I'd like to hear from my folks from the city of Detroit (or surrounding areas -- natives now in other areas can weigh in, too)...

What is your take on the state of Techno music today? Is it still worthwhile? Has it died out? Does it live on in the hearts of Detroiters? Do they respect it for what it is?

I ask that because I was creating a radio documentary last year and I was collaborating with some folks that were working on a piece with the legendary radio jock The Electrifying MOJO. He's a very mysterious guy and WELL known among Detroiters.

Do the kids under 25 even remember who he is you think? Is he revered?

I talked to another girl who was a native of Detroit and she said that "Techno is some suburban s**t." Basically the black people and the folks in the city don't spin it or care for it. It some trippy, weird s**t that the suburban white kids are doing out in Oakland County and other areas.

I did hear a lot of Ghetto-Tech (or "Detroit booty music") on the radio dial while I was living in Ann Arbor on the weekend DJ sets. Stuff like DJ Assault, those types of records with repetitive sayings like "Hair or weave/ Hair or weave," "Get yer own check stub," etc.

Eminem, another Michigan (don't know if I can say Detroit) native, famously slammed techno music in his MTV hit "Without Me" when he said, "...it's over, nobody listens to Techno." I found that odd considering he's so for the city of Detroit and has much pride in it. I thought the folks of the D would be more proud of their indigenous music (just like Motown).

Techno, is wildly influential overseas, ESPECIALLY in Europe. People go nuts over folks like Juan Atkins, Cybotron and all of the Techno acts on the underground. But I wonder if the folks in Detroit give a d*mn?

Ok, here is my take on Techno: I don't care. I don't know anyone who listens to it.....Well, ok, none of my black friends listen to it, but some of my white friends do. I know the big techno music thing was downtown a few months ago, but you had to pay, so I didn't go

Also, they still have the "ghetto booty music" on WJLB, but I try not to listen to that station too often. I do, however, have very fond memories of "Beat that bitch with a bat!", "Uh-Oh", and so many other "friday night, Belle Isle " songs.

As far as Mojo, I am under 25 and I am very aware of his impact on our community. I loved listening to his battles as he jumped from station to station over the years. I don't know where he is now, but radio lacks something without him, IMO.

Smooches;)
[Edited 7/18/05 17:07pm]

The Detroit Electronic Music Festival or "Movement" is alive and well. Locals and electronic music fans from all around are obsessed over it and it always does quite well. It seems the term 'techno' is irrelevant, and that electronica covers all the bases. But there seems to be a lot of pride and still great enthusiasm about the genre in Southeast Michigan.

MsMisha319 said:

For sure. I miss Lisa Lisa too. Anyone know where she's at?

TRON said:

Now, this is the shit. I really like the Detroit Electronic Music Festival. That's really the bomb.

MsMisha319 said:

Yours seems to be the general consensus amongst a lot of native Detroiters. A girl said the same thing, I think she lived on the East Side of Detroit.

From what I gather, "ghetto booty music" is dubbed "Ghetto-Tech" by musicologist-types and DJs (kind of like the term "Bass Music" or "Quad" in the South). The folks who dance it in the streets and in the clubs just simply call it "booty music." They don't attach the techno label to it or even distinguish it as any sort of genre -- and don't seem to care either.
In comparison, Detroit booty is very much like Chicago ghetto house like DJ Chip and all those repetitive house party records out there.

That's interesting that people had to pay to get into the festival. Maybe more people would show up and appreciate it in the city if it were free and sponsored by the city. The Detroit Jazz Festival is free, I believe.

MsLegs said:

Maybe the term "Techno" is outdated to a lot of people. I know a lot of ignorant people confuse House and Techno like they're synonymous.

I was in S.E. Michigan for four years and never once went to the DEMF.

Well... the event happens in May, and school always let out in April -- so it was a time conflict more than anything.

