Like Aphex Twin, Autechre are about as close to being techno superstars as the tenets of the genre and the limitations of its audience will allow. Through a series of full-length works and a smattering of EPs on Warp, Clear, and their own Skam label, the group have consistently garnered the praise of press and public alike. Unlike many of their... [+] Read More

Like Aphex Twin, Autechre are about as close to being techno superstars as the tenets of the genre and the limitations of its audience will allow. Through a series of full-length works and a smattering of EPs on Warp, Clear, and their own Skam label, the group have consistently garnered the praise of press and public alike. Unlike many of their more club-bound colleagues, however, Autechre's Sean Booth and Rob Brown have roots planted firmly in American electro, and though the more mood-based, sharply digital texture of their update may seem to speak otherwise, it was through early twelves like Egyptian Lover's "Egypt, Egypt," Grandmaster Flash's "Scorpio," and "Pretty" Tony Butler's "Get Some" that their combined aesthetic began to form.

Booth and Brown met through a mutual friend, trading junked-up pause-button mixtapes of their favorite singles back and forth. Happening onto some bargain-basement analog gear through questionable circumstances, the pair began experimenting with their own music before they were out of high school. After some disastrous experiences with a few small labels, the pair sent a tape off to Warp Records, whose early releases by Sweet Exorcist, Nightmares on Wax, and B12 were announcing a new age in U.K.-based techno (and one that Autechre would become a key component in). Releasing a handful of early singles through the label, Autechre's first stabs were collected on their debut full-length, Incunabula, as well as the ten-inch box-set remix EP Basscadet. Subsequent albums would reach a wider audience through stateside reissue, first on Wax Trax!/TVT, later on Nothing (the label managed by Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor), and finally through a stateside branch of Warp. Although stylistically rooted, affectations for the ponderous extend beyond their name and track titles ("C/Pach," "Bronchusevenmx24") with the basic premise of their approach being music without a whole lot of stylistic baggage but plenty of DSP'ed-to-death hyper-programming -- easily one of the most distinctive sounds in the world of electronica.

In addition to Autechre, Booth and Brown have released material as Gescom on their own Skam imprint and through the Clear label, most notably The Sounds of Machines Our Parents Used EP on the latter. The group have also provided a number of memorable remixes (often times more memorable than their original material) for artists including Palmskin Productions, Slowly, Mike Ink, DJ Food, Scorn, Skinny Puppy, Tortoise, Phoenecia, and Various Artists. ~ Sean Cooper, All Music Guide [-] Hide

There is no need to argue: Merzbow stands as the most important artist in noise music. The favorite moniker of Japanese Masami Akita appears on hundreds of albums. The name comes from German artist Kurt Schwitters' famous work "Merzbau," which he also called "The Cathedral of Erotic Misery." Akita's choice reflects his fondness for junk art... [+] Read More

There is no need to argue: Merzbow stands as the most important artist in noise music. The favorite moniker of Japanese Masami Akita appears on hundreds of albums. The name comes from German artist Kurt Schwitters' famous work "Merzbau," which he also called "The Cathedral of Erotic Misery." Akita's choice reflects his fondness for junk art (through Schwitters' collage method) and his fascination with ritualized eroticism, namely in the form of fetishism and bondage. All these elements constitute the Merzbow persona.

Masami Akita was born in Tokyo in 1956. He grew up with psychedelic rock; and began to play the guitar in progressive rock cover bands, in particular with drummer Kiyoshi Mizutani, who would remain a frequent collaborator. After high school, Akita studied literature and visual arts in college. There he discovered free jazz, and studied seriously the ideas of Dada and the surrealists (Salvador Dali remained a big influence). Akita gradually withdrew himself from the rock scene and began experimenting in his basement with broken tape recorders and feedback.

In 1979, Akita created his own cassette label, Lowest Arts & Music, and released the first of many albums, Metal Acoustic Music. Infiltrating the then-burgeoning network of underground industrial music, Merzbow lined up one cassette after another, packaged in Xeroxed collage art. His harsh noise eschewed the primitive anger found on this scene (Throbbing Gristle, Man Is the Bastard) to reach a zen state, calm inside the storm. Mizutani occasionally appeared on some of the raw material, as would other musicians (like Reiko A), but in essence Merzbow is Akita and would always be. The artist/group made low-budget live appearances in Tokyo, but his main focus remained on his art production and his writing (he is erudite in 20th century art and the Japanese tradition of bondage).

