Techno/House Bobbins of the past

Hello - I'm interested in delving more into non-rave, non-electro early-techno stuff. I know the names - Kevin Saunderson, James Stinson, Jeff Mills, Drexciya etc - but not the releases. Basically I want to know more about the stuff Azari & III, Soul Clap and Art Department are getting their ideas from. Also, the kind of sound that informed The Other People Place album.

I've got a bunch of things - couple of compilations including Flux Tracks, Warp Classics, Soul Jazz' Acid. But what else should I get?

I don't know what most of those new references are, but you can look for the original compilations. Techno: The New Dance Sound of Detroit and Techno 2, as well as the Transmat comp, Relics. Warp Classics but also Warp Influences, different volumes.

discogs + youtube

I'm hearing MK (Marc Kinchen)'s name as an influence recently. Well, not hearing it so much as newer artists bigging him up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZHn9MggePU

Can't get enough of that track...

Thats recent though, right? Last couple of years?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_v3AT_Jbws

new collection of unreleased virgo four stuff on rush hour is kinda mindblowing, though i'm not sure i want to throw down for the 5 lp box set with twice as many tracks as the cd version - http://www.rushhour.nl/virgofour/

I bought the iTunes version. It all SOUNDS great but maybe a bit too demo-ish. A bit boring at times. Some tracks using similar or same sounds as the released stuff. Sometimes the stripped down/demo quality is good, and some of the stuff w/ minimal vocals is cool, but definitely not something I want to pay a million dollars for to get that gorgeous vinyl box. Not yet at least!

'Thats recent though, right? Last couple of years?'

Feels like a life time ago tbh... depends how on techno you are I guess. Its only getting older at any rate.

I've not seen many other people playing it for years so I guess its old.

Mark Kinchin appears on Techno Two with Mirror, Mirror, not my favorite track on that comp. Of course it's competing with Psyche - Elements, Octave One - I Believe, Reel by Real - Aftermath, for starters.

Area 10 - Love Takes Me Over

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSo_uUHNJ2E

Reel by Real - Aftermath

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYn59vamHkc

from the comments...

this was re-recorded at metroplex as my first release. the original was recorded in 1989 at kech's(strand313) grandfather's house on detroit's eastside. nothin' but a moded roland 303, mt32 module, 909 and lousy sequencer. wish i had the mixdown from the cassette tape!!!

Marc Kinchen was an amazing remixer before he decided to shift into hip-hop/R&B at the end of the 1990s. He went from being a "buy-on-sight" name to not having his name anywhere. Wiki says he does in-house production for Will Smith now. Youtube everything with MK Dub, MK Mix, or Marc Kinchen in the title.

BUT he doesn't really have much to do with what Dog Latin is asking about. My recommendation to you, DL, is to imbibe whatever makes music sound the best to you, listen to the video below, and then keep youtubing. You won't go wrong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGDOyKPjK1s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XthPNPDu0rM

Here's a Drexciya song that I repeated on youtube a few dozen times when I first heard it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOBjmFGaNHA

And if we're dropping Mike Delgado tracks, here's my favorite. That guitar! I cannot stay still!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aThW44GXsOM

Wiki says MK is working with Willow Smith! Just imagine what he could do if he had a gram of his old spark...

Dog the three contemporary artists you mention are all much more house than techno so it's hard to say what sound you're looking for? Like I'd be recommending Steve hurley and early Larry heard rather than Detroit techno...

Thanks. I guess I'm interested in both techno and house (from what I understand, the further you go back, the more those styles become pretty much the same thing, save geographical differences). Coincidentally, there's a Guardian article out today about early Chicago house http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/mar/03/chicago-house-music-uk-audience

(from what I understand, the further you go back, the more those styles become pretty much the same thing, save geographical differences)

Only if you're assuming that today techno = 150 bpm blitzkriegs and house = kylie, They were still pretty distinct circa, oh, 1987.

chez & trent

Tim, I'm not really assuming that. I'd previously read (probably on ILX from someone I assumed knew what he was talking about) that the only real difference between the earliest house and techno were where they came out of (Chicago/Detroit). But there must have still been some differences even then. Anyway, I'm out of my depth so I'll take your word for it.

Never could get into early techno/house before. I always had that Warp Classics comp and used to find that stuff more 'LOL primitive' than truly enjoyable (even though I used to love Tricky Disco and LFO when I was about 10). I'm feeling this now though. Nothing is tingling my ears more than a well placed 808 snare break. I've managed to get hold of the Warp Influences now, so that should tide me over for a bit. Thanks for all the suggestions people.

Azari & III - Hungry For The Power (and suggest me some similar stuff) is not a bad thread for recommending older stuff in the vein of Azari & III, as far as I can remember.

ah, hadn't seen that thread. thanks!

This is so good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXje0oP6SCY&feature=related

any excuse to bring out mike banks in a house style

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brTZ4a1reBY

I know I've taken part in this discussion/argument a bunch, but I'm not sure how distinct house and techno really were in the mid/early-late 80s. I mean, listen to Washing Machine and Wargames then listen to Good Life and let someone guess which is chicago house and which is detroit techno. Or compare Jamie Principal to Blake Baxter.

He doesn't really know what he's looking for... is this it? Best Chez N Trent collabo by far, in my opinion:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5fGS2K59wA

And I think that we can easily sort songs into house and techno most of the time, but it doesn't correlate neatly to geography.

Btw, that Chez N Trent song is what the guardian article is referring to when it quotes "you said you'd never ever do this to me again." It's from 1994, so I think it's pretty poor evidence for the argument that paragraph makes, but whatever. One of my favorite house songs EVER.

And I think that we can easily sort songs into house and techno most of the time, but it doesn't correlate neatly to geography.

I don't agree. While the early detroit techno stuff was often called house or detroit house, whether it sounded house or not, I've never heard anyone refer to Lil Louis or Fingers Inc as "techno". Or are there sonic signifiers that separate Acid House from Techno, beyond the ubiquitous 303 squelch.

Okay! I don't want to get into it. But Dog Latin should listen to these, too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW4vi8dHuYQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zRM3gdiJ9E

Another good Lil Louis "Is it techno? Is it house? blearghghg" cut:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuqwXBWQglA

That 12" is maybe one of the best 12" releases of all time. It's just so awesome in so many different ways.

I have a trick with it: mix "why'd u fall" over "the story continues". You need to copies or some sort of digital setup. Totally worth the effort! Cut between the two and people will go NUTS.

*2 copies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOzFqr8C9tc

love this...any more stuff like this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RspPQzZZKBk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyICc0RXTdE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX8pA8oE72U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuS4rhSh6Q0

Love Stasis.

And B12 for that matter.

B12's AI LP Electro Summer is an all time favorite. One of the few techno LPs I listen to regularly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zW0buIM2ZdE

jungle wonz sample? sample of sample perhaps

I love Statis too. I've been listening to some old UK house stuff recently.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI61TeaoaFI

How's the rest of the stuff on that comp?

There is some good stuff on there. The Charles Webster tracks are on point, he's got such an outstanding back catalogue. Both the Trevor Loveys ones are good and Omid 16B's Secrets, which I totally love is the last track. I pick a lot of this stuff up for £1 or so in second hand stores in London. Some good CDs and Vinyl are still to be had, pretty cheap.

really nice, thanks

on a uk house tip I've been listening to a fair bit of Azuli lately. loads of releases so it's very hit and miss but when it's good it's very good

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJiFIx1F1nw