Video Machine" and "Techno Maker" by Data Becker for PC.

10 E.g., under: www.techno.de; www.techno-net; www. technoclub; www.technoguide.de; www.technopage.de; www.beatcounter.de (Freunde elektronischer Tanzmusik); www.aerzte.freepage.de/technospace; www.f-t-w.de (Frankfurter Techno Welt); www.zonel3.de.

References and Bibliography

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