In 1983, Akita's first LP, Material Action 2 (NAM), was released on Chaos/Eastern Works in Japan. Out of the mail-art network and into the specialty record shops, Merzbow began to attract some eyes and ears. Akita started a second label, ZSF Produkt, which put out dozens of 7"s, EPs, LPs, and more cassettes.

By the late '80s, other record labels had begun to pay interest, namely the Australian Extreme. Collaborative (1988), an LP recorded with Achim Wollscheid, brought the Merzbow sound to more international listeners, and slowly Akita invaded other territories. By the mid-'90s, his reputation verged on the mythical. He toured Europe and the U.S., and had high(er)-profile releases on Extreme, Rrr, and Alchemy.

In 1997, Extreme announced it was putting in production a 50-CD box set, Merzbox. It was finally released three years later. It includes 30 reissues dating as far back as 1979, and 20 discs worth of unreleased material, and remains the biggest musical statement in the history of noise music. More widely available albums for Alien8 Recordings (Aqua Necromancer, 1998) and Tzadik (1930, 1998), combined with constant worldwide touring, have taken the artist out of mythical status and propelled him into the legendary.

In the late '90s, Akita started to collaborate with other artists outside the Merzbow moniker, namely with Mike Patton (as Maldoror) and Otomo Yoshihide. Both a prolific composer and performer, Akita continued his string of Merzbow releases into the next century, including 2001's Frog, 2003's V, 2004's Merzbird, and 2006's two-volume set (released months apart) Minazo and Minazo, Vol. 2. ~ François Couture, All Music Guide [-] Hide

The techno producer with the most musical training under his belt, Cosmic Baby began his conservatory study at the age of seven, discovered electronic music six years later and by 1991, he was recording some of the most melodic trance and techno to come from the Continent. Born in Nuremberg in 1966, Harald Bluechel began playing piano at the age... [+] Read More

The techno producer with the most musical training under his belt, Cosmic Baby began his conservatory study at the age of seven, discovered electronic music six years later and by 1991, he was recording some of the most melodic trance and techno to come from the Continent. Born in Nuremberg in 1966, Harald Bluechel began playing piano at the age of three and was conducted to the Nuremberg Conservatory four years later. After an early affinity for the work of Bela Bartók and Igor Stravinsky, Bluechel began listening to Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream; he quickly left the conservatory, began picking up electronic equipment and wrote his first synthesizer composition when he was only 14. A move to Berlin to attend that city's University of Arts provided him with a degree in composition as well as sound engineering.

During the late '80s, however, Bluechel encountered the second genre of music which would change his course. Acid-house had become big in Britain, and by 1988 it was being checked in Berlin by early DJs like Westbam and Kid Paul. Bluechel jumped aboard, and after a period during the late '80s composing for radio, he was producing by 1991 with such aliases as Energy 52 (with Kid Paul), Futurhythm and Brainmelter (with DJ Moony Jonzon). His debut album as a solo act, Transcendental Overdrive appeared in 1991 on MFS Records and proved an early success story on the German techno scene. Obviously informed by Bluechel's long period in the classical world, the album was melodic trance of the most mature type, while the next year's follow-up Stellar Supreme was another highlight. Bluechel hit the British charts with "Perfect Day" by Visions of Shiva (with Paul Van Dyk), and gained a British/American contract through Logic/Arista for his third album. Thinking About Myself, released in 1994, was a more varied album, blending trance workouts like "Cosmic Greets Florida," intriguing classical-techno fusions of material by Debussy and all-over-the-map tracks like "Loops of Infinity." During 1995, he composed music for the film Futura and consolidated his position as one of the leading live techno acts with shows all over Europe and America. His fourth album overall Fourteen Pieces was released in 1996. Three years later the album Heaven was released. Bluechel's management concern Cosmic Enterprises is responsible for the label Time Out of Mind. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide [-] Hide

The Birmingham-based Higher Intelligence Agency is composed of DJ/musician Bobby Bird and occasional collaborator Dave Wheels. Musically, they pitch their creative tent somewhere between the ambient and experimental techno camps, with breakbeat, electro-style rhythms and a song-oriented melodic and harmonic base informing the bulk of their most... [+] Read More

