Belgian Techno
Techno · 1990 · 125 to 140 BPM · also known as R&S Sound, Belgian Rave
Between 1990 and 1992, Belgium invented a kind of stadium techno: gloomy organ stabs, siren-like hoover sounds and heavy kicks inherited from the new beat sound it had just buried. The R&S label in Ghent was its command center, and tracks like Energy Flash and Anasthasia became monuments that both techno and hardcore scenes still claim as their own. For roughly two years, the whole of European rave culture spoke with this Belgian accent. It is massive and spacious rather than fast, built for huge rooms rather than intimate clubs, trading speed for weight and letting every hit carry room to breathe.
6 reference tracks
- Joey Beltram: Energy Flash (1990)
- Frank De Wulf: The B Sides (1990)
- Outlander: Vamp (1991)
- Praga Khan: Injected With A Poison (1991)
- CJ Bolland: Horsepower (1991)
- Charlotte de Witte: Formula (2020)
At a glance
- Tempo: 125 to 140 BPM
- First appeared: around 1990
- Machines: Roland Alpha Juno, Roland Juno-106, Orgue, Roland TR-909, Akai S1000
- The sound: Hoover Roland Alpha Juno, Stabs d'orgue sombres, Samplers Akai
- Labels: R & S Records, Big Time International, Music Man
- Key artists: Joey Beltram, CJ Bolland, T99, Outlander, Frank De Wulf
Producing Belgian Techno
Belgian techno sits between 118 and 128 BPM, a slowed legacy of new beat, Energy Flash at 123 and staying under 130 to avoid the hardcore invented right after, with no swing anywhere: a straight 909 kick and bass, the rolling weight from a continuous sub and heavy, spaced-out hits. Build a straight four-on-the-floor 909 kick with closed and open hats, then claps rather than snares, a first clap on 2 and 4 with fills, and a second, higher clap panned hard right with a delayed reverb, plus a dry rimshot appearing once. Two basses stack, a sub holding a single fundamental throughout and, later, the famous hoover riff, a pulsing note from a mean filter synth with its cutoff moving in phrases, cut above 100 Hz. The Alpha Juno hoover completes the sound.
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 Belgian Techno?
Between 1990 and 1992, Belgium invented a kind of stadium techno: gloomy organ stabs, siren-like hoover sounds and heavy kicks inherited from the new beat sound it had just buried. The R&S label in Ghent was its command center, and tracks like Energy Flash and Anasthasia became monuments that both…
What tempo is Belgian Techno played at?
Between 125 and 140 BPM.
Who are the key Belgian Techno artists?
Joey Beltram, CJ Bolland, T99, Outlander, Frank De Wulf.
In the same family
- Detroit Techno
- Bleep Techno
- Broken Techno
- Acid Techno
- Euro Techno
- Hard Techno
- Schranz
- Industrial Techno
- Banging Techno
- Birmingham Techno
- Peak Time Techno
- Dub Techno
Listen to Belgian Techno in the atlas · Cette page en français
