Dub techno
Dub techno | |
---|---|
Stylistic origins | |
Cultural origins | Early 1990s; possibly Berlin, Germany |
Other topics | |
Dub techno is a subgenre of
Characteristics and history
In the early 1990s, producers Moritz Von Oswald and Mark Ernestus formed Basic Channel, a duo credited for defining dub techno.[1][2] In addition to making the presence of minimalism commonplace in the techno scene, they also incorporated delay effects that were recurrent in dub music.[3] They then formed the label Chain Reaction; while still releasing the same type of dub-infused techno that Basic Channel created, such as the track "Cyan I" by Monolake, the label also distributed techno without dub elements, such as Continuous Mode's "Direct Out / Direct Drive".[3] Regardless, what Thump writer Josh Baines described as a "thawing of ice as a sonic aesthetic" that was present in Basic Channel's works before Chain Reaction still remained in all recordings issued under the label.[3]
Another label,
The "
Analysis
Baines compared dub techno to ambient music, in that music of both genres acts as "background music" on purpose; it never tries to adventure into new and unique territory, because its only purpose is to be "placid, unquestioning" and "deeply soothing."[3] He analyzed that the best tracks in the dub techno style do what little it does amazingly, in that "every element in the mix is given breathing space and, accordingly, takes on a sense of the organic."[3]
References
- ^ "The Strange and Frightening World of... Basic Channel". The Quietus. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
- ^ "The History of Dub Techno in 17 Minutes". YouTube. Dub Monitor. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Baines, Josh (October 15, 2015). "A Bullshitter's Guide to Dub Techno". THUMP. Vice Media. Retrieved 21 October 2016.