Thursday 29 April 2010

Slow Techno : Slum Village - Raise It Up vs. Thomas Bangalter - Extra Dry

So here we have a hip-hop track from Slum Village entitled 'Raise It Up.' We are featuring this as it is a great example of techno being used creatively, differently and 'slowly.' Genius piece of production and a great idea that works superbly - fantastic innovative music with brilliant cross over appeal. One for the deep slow techno heads who appreciate poduction and sampling.





Here is the original track 'Extra Dry' by the talented Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk released on Roule. A cracking piece of techno aimed straight at the heart of the floor!



Monday 26 April 2010

Slow Techno : Floating Points - People's Potential

Floating Points Slow Techno
Fresh tune from Samual Shepherd on Eglo. This Floating Points piece can easily fit into deep house or slow techno sets. 'People's Potential' is certainly a track that has a Herbie Hancock vibe running through it. Mighty infectious dancefloor cut that has found favour with Benji B.




Check Floating Points out at:
http://www.floatingpoints.co.uk

'People's Potential' is out now in all good record stores.

Friday 23 April 2010

What Is The Difference Between Slow Techno And Tech House?

Thank you to Jose-Andreas for the following email that we just received:

'Hey there Slow Techno.com,

I likes your Aardvarck and Youngsters postings on your website.

I not know much about Slow Techno but is it not just Tech House? I always told that Tech House is just slowed down Techno. Is this wrong, no?'

This is a valid question and we are pleased that you have raised it. Both styles are sub-genres of Techno and therefore will contain similar elements. It is also likely that both styles are slower than current and traditional Techno. Where they may differ is in the feel, groove and soundscapes used. Tech House may have more of a house groove to it with some softer pads (e.g - Circulation). It is also likely to stick to quite a tight bpm range. In conrast, Slow Techno may keep more traditional techno sounds, fluctuate in bpm range and not have a house groove. However, as with many styles, there are bound to be cross over tracks that blur the boundaries. When these crop up we will feature them here (and debate them too).

Slow Techno : Dave Clarke With Chicks On Speed - Disgraceland

Dave Clarke Slow Techno
The moody king of techno has been instrumental to the scene for many years. A master of electro and techno on the decks but also a fantastic producer who will eternally be remembered for the seminal 'Red' series.

Back in 2003, Dave released his 'Devil's Advocate' album on his home town label - Skint.
The slow techno track 'Disgraceland' was an interesting collaboration with Chicks On Speed that competently displayed the diverse concepts and production talents of this fine UK techno artist. A departure from his more familiar pounding techno and electro workouts, this release saw a slower vocal track with a punk spirit running through it. The groove filters and loops as the Sped Up Chicks tell you what is what. (Some language may offend in this video.)





Check out the snazzy Dave Clarke website here (where you can also find links to buy his releases):
http://www.daveclarke.com/Site2010/

Thursday 22 April 2010

Slow Techno : The Youngsters - Slow

Youngsters Slow TechnoToday we have a suggested track courtesy of Freethos who can be found at: http://www.myspace.com/freethosmusic

A big thank you to Freethos for recommending this little slow techno gem.

Olivier Mateu and Gilles Escoffier are the techno act known as The Youngsters. Best known for the anthems of 'Smile' and 'Illogique' on Laurent Garnier's F-Comm label. Their music travelled far and wide impressing DJ's such as Sasha.

The aptly titled 'Slow' is the opening track from The Youngsters' debut album 'Lemonorange' that was released in 2001. This is techno with a slight twist. One for the rhythm heads with the bouncy beats and pounding kick. As the track progresses, pads emerge to guide you whilst the sweet melodic synth line infects your brain.



Get this track and other Youngsters releases from:
http://www.fcomshop.com/uk.php

Check out their MySpace here:
http://www.myspace.com/therealyoungsters

Monday 19 April 2010

Slow Techno : Aardvarck - Cult Copy 1

Aardvarck Slow Techno To kick off the site we are going for this little gem courtesy of Aardvarck a.k.a Mike Kivits - a diverse and talented producer with releases in the genres of techno, hip hop, new wave and more across a range of labels including Delsin, Rush Hour and Kindred Spirits. You may also know him as part of Rednose Distrikt. This track is taken from his album 'Cult Copy' on Rush Hour from 2005 that features tracks across a range of styles including melodic electro, space age sci-fi soundtracks and peak time dancefloor techno.

