Proto-Techno
Roots · 1977 · 100 to 130 BPM · also known as Proto Techno, Electronic Body Pop
Proto techno is Kraftwerk, in Dusseldorf between 1974 and 1981: the man machine, the robotic melody, the electronic beat embraced as a total aesthetic. Trans Europe Express would cross the Atlantic to help spawn Bronx electro and Detroit techno, both of which unanimously recognize it as point zero. Moroder, working from Munich at the same time, supplied the other half of the genetic code: the looped, sequenced bassline. Together these two strands, one German and conceptual, the other Italian by way of Munich and disco, gave the coming decades of electronic dance music both its machine rhythm and its rolling low end.
12 reference tracks
- Kraftwerk: Autobahn (1974)
- Kraftwerk: Trans-Europe Express (1977)
- Giorgio Moroder: The Chase (1978)
- Yellow Magic Orchestra: Computer Game (1978)
- Telex: Moskow Diskow (1979)
- Cybotron: Parallel Shift (2024)
- Yellow Magic Orchestra: Mad Pierrot
- Cybotron: R-9
- Throbbing Gristle: Hot on Heels of Love
- Kraftwerk: Techno Pop (1983 version)
- Cabaret Voltaire: Expect Nothing [Live At The YMCA]
- Yazoo: Don't Go (Tee's Freeze Mix)
At a glance
- Tempo: 100 to 130 BPM
- First appeared: 1977
- Machines: Vocodeur, Boîte à rythmes, Minimoog
- The sound: Synthés custom et vocoder, Séquenceurs maison, Boîtes à rythmes électroniques précoces
- Labels: Capitol Records, Casablanca, Kling Klang, Alfa
- Key artists: Kraftwerk, Giorgio Moroder, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Telex
Producing Proto-Techno
Keep tempos between 110 and 130 BPM, fully quantized with zero swing, since the man machine embraces the grid; Trans Europe Express sits near 112, Moroder's The Chase around 125. The feel comes from repeating a two bar motif for six minutes with tiny variations, so disable groove and let the machine dictate. Build the kit from bare synthesized sounds, a sine kick sweeping down in pitch, a bandpass filtered noise snare, and short noise hats, kick on every beat, snare on two and four. Bass follows two paths: a short, round Minimoog note per chord, or Moroder's sequenced sixteenths alternating root and octave through a short dotted eighth delay, kick and bass landing together, no sidechain. Finish with a vocoder singing through a sawtooth carrier, a detuned Minimoog lead, and chorused synth strings.
The full production course, in French: tempo, drums, bass, sounds, arrangement, mix, plugins and machines, and a step by step start.
Frequently asked
What is Proto-Techno?
Proto techno is Kraftwerk, in Dusseldorf between 1974 and 1981: the man machine, the robotic melody, the electronic beat embraced as a total aesthetic. Trans Europe Express would cross the Atlantic to help spawn Bronx electro and Detroit techno, both of which unanimously recognize it as point…
What tempo is Proto-Techno played at?
Between 100 and 130 BPM.
Who are the key Proto-Techno artists?
Kraftwerk, Giorgio Moroder, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Telex.
In the same family
- Musique concrète
- Électroacoustique
- Krautrock
- Kosmische Musik
- Space Music
- Synth-pop
- Early Industrial
- Funk
- Philly Soul
- Dub
- Hip-Hop
- Reggae
Listen to Proto-Techno in the atlas · Cette page en français
