Techno Records

Techno music is often incorrectly used to describe all types of electronic music, from house to trance to jungle. Even the initiated sometimes confuse techno with trance (which is one of its offshoot styles). In reality, techno is its very own form of electronic music with its own characteristic style--and its own history.

Origins of Techno Music

Techno was essentially developed by avante garde musicians who were intrigued (like many 20th century artists) by the synthesis of man and machine. The name itself pays homage to this idea, borrowing from the title of what is widely considered the first techno track: "Techno City" by Cybotron. Cybotron, like most of the early techno pioneers, was based near Detroit.

Cybotron was basically a partnership between two Washtenaw (Michigan) Community College students: Juan Atkins and Vietnam veteran Richard Davies (who referred to himself simply as "3070"). Using a Roland MSK-100 sequencer, they created haunting electronic tunes that were also filled with hope. Their tracks often featured vocals, unlike most techno music that came after them.

The earliest techno music was heavily influenced by European synth-pop artists like Kraftwerk, and after the movement grew in the States it quickly made its way back overseas. Throughout the '80s and '90s, artists in both the United States and Europe continued to push the envelope of techno music, transforming it into the wide variety of styles and sounds that exist today. Among the styles influenced by techno music are trance, house and most other kinds of electronic dance music.