Pure rhythm mixed with industrial-strength sounds originating in Detroit's urban core.

1985

The Metroplex label launches a new sound with Model 500 (aka Juan Atkins), blending European Kraftwerk-ian sounds with British New Wave. (Atkins more alternative tracks go back to '81-'82, with "Clear".)

1987

Derrick May on Transmat and Kevin Saunderson on KMS form the heart of the techno sound. The two soon become idolized in the UK. May's "Nude Photo" and "Strings" establish him as the techno guru and become modern day classics. "The Sound" sees Kevin "Reese" Saunderson team up with Santonio for another club classic. Blake Baxter's "When We Used To Play" rounds out the hits for the year.

1988

Kevin Saunderson teams up with Paris Grey to form Inner City, in the process taking techno to a whole new commercial audience--"Big Fun" leads the way.

1989

The Techno Trio (Saunderson, May and Atkins) heads to the UK to open up remixing shop, translating the Detroit sound into dollars for artists like Sharon Dee Clarke and Deee-Lite. * An original UK techno sound is developing through artists like A Guy Called Gerald ("Voodoo Ray") and 808 State ("Pacific"). * Back in Detroit, the second generation of techno artists are honing their skills: Carl Craig, Marc "MK" Kinchen and Members Of the House, among others.

1990

Bleeps invade from the north of England and the WARP label rules with LFO ("LFO"), Tricky Disco ("Testone") and Nightmares On Wax ("Dextrous").

1991

"Spice" by Eon takes the UK techno sound to another dimension and foreshadows the upcoming techno-rave explosion in Europe. * The Detroit Sound influences London, Ontario's +8 Records, resulting in phenomenal European popularity with artists like Speedy J.

1992

Detroit: Detroit techno is a state of flux. Few examples remain of the original techno spirit, yet the sound prospers in the UK and Europe. Detroit's talent internationally disperses: Blake Baxter and Magic Juan Atkins do Berlin; KMS digs into NYC; Mayday juices Amsterdam...The future lies in the third generation of Detroit techno labels like Underground Resistance and Global Techno Power/Hardwax...Submerge Distribution forms under Mad Mike's UR wing and Christa Weatherspoon's touch, repping numerous street labels, including techno from Red Planet, Metroplex, EFF, City Boy, Mix and Generator, also Intangible, Santonio's Cyren, and Submerge Records. * Orbital's self-titled LP provides high octane, selling over 50,000 units in North America alone, largely by word of mouth. * From Frankfurt, Germany, Sven Väth and Eye-Q/Harthouse evolve HARDTRANCE, a sound of hardcore speed percussion blended with multi-dimensional dynamics and tribal jammies. (see also Trance) * New labels doin' it techno and worth noting: Dan Curtin's Metamorphic outta Kent, OH, and Zack Roberts' IND-X, Detroit. * Brooklyn's Industrial Strength, the vehicle for Lenny Dee, cannonballs into the center of the hardbeat scene.

1993

The Frankfurt sound is firmly established by the strength of releases by P.I.T. Ramin, O. Lieb, Resistance D, Arpeggiators and many others. * NYC's Limelight-affiliated Vortex Records duels with Rotterdam...Jimmy Crash and Adam X smoke via Staten Island's Direct Drive Records...Instinct/Sonic gather the UK's Rising High, Holland's ESP and various breakbeaters for American consumption...LA's Moonshine Music launches the Harthouse America label...TSR, Quality and Astralwerks/Caroline release heavy-duty Euro-techno compilations...Berlin's label gets U.S. exposure via NovaMute and Pow Wow...The East Coast rave scene peaks...Richie Hawtin unleashes Plastikman's "Spastik", and "Circuit Breaker" productions on Probe...Nighttripper's "Tone Explosion" remains the East Coast's rave fave...Brooklyn remains America's hardcore capital.

1994