Bleep Techno

Techno · 1989 · 120 to 130 BPM · also known as UK Techno

Bleep techno is Britain's first properly homegrown techno, born in Sheffield and Leeds in 1989 around the Warp label. Crystalline, almost naive synth bleeps sit over enormous sub bass lines inherited from the Yorkshire reggae soundsystem scene. It is a music of space and contrast: tiny high frequencies set against seismic lows, with little in between. That stark pairing makes bleep techno the direct ancestor of the entire English bass music lineage, from bass-heavy techno through to jungle, garage and dubstep. It stayed a local phenomenon at first before becoming one of the most influential blueprints in British electronic music.

6 reference tracks

1. Unique 3: The Theme (1989)
2. Sweet Exorcist: Testone (1989)
3. Unique 3: The Theme (Unique mix) (1989)
4. Candy Flip: Evolution (1989)
5. LFO: LFO (1990)
6. Special Request: Vortex (2019)

At a glance

• Tempo: 120 to 130 BPM
• First appeared: around 1989
• Machines: Akai S900, Roland TR-909
• The sound: Basses sub sinusoïdales, Bleeps courts de synthé
• Labels: Warp Records, Network Records, Central Processing Unit, Ozone
• Key artists: LFO, Sweet Exorcist, Nightmares on Wax, Forgemasters, Unique 3

Producing Bleep Techno

Bleep techno runs 118 to 135 BPM, LFO and Nightmares on Wax staying under 125 while club versions climb to 135, with an MPC-style swing of around 55 percent on hats and shaker but never the kick, which lands dead on the grid with the sub. Build a short, dry 909 kick on the four, a snare placed a sixteenth ahead of the beat, two hi-hats alternating strictly, and shortened 707 toms as dry accents. The bass is the real subject: a pure sine sub, mono, one or two notes on the root, with no filter or distortion, thickened only by a quiet octave-up layer. Bleeps are short square or sine notes played high on a pentatonic scale through a ping-pong delay, joined by pitched vocal snippets and a tight, dark reverb, with pads left out entirely.

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 Bleep Techno?

Bleep techno is Britain's first properly homegrown techno, born in Sheffield and Leeds in 1989 around the Warp label. Crystalline, almost naive synth bleeps sit over enormous sub bass lines inherited from the Yorkshire reggae soundsystem scene. It is a music of space and contrast: tiny high…

What tempo is Bleep Techno played at?

Between 120 and 130 BPM.

Who are the key Bleep Techno artists?

LFO, Sweet Exorcist, Nightmares on Wax, Forgemasters, Unique 3.

In the same family

• Detroit Techno
• Broken Techno
• Acid Techno
• Euro Techno
• Hard Techno
• Schranz
• Industrial Techno
• Banging Techno
• Birmingham Techno
• Peak Time Techno
• Belgian Techno
• Dub Techno

Listen to Bleep Techno in the atlas · Cette page en français