The Birth of Rave and Techno‍

Techno: A Brief History

The genre of techno was born in Detroit in the late ‘80s when a group of producers, including Juan Atkins, began experimenting with synthesizers and machines to create a new sound. Before the 1990s, techno was largely an underground genre, played in nightclubs and at raves. The genre’s true breakthrough moment came when two British producers, Paul Oakenfold and Danny Rampling, traveled to Detroit and mixed techno with a decidedly British sound: acid house. The resulting sound – acid techno – was a success in the UK, Australia, and Japan.

Rave Culture

Rave culture is often mistakenly associated with the New York club scene of the 1980s, but it really took off in the UK in the 1990s. As with techno, it was largely a reaction to the more commercial sounds of house and acid house. The rave scene had its roots in the house music scene in the 1980s, when DJs like Colin “The Fly” Frank and Justin “The Sultan” Berkmann spun records at small parties in London. The rave scene grew out of the “Second Summer of Love” when the popularity of rave culture grew in the UK, as well as other parts of Europe and Australia. This was a time when many people were taking Ecstasy for the first time, often in large groups, and dancing all night in large venues. Raves were often held in warehouses or fields, with DJs playing loud, fast-paced electronic music and attendees dancing for hours. Rave culture continues to this day in parts of the world, but it is much more commercialized and regulated than it was in the 1990s.

The Birth of rave

Rave culture was born in the UK in the late 1980s when a few DJ crews decided to host their own parties. One of the most famous of these crews was the Orbital brothers, who chose the name “rave” after visiting an acid house party called “The Wild, Wild Wharf”. Raves were not mainstream events but they attracted a certain number of people who, for a variety of reasons, didn’t fit into mainstream society. This included members of the gay community, as well as people on the fringes of the drug world. As the rave scene developed, it was often associated with Ecstasy and, increasingly, with house music. But as the rave scene grew, it became less associated with any specific genre of music.

UK Ravers Respond to Techno

As rave culture and house music grew in popularity, promoters in the UK began booking house DJs to spin at their parties. Across the globe, though, a different musical trend was taking place: Europeans were discovering techno. Clubs in Berlin began playing the music and it became hugely popular in the city’s nightclubs. As rave culture grew in the UK, though, some DJs and ravers began to push back against “techno” as a genre. They thought it sounded too clinical and removed from the vibe of house music. Raves began to favor a more melodic sound. This was partly a response to the rise of techno and a reaction to the popularity of harder, faster acid house.

The Birth of Rave-and-Techno Coined “Trance”

As rave culture and house music continued to grow, many DJs and producers began experimenting with a new sound, combining the two genres. The result was a slower, more melodic form of music, often referred to as “trance”. Rave-and-techno was played in clubs across Europe and the US, but it didn’t enter the mainstream until the early ‘90s. At this time, British DJ Paul Oakenfold traveled to America and played a mix of house and techno at a New York club. The mix was a success and the term “trance” was first used to describe it.

Conclusion

The 1990s saw the rise of electronic music as a mainstream movement. In the UK, this was largely thanks to an emerging rave scene and the emergence of a new genre, techno. Both of these musical phenomena have origins that can be traced back to the 1980s but it wasn’t until 1990 that raves and techno went from being niche interests to movements with widespread appeal and staying power. With their fast beats and heavy bass, both genres were perfectly suited to the high-energy atmosphere of raves, which themselves emerged from house parties and warehouse events. Today, many people associate rave culture with drugs, hedonism, and even tragedy, but in its heyday, it was simply a new way for young people to enjoy music while also getting together outside of school or home.