TECHNOBRAIN

Rip It Up, Issue 182, 1 September 1992, Page 20

TECHNOBRAIN

Anyone who watches television, reads the papers, or perhaps even listens to the radio could be excused for thinking Techno doesn't exist in NZ. Arguably the most powerful new form of music to emerge since Rap in the late 70s, like most new genres NZ is light years behind the rest of the world. Well, maybe the UK at least. In England Techno is outselling ALL other music forms, with at least 4 or 5 singles always dominating the Pop Top 10. Whereas in NZ it is the Michael Crawford and Neil Diamond compilations that are TV advertised, in the UK it is Kickin' Techno Vol 1. In the US techno sales don't make the Pop Top 10 but LA and NY do enjoy a warehouse rave scene every weekend catering to 10,000 plus people.

In Dec 91 Bassline Records in Auckland thought it was time to get Techno sales in NZ moving. They began promoting what has become the country's largest regular techno rave: The Brain. Pooling the best of local DJ talent the first Brain party attracted a little over 400 people to the DTM nightclub. So began the buzz, and Bassline have since put on another four onenight Brain Raves, each one to larger audiences. They have now reached sellout status. Although normally up with the play, it wasn't until Brain 5 that I decided to check this scene out. Personally I hate Bleep Music, it's all so repetitive and mindless, but that's what people used to tell me about rap so I figured maybe there was more to it than my simple musical predjudices. As soon as I got to the club it was obvious there was much more to it than that.

It's all about Youth. Unless you have access to the mind altering drugs (some prefer the term stimulants) you need to be young, fit and healthy to cope with Techno. Being old, fat, and unhealthy I elected to park at the bar and watch the young folk enjoy themselves. There were hundreds of sweaty young ravers, arms in the air, all

whistling as loud as possible to be heard over the booming system. They call themselves The Whistle Posse and you'll find them at any rave. (Actually I first heard them at the Def Jam 87 Tour in the UK, but as I said, things take a while to reach down here).

Like most clubs everything is dark, but unlike other clubs Techno feeds the crowd on laser lights and the BPMs never drop below 130. I argued with one of the DJs at the bar about one track which sounded to me like Run DMC's 'King of Rock' being played at 45rpm rather than 33, but I was assured it was the latest import from a techno band who's name I couldn't catch. I made a mental note to book some studio time and play 'Planet Rock' at 45 and throw in some synth stabs on top. Should make me rich.

At about lam local techno band XLRB took to the stage.and went straight into a most impressive intro. Sadly someone tripped a cable and everything went dead. This is why musicians deride the techno sound — it's studio driven and therefore difficult to perform live. Full marks to XLRB for trying but they were swept off stage as another DJ took over. The crowd were once again one amorphous writhing mass on the dancefloor.

It's sort of like watching the flames of a fire — there's really nothing to look at but you can't take your eyes away. Without focussing on anyone in particular I saw a faceless mass of young nubile bodies with pouty lips, sweaty breasts and bodies bouncing up and down. Concerned that my efforts to soak up the atmosphere (purely for review purposes) might be mistook for common lechery I decided to leave. The music is boring, repetative, and meaningless, but I'm sure the young ravers don't care. It's their scene and it's perfect for keeping boring old farts like me from hanging around.

NICK D’ANGELO