It's Techno Amateur Hour!

[thefleeingloaf]

I just pounded out a track yesterday evening and tried to get it finished within a couple hours. I tend to make spacier housier stuff but this ended up being pretty straight techno. I've been listening to a lot of Sandwell District stuff lately, and I think it's having an influence.

Here's what I have so far: http://soundcloud.com/thefleeingloaf/silence

If anyone has any suggestions, criticisms, etc - whether on song structure, synth sounds, production, or whatever - I'd love to hear them. Thanks!

For reference:
- Kick: Jomox M-Base
- All other drums: Machinedrum SPS1 Mkii
- Everything else: Access Virus Indigo (B)

Recorded through a Motu Ultralite into Live, which supplied all the effects and the editing environment.

[wertpog]

Very nice. Hardly amateur!

Maybe you could add some kind of lead or riff? I could be missing the point though...

[tekkentool]

Nice, the huge reverb on the high hats and the part where it was "frozen" are highly annoying though.

[cartesia]

Very nice. Hardly amateur!

Maybe you could add some kind of lead or riff? I could be missing the point though...

hehe.. yes,
to the outsider 'proper' techno can sound a little dull.. But this is because techno is about the psychological effect of the loops/repetitions that slowly evolve/change in subtle ways..

If you put a big lead line in there or something, it takes the mind's attention away from the repetitions and you lose the psychological hypnotising effect..

when combining sounds like this with repetitive dancing + repetitive lighting displays... really magical things happen!! Even the slightest shift in the amount of reverb or something can cause you to perceive a huge change in the universe... and it all feels connected because of the timing.

It is possible to do the same thing with more melodic content, but it probably still sounds 'boring' compared to a pop song with a nice tune, because it would have to be a short, consistently repeating part.

[wertpog]

I see what your getting at. Don't get me wrong, I like techno, especially the early Detroit stuff. It's just not something I hear a lot of these days, not going to clubs and raves as much as I use to.

Of course, a big trancey lead its going to ruin a track like this. But maybe something subtle, the mid to high ranges would work out well...

"repetitive dancing + repetitive lighting displays"

This brings back fond memories!

hehe.. yes,
to the outsider 'proper' techno can sound a little dull.. But this is because techno is about the psychological effect of the loops/repetitions that slowly evolve/change in subtle ways..

If you put a big lead line in there or something, it takes the mind's attention away from the repetitions and you lose the psychological hypnotising effect..

when combining sounds like this with repetitive dancing + repetitive lighting displays... really magical things happen!! Even the slightest shift in the amount of reverb or something can cause you to perceive a huge change in the universe... and it all feels connected because of the timing.

It is possible to do the same thing with more melodic content, but it probably still sounds 'boring' compared to a pop song with a nice tune, because it would have to be a short, consistently repeating part.

[Sir Nose]

I liked it. I wanted some more of the bassline that comes in at about a minute in.

[cartesia]

"repetitive dancing + repetitive lighting displays"

This brings back fond memories!

+9999

[thefleeingloaf]

Thanks everyone. I'll take all this into consideration as I keep working on it.

"It is possible to do the same thing with more melodic content, but it probably still sounds 'boring' compared to a pop song with a nice tune, because it would have to be a short, consistently repeating part"

Excellent point about melody in techno, cartesia

[Computer Controlled]

Nice. Deep and spacious. Add anything else to it, and it'll probably ruin it. Like the chords =o]