Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk PDF
Preview Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk
Techno Rebels Techno Rebels TheRenegadesof ElectronicFunk SECOND EDITION REVISED AND UPDATED Dan Sicko WITH A FOREWORD BY BILL BREWSTER A PAINTED TURTLE BOOK DETROIT, MICHIGAN ©byWayneStateUniversityPress,Detroit,Michigan. Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedwithoutformalpermission. ManufacturedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica. LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData Sicko,Dan. Technorebels:therenegadesofelectronicfunk/DanSicko;withaforewordby BillBrewster.—nded. p.cm. Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex. ISBN----(pbk.:alk.paper) ISBN 978-0-8143-3712-7 (e-book) . Technomusic—Historyandcriticism. I. Title. ML.S .—dc DesignedbyIsaacTobin TypesetbyTheComposingRoomofMichigan,Inc. ComposedinMinionProandCourier Contents FOREWORD BY BILL BREWSTER vii PREFACE ix 1.WelcometotheMachine AMERICA WAKES UP TO TECHNO, 1997–2010 1 2.PartyOutofBounds THE PRE-HISTORY OF TECHNO, 1978–1983 13 3.TimetoExpress TECHNO’S FIRST ARTISTS EMERGE, 1981–1989 41 4.NationtoNation FINDING A HOME IN BRITAIN’S RAVE CULTURE, 1988–1991 65 5.OfftoBattle REDEFINING THE DETROIT UNDERGROUND, 1990–1995 83 6.AppliedTechnology THE MYTH OF TECHNO COLLIDES WITH REALITY, 1991–2001 113 7.BeyondtheDance THE FUTURE SOUND OF TECHNO, 1999–? 131 NOTES 147 INDEX 155 Foreword Historyisbunk,saidthatoldDetroitpioneer,HenryFord,andhemaywell havebeentalkingabouttechnoratherthanmotorcars.Sincetechnoleft Michiganandheadedouteastithasbeenwidelymisunderstoodwhilecrit- icshavemerrilyderacinateditsoriginstothepointwhereplentyproba- blystillbelieveitbeganinHollandwhenTiësto’smumgavebirthtoacute- as-a-buttontrancesuperstar. Most of Detroit’s musical past is well documented, from John Lee Hooker’surbanbluestothemodernjazzofElvinJonesandMiltJackson; thegospelofArethaandtheClarkSisters,thehardrockofMC,BobSeger and Ted Nugent and Tamla Motown’s conveyor belt of soul stars. But techno?Well,ofcourseweknowitreallycomesfromDetroitandthatits pioneerswereDerrickMay,JuanAtkins,andKevinSaunderson.Beyond thatisahinterlandofconjectureandsupposition. Devoid of any bands, swimming pool–based antics, and, crucially, lyrics,dancemusichasoftenbeenillservedbyitswriters,whoeitherseem keentoregurgitateculturaltheorymaster’sthesesasplaintruthorgetbasic factswrong(theParadiseGarageinNewJersey,anyone?).Andrarelyhas agenreofmusicbeensomisinterpretedastechno. Occasionally,though,abookcomesalongthatnotonlyenlightensand vii entertainsbutalsomakesyouchangethewayyouthinkaboutitssubject. DanSicko’sTechnoRebels,firstpublishedin,wrestedtechno’shistory fromitsEuropeanpillagersandhandedthehistorybacktoitsrightful owner:Detroit,theMotorCity. Notonlythat,buthepresentedapowerfulargumentthatDetroitwas nomereminoradjuncttoitsmorevocalMidwestcounterpart,Chicago, butassertedDetroit’sroleasthehomeandincubatoroftechno.ADetroit insider,SickodetailedtheprimaryinfluenceofDJsandproducerslikethe ElectrifyingMojo,KenCollier,TheWizard,andRichardDavisandtook usintoaworldofhighschoolparties,electronicbleepery,andquestion- ableItalianfashionsthatwasaworldapartfromanythinghappeningin NewYorkorLosAngeles.(Foraglimpseofthisera,gotoYouTubeand typein“Sharevari”and“TheScene,”thelocalTVdanceshow.) Ofcourse,whiletechno’srootsarefirmlyinDetroit,ithadtotravelelse- wheretomaketheimpactitsinnovationsurelydeserved.ItwasintheUK andEuropewheretechnocrossedintopopcharts,madestars(however temporarily)ofKevinSaunderson,DerrickMay,andJuanAtkins,and sowedtheseedsforafreshrevolutionthatcoincidedwithBerlin’swalls crumblingintodust. IfEuropeiswheretechno’simpactwasmostgreatlyfelt,it’salsoarguable thatitisalsowhereitssoulwaslost.Sicko’sbookfollowstechno’strailas ithitsBritainandGermanybeforeendingbackintheUnitedStates,where itwasbrieflysoldtothepublicaspartitsill-conceived“electronica”boom (adarkperiodwhenDetroit’svisceratingrhythmsweresomehowlumped inwithDirtyVegas’sdance-popandtheProdigy’selectro-pantomime).In thisneweditionofhisclassic,SickodelvesdeeperintoDetroit’srole inthedevelopmentoftechnoandaskscrucialquestionssuchashowThe WizardbecameJeffMillsandwhattheblazeswereMagazinesinging aboutonDonQuichotte. Sickoisneverafraidtothrowinculturaltheorywhereit’srelevant,but TechnoRebelsis,first,abookgroundedinhardfacts,commonsense,and arealstoryteller’seyeforthetruth.Inamarketsaturatedwithill-informed cash-insandoverwroughtacademictheories,TechnoRebelsisaclassicof itskind. BillBrewster,www.djhistory.com viii · FOREWORD Preface I HAD BEEN AWAY FROM ICELAND FOR OVER A YEAR AND WHEN I RETURNED FOR NEW YEAR I STAYED ON TOP OF A MOUNTAIN. I WENT FOR A WALK ON MY OWN AND I SAW THE ICE WAS THAWING IN THE LAVA FIELDS. ALL I COULD HEAR WAS THE CACKLE OF THE ICE, ECHOING OVER HUNDREDS OF SQUARE MILES. IT WAS PITCH BLACK, THE NORTHERN LIGHTS WERE SWIRLING AROUND AND JUST BELOW THEM WAS A LAYER OF THICK CLOUD. I COULD SEE THE LIGHTS FROM ALL THE TOWNS OF MY CHILDHOOD MIRRORED IN THE REFLECTION OF THESE CLOUDS, WITH THE LAVA FIELDS CACKLING BELOW. IT WAS REALLY TECHNO. BJÖRK GUDMUNDSDÓTTIR It’sbeentenyears,andI’vestillgotamajorcrushonBjörk.Well,atleast herunwaveringchampioningofelectronicmusicandhercasualuseof “techno”asanadjective.Granted,usingthewordtodescribegeological eventsinIcelandisalongwayawayfromassigningittoatypeofmusicor theculturethatgoeswithit. I’mfarlesssureoftheusefulnessofgenresthesedays,butthequestion “Whatistechno?”isstilloneworthanswering.TechnoRebelswillalways be an attempt to provide definition, but maybe not in the way you or Wikipediamightexpect.Ican’tapologizefortetheringtechnotoDetroit, acitythatinretrospectseemslesslikelytospawnsuchamovementwith eachpassingday.Thepost-industrialentropyisnearlypalpablehere,while ix
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