The Birmingham-based Higher Intelligence Agency is composed of DJ/musician Bobby Bird and occasional collaborator Dave Wheels. Musically, they pitch their creative tent somewhere between the ambient and experimental techno camps, with breakbeat, electro-style rhythms and a song-oriented melodic and harmonic base informing the bulk of their most recent work. The group formed in 1992 as a live experiment performing at Bird's Oscillate parties (which played early host to such acts as Autechre, Orbital, Mixmaster Morris, and Scanner), and has since grown into a full-on creative force, releasing a pair of albums and as many EPs. Although perhaps not as prodigious as many of their peers, HIA's focus is on quality rather than quantity, and their released material is uniformly well-produced and meticulously crafted. In addition to constant touring and the ongoing Oscillate schedule, HIA have also performed commissioned work for museums and festivals. While still bent on working together, Bird has largely taken over HIA's reigns while Wheels pursues a solo project, and has completed remixes for Freeform and Obconic. Collaborations in 1996 with Frankfurt's Deep Space Network and Geir Jenssen of Biosphere also produced an album apiece, the former (Deep Space Network Meets Higher Intelligence Agency) on DSN's Source label and the latter (Polar Sequences) on Beyond. Another collaborational series, S.H.A.D.O. with Pete Namlook, began in 1997 and resumed two years later. ~ Sean Cooper, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Ambient techno innovator Jonah Sharp has recorded several albums and EPs as Spacetime Continuum and played an important role in consolidating the San Francisco experimental ambient and techno scenes through his Reflective imprint. A London native and an acid jazz drummer before embarking on his career in electronic music, Sharp was an in-demand... [+] Read More

Ambient techno innovator Jonah Sharp has recorded several albums and EPs as Spacetime Continuum and played an important role in consolidating the San Francisco experimental ambient and techno scenes through his Reflective imprint. A London native and an acid jazz drummer before embarking on his career in electronic music, Sharp was an in-demand session drummer until the rigours of the club scene and the mawkish obsolescence of the genre had him experimenting with other styles. Glomming onto ambient and techno as a DJ, Sharp was a founding member of the periodic Spacetime parties, held in a hologram factory in London and host to such early new ambient luminaries as Mixmaster Morris, David Moufang, and Dr. Atmo. Sharp left London for America in the early '90s, settling in San Francisco, where he established his Reflective label and recorded the bulk of his work to date. Although that work has been split over a number of different project headings (Emit Ecaps, Alien Community, Reagenz, Electro Harmonix, and others), his most consistently visible work has been as Spacetime Continuum. Sharp signed a non-exclusive multi-album deal with Astralwerks in 1992 and released his first full-length work -- a live recording of a collaboration with author Terrence McKenna and didgeridoo player Stephen Kent -- the following year. The largely ambient Sea Biscuit followed in 1994, and was released through the Fax label in Europe (Sharp has recorded a number of collaborative projects for Fax). Emit Ecaps, released in early 1996, returned to Sharp's dancefloor roots, incorporating elements of house, techno, and jungle. It also spawned a remix album, Remit Recaps, featuring work by Autechre, Plaid, and others. In addition to a smattering of Sharp-related releases (including the collectible Flurescence EP), the Reflective label issued albums by Subtropic, Velocette, Kid Spatula (aka Mike Paradinas), and Single Cell Orchestra, as well as a stream of 12-inches. The next Spacetime Continuum full-length, Double Fine Zone, appeared in 1999. ~ Sean Cooper, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Basic Channel collects material from the Basic Channel, Maurizio, and Chain Reaction label family founded by Moritz Von Oswald and Mark Ernestus. The compilation contains edited 12-inch single versions of tracks by artists like Cyrus, Phylyps, Quadrant, Octagon, Radiance, and Q 1.1. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide

Basic Channel collects material from the Basic Channel, Maurizio, and Chain Reaction label family founded by Moritz Von Oswald and Mark Ernestus. The compilation contains edited 12-inch single versions of tracks by artists like Cyrus, Phylyps, Quadrant, Octagon, Radiance, and Q 1.1. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide [-] Hide

After a year, Banco de Gaia (Toby Marks) returns with Igizeh, the full-length album on Six Degree Records. In the spirit of past Banco de Gaia efforts, Igizeh combines dancefloor European techno and chunks of global, ethnic snippets. The track "Gizeh" was recorded in the Great Pyramid, which in Marks' opinion, has great acoustics but not much... [+] Read More