This is a intersting topic. Its ironic how techno was born in Detroit but is much more appreciated in Europe and other parts of the world. When techno took off (around the same time that hip hop took off) in the early 80s, the mainstream scene in Detroit was centered on other kindz of music like funk and r&b. Early Detroit Techno artists were creating masterpieces that only a select few djs like Mojo would support. There werent alot of clubs during the time that were strictly techno so alot of these Detroit techno artists found themselves in Europe where New Wave and electronic music had found a home. The audience embraced these Detroit artists and they are still heroes today.

Somehow, what the Detroit artists were doing bounced over to Chicago and became "house" music by the mid 80s. Its really strange that although Detroiters are familiar with techno, the Detroit black community as a whole hasnt really adopted it as their music. Its kinda like rock music in teh black urban communities in America. Even though blacks in America created the music, throughout history it hasnt been as embraced as r&b, jazz, and hip hop have.

In recent years Detroiters have become a little more aquainted with techno but its largely something that suburban white Detroiters support. I appreciate techno music a great deal because it is apart of my heritage and it is still one of the greatest truely underground artforms left in music.

TRON said:

Lisa Lisa deejayed a party for me when I was 16. I was really mad when WDRQ changed formats. Shes gotta come back. She is a Detroit radio icon.

JANFAN4L said:

Hey JanFan, have u ever heard of DJ Assualt? He is probably on of the best GhettoTech djs.

how come Joey Beltram isnt listed

dreamfactory313 said:

THANK YOU, dream, for the *detailed* response.

I went to a townhall meeting last year comprised of artists from all over the city. There was one guy in particular who was very passionate about Techno (his name escapes me). But he also echoed your sentiments about folks in Detroit (especially black people) not giving a d*mn about the music they created. That's why it's so easy for people to ignorantly assume that black people didn't create or cultivate the music. I find it so dumb when people think dance and electronic/a music is for "white kids." Who the h*ll put it out there in the first place --> Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson and Derrick May. House (Chicago)? Techno (Detroit)? Hello?

Techno and hip hop came of age simultaneously. They both drew inspiration from Kraftwerk, Parliament and other artists and infused these sounds into their material. Electro (or "computer funk"), I feel was the vehicle of perfect synergy between the blossoming techno and hip hop sounds. Both communities coalesced through this genre and merged as one, for just a brief moment. That ceased once hip hop got minimalist in the mid-80s and went into the "boom bap" sound. Electro was fully absorbed by hip hop by 1987. Techno, however, later flourished into other sounds and became even more electronic and stark as it marched into the '90s.

The unawareness level amongst inner city Detroiters disturbs me more than anything. Mostly because in the early '90s, the sound of Detroit Techno never formented to the mainstream and hip hop fully usurped Black American music. Techno, however, went on to become a FULL FLEDGED phenomenon in Europe (esp. the UK) in the '90s with drum n bass, jungle, bungle, ambient, trance, electronica, trip-hop and countless other subgenres -- all planted by the seeds of Detroit Techno. While '80s techno was created primarily by African-Americans, '90s techno (and every subsequent genre since then have been dominated by white Europeans).

To the city of Detroit: you should never forget Techno. It is a wildly influential, limitless, beautiful artform. You should be proud of its legacy and what it represents. It's a sound that was carved out of the post-industrial landscape of urban Detroit. Even if you don't like it, at least recognize it as something you created it before it's no longer yours like so many other things. And, sadly, I think it may've already escaped us just like rock music.

TheRealFiness said:

Tell us more*!

dreamfactory313 said:

Yep. He's mentioned in my initial posting.

JANFAN4L said:

Sure is, whatdoyaknow?

JANFAN4L said:

BTW, I'm from the Dirty South. Now with that out of the way.....

I love the old-school techno from Juan Atkins & Kevin Sanderson (of Inner City).

But I really don't care for most of the later techno (especialy from Richie Hawkins and/or Paul Oakenfold). It's just not funky to me at all.

