We love Techno Music

Techno Music is an increasingly popular form of electronic dance music. It originated in Detroit, Michigan, USA in the 1980s. The original four artist regarded as being responsible for the creation of techno are Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson, Derrick May and Eddie Fowlkes. They met at Belleville High near Detroit and by the end of 1980s they had recorded and released track both individually and in collaboration.

While the scene originated in Detroit, many now regard the current home of techno as Berlin, Germany. With clubs such as Golden gate, Berghain, 103, Watergate and of course Tresor, it’s not hard to see why Berlin has become a Techno mecca.

1. Carl Cox -

Cox began his career as a hardcore and acid house DJ in the mid-1980s and made a name for himself as the "Three Deck Wizard". During 1988 he began to play on three turntables at once. He has played at clubs as The Eclipse, Edge, Shelly's, Sterns Nightclub, Heaven, Angels and The Hacienda, as well as raves for Fantazia, Dreamscape and Amnesia House. He now spearheads two record labels, Intec Records and 23rd Century Records. Carl Cox is the first person to be named number one DJ in the world on DJ Magazine's Top 100 DJ poll when he won in 1997.

2. David Clarke. -

Dave Clarke is one of the true international stars of techno. Known to his fans as The Baron, he is not only an uncompromising techno and electro DJ, but also an extremely talented remixer. Two of his most memorable remixes include Midfield General's Coatnoise, and Leftfield's Phat Planet both of which benefitted from the pounding, tense techno edge that's so distinctive to his work.

3. Paul Van Dyke -

Paul Van Dyke grew up in a divided Berlin but has progressed to making music that seems to unite people in its majesty. With the influence of Detroit techno and Chicago house streaking through Europe, Berlin naturally used these sounds as a starting point as rebuilding its club culture in the early 1990s. He played at the Tresor club and, shortly after, began producing his own work. He's also remixed artists such as New Order and Sven Vath to considerable critical acclaim.

4. Josh Wink –

Wink’s current style is a mixture of techno, acid, house, drum and bass and experimental. In interviews, he has stated that his music is "built around tension" and that his work is often influenced by "mistake theory, which is: I use a lot of things that you and I might consider mistakes....by (experimenting) with effects, with filters, with percentages in my sampler, and just doing stuff that you wouldn't ordinarily do.” One reviewer referred to Wink's Profound Sounds album series as "sensual techno, rendered as a whole composition rather than a collection of individual, flavor-of-the-month tracks." Wink is a strong supporter of new DJing technology, most specifically utilizing, demonstrating and advocating the Final Scratch application.

5. Jeff Mills -

In the 1980s, Mills was an influential radio DJ on WJLB under the pseudonym "The Wizard." Mills would often do advanced DJ tricks during his sets like beat juggling and scratching while mixing obscure Detroit Techno, Miami Bass, Chicago House and classic New Wave tracks. In going on to create his own music Jeff Mills is credited with laying the foundations for the highly influential Detroit Techno collective, Underground Resistance, alongside ‘Mad’ Mike Banks. Just like Public Enemy did some years before in hip-hop, these men confronted the mainstream music industry with revolutionary rhetoric. Dressed in uniforms with skimasks and black combat suits, they were ‘men on a mission’, aiming at giving techno more content and meaning. In1992, with fellow Detroit native Robert Hood, he set up his most important record label, Axis, aiming for a simpler more minimal sound than most of the techno being produced in those years. His albums and EPs are mostly separate tracks of his compositions, which Mills would mix into the live DJ sets for which he became a legend.

This list only mentions five DJs but there are many talented techno producers out there. To learn more and see who is playing in your area, visit www.womapp.com and share your experiences.