Style Guide: Techno pt. 1 – History & Sound Design

Techno is more than a genre – it’s an institution. Combining the avant-garde electronica that was coming out of Europe in the early ‘70s and ‘80s with the electric funk and post-disco beamed from Detroit’s underground radio stations, Juan Atkins, Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson began to create what is now known as early Detroit techno.

Nowadays, techno’s countless sub genres and variants can all be traced back to those pioneers, known as the Belleville Three. In Point Blank’s latest installment of their Style Guide series, James Wiltshire (Freemasons, Beyoncé) breaks down techno’s history, the seismic impact it had upon culture and the actual sound of one of electronic music’s most defining genres. You can watch part one above, and make sure you subscribe to Point Blank’s YouTube channel for more tutorials and live events – including the second part of the Style Guide: Techno, coming soon.

Learning to craft your own tones and sounds is just a very small part of what you can learn on Point Blank’s online Music Production Master Diploma. Lasting for up to 64 weeks, it’s one of Point Blank’s most comprehensive courses and covers everything from music business, composition, sound design, mixing and mastering. Not only does it bring Point Blank’s award-winning courses to you wherever in the world you are, but with the possibility of studying on a party-time basis, you can fit it around your own schedule. Find out more about the Music Production Master Diploma here or discover the full list of Point Blank’s courses across London, Los Angeles and online.