Where techno comes from
Techno came from Detroit in the mid-1980s through Juan Atkins, Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson. Berlin adopted it after the fall of the Wall in 1989, and clubs there shaped the harder, darker sound many people associate with it today.
What makes a track sound like techno
- Hypnotic repetition
- Rumbling low end under the kick
- Industrial or metallic sound design
- Little or no traditional melody
Typical structure
Long, gradual arrangement over 5 to 8 minutes, with elements added and removed every 16 or 32 bars and a central breakdown.
Vocals in techno
Techno is mostly instrumental. If you want voices, ask for "processed spoken words" or a single repeated phrase used like a percussion part, and keep it low in the mix.
Prompting tips
Choose "Detroit techno" for warm and melodic, "Berlin techno" for dark and hard, or "acid techno" for squelchy 303 lines.
Short track lengths fight the genre. Ask for at least 4 minutes so the track has room to develop.
Prompts to start from
Dark Berlin techno at 132 BPM, rumbling kick, metallic percussion, hypnotic synth stab and a long breakdown
Acid techno with a squelchy 303 line, TR-909 drums and gradually opening filter over 6 minutes
Melodic Detroit techno with warm strings, steady kick and a soulful synth line, for a city time-lapse