If anyone wants to try to save Detroit Techno, you can start by doing two things:

1. Changes the drum beat patterns more often (even if you stay over the 132 BPM mark).

2. Put a funkyass bassline in there

JANFAN4L said:

You nailed it with this post. Im 26 years old now and when I was growing up kids in my neighborhood were into hip hop. By this time, Detroit Techno was growing by leaps and bounds in Europe because Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson and Derrick May couldnt find the same kind of audience here at home. Its weird. Its like the forefathers of Techno were this outcast sub culture that Detroiters didnt know what to do with at the time. Its weird the way it happened like that. Its as though older people didnt appreciate it because they were into Motown, jazz or blues and the younger people didnt gravitate to it in large numbers because it wasnt hip hop. It just seemed to wander around the globe until someone welcomed it.

Techno is like a a child that Detroit gave up for adoption but only has visitation rights once a year on Memorial Day Weekend.

But I must say that there are more clubs that are exclusively electronic music related bringing in djs from all over the city and the world than there were 5 years ago. I guess the DEMF/Movement Festivals and Fusion are to thank for that. I think its gotten a bit more diverse than it has been as well.

Detroit's music heritage is so dense that somethings are gonna be overlooked sometimes. We just have to keep reminding ourselves of what we've got.

TonyVanDam said:

Oh, ya. I love old school Techno, too.

Techno lost its soul when it went to Europe and out of the hands of Detroiters.

Black European musicians and DJs tried to inject some soul back into it with the "Jungle" movement of the mid-90s (Goldie, et al) but that still was very cult-ish and didn't affect the mainstream sound. It lost its soul in the '90s when black Americans (or people, in general) didn't put their energy into it anymore.

I remember a panelist said that Europeans STILL crave real Detroit Techno, when they hear it in electronic sets they are amazed at how much funk and soul it has compared to their sounds (or "imitations," depending on who you ask).

JANFAN4L said:

When inner city Detroiters think of techno, most think of suburban kids with pink hair and glow stix. That aint cool to people who are rockin Timbs and beaters, so they dont initailly respect the artform. But once they know the roots of the music, they tend to see it in a different way. Eminem is reppin' hip hop, so hes going to play hip hop up and trash other stuff. Hes made a pretty good living out of that shtick.

dreamfactory313 said:

NOT ONLY DO WE THINK OF TECHNO AS A PINK HAIR & GLOW STICKS, IT'S THE RAVE PARTIES AND BARRELS FILLED WITH ECSTASY TO KILL OF A SMALL CITY WHICH IS THE DOWNFALL OF TECHNO, BUT LUV THE BOOTY-BOUNCE MUSIC. AS SOMEONE STATED EARLIER THEY NEED TO PUT SOME BASS INTO IT BECAUSE IT NEEDS A LIFELINE THROWN TO IT.

Europeans are still locked in but I think a lot of people have tuned out.

Personally, unless there's a band with a drummer I don't want to hear somebody spinning records unless I'm at a party where it's just background music.

Thanks everyone for your contributions.

In the end, guess it was squandered by lack of commitment.

dreamfactory313 said:

OMG, tell me more!

TRON said:

It was a fundraiser for my school. I was co-class president and another student got the hookup for us. It was the top grossing dance in school history. About 1500 kids showed up. She was really cool, signed some autographs and had a big crew with her. She spinned alot of booty and remixed hip hop stuff. She is a really good hypeman too. She knows how to rock a party. Im just so mad that she isnt at DRQ anymore. She needs to get back to radio real soon. I miss the Party Princess!

Try this website for peeps that want to know more about the Detroit Techno scene.

http://www.detroittechnomilitia.com





@ the Detroit Electronic Music Festival. Memorial Day Weekend

dreamfactory313 said:

That is a really cool story, dreamfactory.

Here is a poster that I found online for a DJ Assault performance in Krakow Poland.

dreamfactory313 said:

Don't get mad when I don't wanna f**k
You need
soap & water
soap & water
soap & water
soap & water
::bouncin'::
water
water
water
water
water
water
water
water
water
water
water
water