I would not consider myself to be someone that fits the mould of a techno music fan, yet in this past year I have found myself engaging with techno music more often than I expected. At clubs in Belgrade, Serbia, techno music is the go-to. In Berlin, Germany, I attended a daytime techno party in an abandoned building out of town - a cornerstone of the Berlin experience. In St. Paul, Minneapolis, I attended “techno Tuesday” at a bar with musically gifted friends who had a lot to share about the history of electronic music. While I am far from knowledgeable when it comes to music in general, Balkan political and war history is of great interest to me, and I believe the subjects are not mutually exclusive. The explosion of techno popularity in post-soviet European countries is an exemplification of the dystopia that plagued civilians. Further, techno music is currently serving as an accelerator for acceptance of queer people and people of color which brings the future of techno music directly back to its roots.
Techno music was born in Detroit, Michigan in the 1980s by middle class African-American youths. As a relative to the innovative Chicago house music that was sweeping the world, techno represented the cutting edge of popular Western music in the late 20th century (Encyclopedia Brittanica). The Western popularity is exactly what fueled techno to spread like wildfire to developing nations on the other side of the collapsed Berlin wall, including East Germany, Serbia, Bulgaria, and more. Despite the lack of economic investment by the United States following the Cold War, American influence remained strong. Further, the struggles that inspired the creation of techno in Detroit are what made the music relatable on the other side of the globe. In the mid-20th century, Detroit was an industrial powerhouse and the auto-production capital of the world. After World War II, however, the auto industry began to decline, and many people lost their jobs. Racial tensions resulted in white people moving to the suburbs, and this massive city was left with a high number of jobless African-Americans. Capitalizing on the abandoned buildings in the city, a few locals decided to begin playing music that emphasized and celebrated the post-industrial sounds of this failing city. The music was futuristic, conceptual, and provided an escape from the dystopia these Americans found themselves in (The Evolution of Electronic Music in Detroit). After the collapse of the Berlin wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, newly liberated Eastern European countries had little to no international aid as they rebuilt their respective democracies. Following a mass exodus of citizens with the collapse of the Berlin Wall, East Germany in particular was full of abandoned buildings and dilapidated factories that compared to the bleak backdrop of Detroit. The similar struggles of these different worlds made techno music wildly popular as a form of refuge for Americans and Eastern Europeans alike in the aftermath of the Cold War.
The refuge offered by techno music expanded beyond economic struggles. In the United States, techno origins included strong influence from the queer community as well. It was a pioneering generation of queer DJs that ushered techno through its early days in a 20th century world unwelcoming of queer people (NPR). This revolutionary music scene in Detroit was providing a safe space for suffering people from all walks of life. This was a key aspect of American techno culture, and the carryover of this culture along with the electronic sounds is what made techno so influential and important in Eastern Europe. I experienced first-hand the racism and homophobia of Eastern European colleagues, yet these friends were quick to identify a black, gay DJ as their all time favorite music producer. I was shocked. Techno music, bringing a culture of judgement free escapism in tow, was and is challenging outdated Eastern European norms in a way I was unable to. In fact, Berlin is still known decades later as the techno capital of the world, famous for avant garde art, political renegades, hippies, and homosexuals (Business Insider). Prior to attending techno parties in Belgrade, Berlin, and St. Paul this past year, I did not understand how techno culture was in any way more powerful than or different from standard concerts. At all of these venues, however, a striking part of the experiences to me was that the people attending techno parties were sincerely there to experience the music. (This was in sharp contrast to most concerts I attend where I spend the night avoiding harassment). I experienced first hand that techno around the world offered a distinct culture of escapism and inclusivity, and learning the history of techno only reaffirmed that my experiences reflect the bigger picture.
The dystopian world that described dismal, bankrupt Detroit and post-communist Eastern Europe provided the perfect opportunity for techno music to offer an escape to suffering citizens. With a judgement-free culture that celebrates queer people, people of color, and the avant garde sounds of a failing post-industrial world, this cutting edge music has created a culture of much-needed refuge and serves as an accelerator for acceptance and celebration of historically marginalized populations.
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