Acid Techno
Techno built around the squelchy sound of the Roland TB-303 bass synthesizer.
History
Acid techno takes the squelchy sound of the Roland TB-303, a small bass synthesizer, and places it in hard techno s1. The machine was first used in Chicago acid house in the 1980s s1. In the early 1990s European producers made it faster and harder s1. Hardfloor's 'Acperience 1' (1992) is one of the widely known acid techno tracks s1. Emmanuel Top's 'Acid Phase' (1994) was a large club hit built almost entirely from a 303 line s1. In London, a group of producers linked to the Liberator DJs and the label Stay Up Forever made fast, party-focused acid techno s2. Dave Clarke's 'Wisdom to the Wise' (1994) showed the harder, darker side s1. The style has returned many times and is still played at raves s1s2. London's acid techno scene held large free parties and released records on its own small labels s2. The 303 sound is still used by producers today, and the records are played at old-school and hard techno nights s1.
Sound
- A squelchy, sliding TB-303 bassline
- Fast, hard drum machine beats
- Long, hypnotic repeating lines
- Little or no singing
- A raw, energetic rave mood
Key figures
- Hardfloor — German duo behind 'Acperience 1'
- Emmanuel Top — French producer behind 'Acid Phase'
- Dave Clarke — British producer behind 'Wisdom to the Wise'
- Liberator DJs — London collective central to the acid techno scene
Labels
- Harthouse — Frankfurt , 1992
- Stay Up Forever — London , 1993
- Bush Records — London , 1994
Defining tracks
Connections
Came from: Acid House , Detroit Techno , Hard Techno
Led to: Minimal Techno
Sources
- Acid techno guide: history, artists and classics — 6AM Group
- London acid techno feature — Red Bull Music Academy Daily (2016)