After a year, Banco de Gaia (Toby Marks) returns with Igizeh, the full-length album on Six Degree Records. In the spirit of past Banco de Gaia efforts, Igizeh combines dancefloor European techno and chunks of global, ethnic snippets. The track "Gizeh" was recorded in the Great Pyramid, which in Marks' opinion, has great acoustics but not much atmosphere after its renovation. For "Gizeh," Marks adds to the global influence by using a Turkish clarinet to the keyboard sampled sounds. Banco fans will notice that a track on his previous album ("Glove Puppet" from the The Magical Sounds of Banco de Gaia) makes a reappearance on Igizeh. Besides the instrumental being revamped, the updated version features the vocals of Portland's, Jennifer Folker. ~ Diana Potts, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Hongkong compiles some of Monolake's most striking works that had previously been released on vinyl exclusively. There may not be any purer examples of this influential German duo's sound than the opening track of the album, the mammoth "Cyan." Integrating strange, animalistic noises from a distant invisible jungle with a cushioned, thumping... [+] Read More

Hongkong compiles some of Monolake's most striking works that had previously been released on vinyl exclusively. There may not be any purer examples of this influential German duo's sound than the opening track of the album, the mammoth "Cyan." Integrating strange, animalistic noises from a distant invisible jungle with a cushioned, thumping bassline, delicately tapping percussion, and occasional high-frequency synthesized notes, Monolake's tone blends dubbed organic serenity with computerized harmony. With most of the tracks lasting upward of ten minutes, this compilation may be too enveloping for some listeners while also being absolutely blissful for others. It ends with two tracks from Monolake's release on the Din label, and also the previously unreleased "Mass Transit Railway." Not nearly as epic or as cinematic as the other tracks, these final three still incorporate strange samples, such as waves crashing on the side of a boat and a montage of Asian voices. These peculiarities only figure into the first minute or so of each respective track before Monolake move toward the disoriented style of minimal, monotone dub-techno of the Basic Channel label. A seminal release overall, Hongkong is one of those true touchstones amid '90s techno, an era of a myriad seemingly innovative yet ultimately interchangeable releases, few of which are this inspired and this visionary, very few. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide [-] Hide

The overtly technology-enhanced cover of the album, a cross between Tron and Blade Runner, helps set the tone for Freaky Chakra's follow-up release to Lowdown Motivator. If that album captured a blend between active techno energy and nods to a gentler, calmer approach, Blacklight Fantasy is rougher around the edges, more explicitly mechanical,... [+] Read More

The overtly technology-enhanced cover of the album, a cross between Tron and Blade Runner, helps set the tone for Freaky Chakra's follow-up release to Lowdown Motivator. If that album captured a blend between active techno energy and nods to a gentler, calmer approach, Blacklight Fantasy is rougher around the edges, more explicitly mechanical, and fiercer. If it had to be summed up, Lowdown had a more "natural" air due to the inclusion of percussion from other cultures, while Blacklight's edge is often artificial, hinting at an electronic body music/industrial background. It's by no means a thorough or total reinvention, but songs are shorter and the overall atmosphere a touch harsher, making a nice contrast without completely disavowing the past. If anything, the results can be subtly beautiful, as can be heard on the clearly Kraftwerk-inspired (and possibly sampled) melodies of "Hyperspace." No guests are credited or have any noticeable roles and, unlike the somewhat start-stop debut, Blacklight runs like an endless mix session, with rhythms unobtrusively varying but never simply stopping cold at a song's end. One could call it a concept album if ideas were stretched a bit but, aside from a general futurism in the titles ("Year 2000," "Living in the Future," "Vector Head"), it's more a question of artistic trappings than anything else. Perhaps the best title of the bunch is "Fascist Funk" -- it's not quite the descendant of Heaven 17's "We Don't Need This Fascist Groove Thing," but its quick, crackling, and static-laden crunch is definitely some space away from funk in its greasy, slow sense. When Bentley ups the spookier atmosphere of things, Blacklight starts to stand out more as its own record, starting with the swirling vocal cries on "What?," followed by the brusque beat and subtle, haunting tones of "Thing." ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Jonah Sharp's second proper album keeps much of the atmospheric beauty of Sea Biscuit intact, but the material usually works only as an introduction to devastating beat work on tracks like "Kairo" and "Funkyar," both of which recall the chunkier side of jungle and electro quite convincingly. All in all, Emit Ecaps is a fascinating fusion of hard...

Jonah Sharp's second proper album keeps much of the atmospheric beauty of Sea Biscuit intact, but the material usually works only as an introduction to devastating beat work on tracks like "Kairo" and "Funkyar," both of which recall the chunkier side of jungle and electro quite convincingly. All in all, Emit Ecaps is a fascinating fusion of hard and soft. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide [-] Hide