'Cult Copy 1' is a deceptively slow piece of rhythmic dancefloor techno. The four-four kick drum leads the groove but the overlaid percussion drives the track on excellently. It is an energetic workout from start to finish as the pulsing synths, tribal groove and analogue warmth raid through the track to meet the sweeping pads later on. This slow techno release is reminiscent of the classic Paperclip People works of Carl Craig from the early 90's.



Get this track and other Aardvarck releases at:
http://rushhour.nl/store_master.php?search=aardvarck&idxGroup=&SearchMode

Check out his MySpace here:
http://www.myspace.com/aardvarck


Slow Techno On Twitter

Twitter Slow Techno

Twitter will be another place where you can find us for all the latest goings on in the world of Slow Techno. Check us out at: http://twitter.com/slow_techno

We Now Have A YouTube Channel For Slow Techno

YouTube Slow Techno
SlowTechno.com is proud to announce the launch of our very own YouTube channel which can be found at: http://www.youtube.com/slowtechnodotcom

The channel will be dedicated to showcasing Slow Techno tracks.

All tracks on the channel will be uploads that do not appear on YouTube already.

Sign up to the channel now for the best in slow techno.

Tuesday 13 April 2010

What Is Slow Techno?

What is slow techno?Yet another new fangled music style or actually something of note?

Sub genres emerge constantly in the world of electronic music. By definition, techno is a futuristic style that is known for having a high BPM count, so how can such a contradictory 'slow' variant exist?

Pioneers of the genre from Derrick May to Richie Hawtin to Chris Liberator are renowned for their unique takes on techno and are behind many innovative tracks within the scene. From the screaming acid of Hardfloor to the dub heaviness of Rhythm & Sound to the pounding beats of D.A.V.E The Drummer - techno has always evolved through many guises. Slow Techno is causing a stir due to how it manages to capture new ideas and fuse exciting styles such as dub and ambient. You can expect to hear such tracks being played by a wide range of DJs such as Scuba, Mary Anne Hobbs, Erol Alkan, Richie Hawtin and Gilles Peterson.

A clear definition of 'slow techno' can only be arrived at by first understanding exactly what 'techno' music is. It is generally accepted that the Detroit legends Juan Atkins, Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson and Eddie Fowlkes are the 'fathers of techno.' However, it is clear that this sound is an evolution from electro and electronic works by the likes of Kraftwerk and Cabaret Voltaire. To clearly define the sound of techno, it is best summarised as:
  • Machine sounding.
  • Electronically produced.
  • Futuristically minded.
  • Contains a 4/4 rhythm.
  • Has a tempo of 128bpm upwards.
From this definition, we can clearly see that 'slow techno' will contain the majority of these elements but the tempo will be sub 128bpm. Can having such a fundamental attribute missing from the new style actually be relevant or is this a horrible abuse of this classic style?

Tempo is such a core element in defining dance music. Breakbeat music is a very good example of this. Hip-hop and downtempo are generally the slowest of the breakbeat styles, followed by big beat, dubstep and nu skool breaks in the middle range of tempos with drum & bass occupying the fastest end of the spectrum. Finding such clarity in the 4/4 styles is not so obvious. House and techno are the main categories in 4/4. House music has many offspring sub genres but the tempo ranges do not fluctuate that wildly. Hard House and techno are generally faster than any of the other four to the floor styles.

One school of thought is that slow techno is an attempt by producers to cross their productions over with the hyped and in favour dubstep sound. It is a plausible theory as monetizing music sales becomes increasingly difficult for independent and underground artists. A marketing spin can be essential in an industry flooded by thousands of download releases every week.

Other opinions seem to suggest that slow techno is much like the short lived 'dad-house' genre, in that the crowd is older and therefore highly paced, adrenalin fuelled beats are not so desirable to the more mature listener (and the producers are often a bit older too).

Neither of these ideas are conclusive or can be completely responsible. It is just as likely that some creative, innovative producers and DJs are trying to push the boundaries and are therefore experimenting in the region of tempo. We applaude any such attempts and are excited by what is clearly a new emerging sound that can open up intriguing possibilities and create fresh experiences.

Showcase / Recommend Your Slow Techno Tracks

Showcase - Slow TechnoSlowTechno.com invites all artists, producers and labels to submit your tracks for showcasing on the site.

Our aim is to bring the best in slow techno music from around the world to our readers.

We are on the hunt for the best tracks in the genre. They can be old or new, you do not have to be signed or on a label - if your tracks make the grade then we will feature you.

Be a part of the scene and get involved with the community right here.

We are also keen for slow techno fans to recommend tracks that they would like to see appearing on the site. Please share your favourites with us and the slow techno family.

Get in touch by email: