View source for Minimal techno

{{Short description|Minimalist subgenre of techno}}
{{Infobox music genre
| name              = Minimal techno
| stylistic_origins = {{hlist|[[Detroit techno]]|[[acid house]]|[[minimal music|minimalism]]}}
| cultural_origins  = Early 1990s, [[Detroit]], United States and [[Berlin]], Germany
| derivatives       =
| subgenrelist      =
| subgenres         =
| fusiongenres      = {{hlist|[[Microhouse]]|[[tech house]]|[[progressive house]]}}
| regional_scenes   =
| local_scenes      =
| other_topics      = 
}}
'''Minimal techno''' is a subgenre of [[techno]] music.<ref>Nor-tec rifa!: electronic dance music from Tijuana to the world - Page 8</ref> It is characterized by a stripped-down<ref>Wartofsky, Alona, "All the Rave", The Washington Post, August 22, 1997 Pg D01</ref> aesthetic that exploits the use of repetition and understated development. Minimal techno is thought to have been originally developed in the early 1990s by [[Detroit]]-based producers [[Robert Hood]] and [[Daniel Bell (musician)|Daniel Bell]].<ref>Mike Banks [http://www.thewire.co.uk/articles/271/ interview], The Wire, Issue #285 (November '07)</ref><ref name=Sicko>Sicko, D., ''Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk'', Billboard Books, 1999, (pp.&nbsp;199–200).</ref>

By the early 2000s the term "minimal" generally described a style of techno that was popularized in Germany by labels such as [[Kompakt]], [[Perlon]], and [[Richie Hawtin]]'s [[M-nus]], among others.

==Origins==
[[Image:Robert Hood Live @ Kennedys, Dublin, Ireland 2009.JPG|right|thumb|[[Robert Hood]] DJing in 2009]]
Minimal techno first emerged in the early 1990s. The development of the style is often attributed to a so-called "second wave" of American producers associated with [[Detroit techno]]. According to [[Derrick May (musician)|Derrick May]], "while the first-wave artists were enjoying their early global success, techno also inspired many up-and-coming DJs and bedroom producers in Detroit".<ref>May, B 2007, 'Techno', in Burnim, MV & Maultsby, PK (eds.), African American Music, New York: Routledge, (p. 340).</ref> This younger generation included producers such as [[Richie Hawtin]], [[Daniel Bell (musician)|Daniel Bell]], [[Robert Hood]], [[Jeff Mills]], [[Carl Craig]], [[Kenny Larkin]], and [[Mike Banks (musician)|Mike Banks]]. The work of several of these artists evolved to become focused on minimalism.

Robert Hood describes the situation in the early 1990s as one where techno had become too "[[rave]]y", with increasing tempos leading to the emergence of [[gabber]]. Such trends saw the demise of the [[soul music|soul]]-infused techno that typified the original Detroit sound. Robert Hood has noted that he and Daniel Bell both realized something was missing from techno in the post-rave era, and saw that an important feature of the original techno sound had been lost. Hood states that "it sounded great from a production standpoint, but there was a 'jack' element in the old structure. People would complain that there's no funk, no feeling in techno anymore, and the easy escape is to put a vocalist and some piano on top to fill the emotional gap. I thought it was time for a return to the original underground."<ref name=Sicko/>

The minimal techno sound that emerged at this time has been defined by Robert Hood as "a basic stripped down, raw sound. Just drums, basslines and funky [[Groove (music)|grooves]] and only what's essential. Only what is essential to make people move. I started to look at it as a science, the art of making people move their butts, speaking to their heart, mind and soul. It's a heart-felt rhythmic techno sound."<ref>Robert Hood [http://www.spannered.org/music/802/ interview] hosted at [http://www.spannered.org/ spannered.org]</ref> Daniel Bell has commented that he had a dislike for minimalism in the artistic sense of the word, finding it too "arty".<ref name="Sicko"/>
[[Image:Richie Hawtin @ Fabric.JPG|left|thumb|[[Richie Hawtin]] DJing at [[Fabric (club)|Fabric]]]]
In ''Audio Culture: Readings in Modern Music'' (2004), music journalist [[Philip Sherburne]] states that, like most contemporary electronic dance music, minimal techno has its roots in the landmark works of pioneers such as [[Kraftwerk]] and [[Detroit techno]]'s [[Derrick May (musician)|Derrick May]] and [[Juan Atkins]].  Minimal techno focuses on "rhythm and repetition instead of melody and [[linear progression]]", much like classical [[minimalist music]] and the [[polyrhythm]]ic [[Music of Africa|African musical tradition]] that helped to inspire it.<ref>Sherburne, P., "Digital Discipline: Minimalism in House and Techno," in''Audio Culture'', New York: Continuum,  2006, (pp.&nbsp;321–322).</ref> By 1994, according to Sherburne, the term "minimal" was in use to describe "any stripped-down, Acidic derivative of classic Detroit style".<ref>Sherburne, Philip. "Digital Discipline: Minimalism in House and Techno," in ''Audio Culture'', New York: Continuum,  2006,(p.321).</ref>

