| Minimal Techno | |
| Stylistic origins |
|
|---|---|
| Cultural origins | Late 1980s to early 1990s Tokyo (Japan) Detroit (United States) |
| Derivative forms |
|
Minimal Techno is a subgenre of Techno music. It is characterized by a stripped-down aesthetic and the use of repetition.
History[]
Tokyo[]
Minimal techno was pioneered in Tokyo, Japan, during the 1980s. Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO) members Ryuichi Sakamoto and Haruomi Hosono experimented with minimalist Ambient Techno during the 1980s. They continued to produce minimal techno as part of YMO in the early 1990s.
Examples of Tokyo minimal techno during the 1980s to early 1990s:
- Ryuichi Sakamoto's "E-3A" (1980)
- Ryuichi Sakamoto's "Happy End" (1981)
- Haruomi Hosono's "Alternative 3" (1984)
- "Laugh-Gas" (1989) by Haruomi Hosono (feat. Amina Annabi)
- Yellow Magic Orchestra's "Dolphinicity" (1993) produced by Haruomi Hosono
Detroit[]
Minimal techno emerged as a distinct subgenre in Detroit during the early 1990s. This was when the term "minimal techno" was coined.
Examples of Detroit minimal techno during the early-to-mid-1990s:
- X-101's "Rave New World" (1991)
- "Phase 4" (1992) by Jeff Mills
- "Chase" and "One Touch" (1994) by Robert Hood
- "The Bells" (1996) by Jeff Mills
Berlin[]
Examples of Berlin minimal techno during the mid-1990s to 2000s:
- "Phylyps Trak II" (1994) by Basic Channel
- "Easy Lee" (2003) by Ricardo Villalobos
- "Bim" (2008) by Ellen Allien