[[Los Angeles]]-based writer Daniel Chamberlin attributes the origin of minimal techno to the German producers [[Basic Channel]].<ref>Sicko, D., Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk, Billboard Books, 1999, (pp.&nbsp;174–175)</ref> Chamberlin draws parallels between the productions by Richie Hawtin, [[Wolfgang Voigt]], and [[Surgeon (musician)|Surgeon]] with [[phase music]] techniques used by American minimalist composer [[Steve Reich]]. Chamberlin also sees the use of [[Sine wave|sine tone]] [[Drone (music)|drones]] by minimalist composer [[La Monte Young]] and the repetitive patterns of "[[In C]]" by minimalist composer [[Terry Riley]] as other influences.<ref>Chamberlin, Daniel. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20150403112528/http://www.miaminewtimes.com/music/party-arty-6346689 Party Arty: Minimal techno producers live up to their avant-garde heritage and turn the party out, brainiac-style]" The Miami New Times, September 18, 2003, Music section.</ref> Sherburne has suggested that the noted similarities between minimal forms of dance music and [[minimalist music|American minimalism]] could easily be accidental. He also notes that much of the music technology used in [[electronic dance music]] was traditionally designed to suit [[Loop (music)|loop]]-based compositional methods, which may explain why certain stylistic features of minimal techno sound similar to those in works by Reich that employ loops and pattern-phasing techniques.<ref name="Ref-1">Sherburne, Philip. "Digital Discipline: Minimalism in House and Techno," in ''Audio Culture'', New York: Continuum, 2006, (p.322).</ref>

== Style ==
[[Philip Sherburne]] proposes that minimal techno uses two specific stylistic approaches: ''skeletalism'' and ''massification''.<ref name=cox>Cox C. & Warner D. ed.(2004), ''Audio Culture: Readings in Modern Music'', Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd, London.</ref> According to Sherburne, in skeletal minimal techno, only the core elements are included with embellishments used only for the sake of variation within the song. In contrast, massification is a style of minimalism in which many sounds are layered over time, but with little variation in sonic elements. Today the influence of minimal styles of house music and techno is not only to be found in [[club music]], but is becoming increasingly heard in popular music.<ref>Sherburne, Philip. "Digital Discipline: Minimalism in House and Techno," in ''Audio Culture'', New York: Continuum, 2006, (pp.&nbsp;324–325).</ref> Regardless of the style, he writes, "minimal Techno corkscrews into the very heart of repetition so cerebrally as to often inspire descriptions like 'spartan', 'clinical', 'mathematical', and 'scientific'".<ref name="Ref-1"/>

The average tempo of a minimal techno track is between 125 and 130 [[Tempo#Beats per minute|beats per minute]]. [[Richie Hawtin]] suggests 128 bpm as the perfect tempo.{{citation needed|date=May 2014}} In the early minimal techno scene, most tracks were constructed around a [[Roland TR-808]] or [[Roland TR-909]] [[drum machine]]. Both are still often used on today's minimal techno tracks. In contrast to [[Microhouse|minimal house]], minimal techno is less afrocentric and focuses more on middle frequencies rather than deep basses.
{{Clear}}

==Development==
Many projects in other locations, such as those of [[Regis (musician)|Regis]] in the UK, [[Basic Channel]] in Berlin and [[Mika Vainio]] in Finland, have also made significant contributions to minimal techno.

In recent years{{When|date=May 2025}}, the genre has been heavily influenced by the [[microhouse]] genre, to the point of merging with it. It has also fragmented into a great number of difficult to categorize subgenres, equally claimed by the minimal techno and microhouse tags.

Minimal techno has found mainstream club popularity since 2004 in such places as Romania,<ref>[https://playedby.club/thehistoryofrominimal "The History of Ro-Minimal"]</ref> Germany,<ref name="academia.edu">Nye, Sean, [https://www.academia.edu/3813069/Minimal_Understandings_The_Berlin_Decade_The_Minimal_Continuum_and_Debates_on_the_Legacy_of_German_Techno "Minimal Understandings: The Berlin Decade, The Minimal Continuum, and Debates on the Legacy of German Techno,"] Journal of Popular Music Studies 25, no. 2(2013): 154-84.</ref> Portugal, Japan, France, Belgium, South Africa, The Netherlands, Spain, Sri Lanka, Italy, Ireland and the UK, with DJs from a wide variety of genres incorporating differing elements of its tones. In 2003, minimal techno received widespread commercial attention when [[Kylie Minogue]] employed the sound on her number-one hit "[[Slow (Kylie Minogue song)|Slow]]", while in years to come the work of M.A.N.D.Y. and [[Booka Shade]] would be sampled by [[will.i.am]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Macpherson |first1=Alex |title=Space exploration |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/sep/28/electronicmusic |website=The Guardian |access-date=9 August 2021 |date=26 November 2007}}</ref>

[[Record label]]s specializing in minimal techno are [a:rpia:r], [[Traum Schallplatten]], [[BPitch Control]], [[Cocoon Recordings]], [[Kompakt]],<ref name="academia.edu"/> [[Perlon]], Clink, [[Plus 8|Plus 8]], and [[Sähkö Recordings]], among others.

The Dutch DJ duo [[Jewelz & Sparks]] is the best example of minimal techno in the EDM scene, because the duo is known for their minimalistic and robotic drops, and their experiments with the basslines and the rhythms.

==See also==
*[[Microhouse]]
*[[Electronic music]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
* [http://31337records.com 31337 Records] – a minimal label from Berlin, Germany.
* [http://stereofortwo.com Stereo For Two] – a minimal label from Antwerp, Belgium.

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{{Techno music-footer}}

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[[Category:20th-century music genres]]
[[Category:Techno genres]]
[[Category:Minimal music|Techno]]