In the early ’90s, affordable music production equipment gave artists access to electronic sound creation and experimentation. MIDI enabled each piece of hardware in their studio to be controlled with just a keystroke or control wheel movement – as opposed to multiple keypresses or pedal commands being required to access each individual device.
These beats and beeps reached new heights of innovation and creativity – from club trash to stadium-filling pop.
Techno
Techno emerged from underground clubs during the ’90s to become a mainstream genre that filled dance floors and brought people together with its infectious beats and electrifying rhythms, eventually giving rise to well-defined substyles such as hard house, trance and experimental electronic music.
Producers began experimenting with synthesized sounds to add greater depth to their tracks, using drum machines like Roland’s TR 77 drum machine to create more intricate beat patterns that wouldn’t have been achievable using traditional drummers alone. This technology revolutionized the industry; artists quickly integrated electronic drums into their songs and created groundbreaking styles of music as a result.
Techno artists carved out a distinct sound during the 1990s and made an indelible mark on history with their signature sound. Some are considered legends of their field due to their technical prowess and ability to craft tracks that moved both bodies and hearts alike, forever changing it for all who heard.
At a time when many popular musicians were offering up a stream of shallow club trash or boy band and girl group pop, these techno artists stood out with their creative and original approaches.
As well as creating music, these 90s techno artists were also responsible for pioneering iconic events and festivals to showcase and promote electronic music. Some such events, like Berlin’s Love Parade celebration, have since become annual celebrations attended by hundreds of thousands of dancers each year.
The vibrant rhythms and electric energy of 90s techno tracks made their way into other genres of music, such as synth-pop. At that time, bands such as Men Without Hats, Trans-X from Canada; Alphaville Propaganda from Germany; Yello Azul y Negro from Spain were all prolific producers of global hits that stemmed from techno’s vibrant grooves.
The 1990s also witnessed the emergence of UK garage music, an electronic hybrid genre which combined elements from techno and hip-hop. Characterized by fast tempos, synthesized beats, and heavy distortion riffs that became an extremely popular dance style among young people, UK garage was spearheaded by producers like Prodigy who produced hits like ‘Firestarter’ for this genre.
House
House music had long been around, yet its golden age came in the 1990s. This decade saw US techno and UK rave cultures collide, leading to an explosion of genres across all corners of the globe. Breakbeats became the staple sound, while Aphex Twin and Autechre used programming languages like C++ to craft mind-boggling electronic pieces; old school sounds revived such as Detroit techno from Underground Resistance spinoff Galaxy 2 Galaxy as well as silky disco house from France’s Daft Punk were all found within its hallowed pages.
Back then, to create electronic music one needed a cheap mixer (any would do), drum machine, one or two synths and sequencer, along with some sort of digital stereo recorder to capture uncompressed audio – making your very own electronic music production studio! Many people used house and techno sounds as inspiration for developing unique musical styles of their own creation back then.
In response, dance music experienced an explosion of sound with genres such as New Jack Swing, gospel and contemporary R&B being fused together with house to produce something that had never existed before – creating something entirely unique in dance music history. DJs such as Frankie Knuckles and Todd Terry made names for themselves with their tracks becoming staples on radio stations worldwide while producers like Norma Jean and Thea Austin created melodies and vocals.
One of the iconic dance tracks from the 1990s, this timeless tune remains popular on dancefloors since its initial release. Sung by Mary Ridley and Morie Bivins’ soulful vocals, this sensual track has remained on charts ever since its initial release in 1988.
Radiopropulsive’ is an outstanding example of how minimal, stripped-back house can still carry a killer groove. Featuring immersive electronic sounds, a deep bass groove, and subtle yet pulsating synth elements reminiscent of IDM music genre, Radiopropulsive stands as proof.
Hip-Hop
Hip hop originated on the gritty streets of New York and by the ’90s had become an international cultural movement that extended far beyond rap music to influence popular culture and society at large, including film, fashion, sports and politics.
Run-DMC and Public Enemy were protesting social issues in New York at this point, while on the West Coast artists such as Ice Cube, Naughty by Nature, and LL Cool J were pioneering new forms of intellectual rap through songs with complex lyrics and jazz-infused beats that signalled a change.
Many early hip hop songs relied on repeating or scratching one sample over a breakbeat, as that was all that could be accomplished using a 2-turntable DJ setup. Paul’s Boutique by the Beastie Boys revolutionized this approach through inventive recording techniques which combined multiple samples together into rhythms and melodies reminiscent of classical music composition. They also introduced vocal percussion known as beatboxing – in which artists use their mouth to imitate turntable scratching or other instrument sounds by mimicking them vocally using vocal percussion techniques or by imitating turntable scratching or instrument sounds with vocal percussion devices; additionally they used vocal percussion called beatboxing when singing by using their vocal chords similar to their peers at music concerts or events.
In addition to altering hip hop’s rhythms, the 1990s witnessed artists such as the Roots and Guru reintroducing live instruments into their music. Others like Dr. Dre took an opposite route and created an alternative sound which stripped funk of its bright pianos and trumpets for an altogether darker and menacing sound.
Another genre-blending trend was the advent of rap rock, in which hip-hop beats were combined with guitar riffs and vocal distortion, leading to mainstream success for bands such as Limp Bizkit and 311. Other groups took their cue from traditional hip-hop, such as A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul with their dark grooves and complex wordplay. Hip-hop’s roots remained apparent, however, with many artists emphasizing materialistic lifestyles and money’s power in their lyrics. These themes, though sometimes exploitative, were intended to inspire youth from disadvantaged backgrounds to dream beyond what society could provide them. The 1990s also witnessed the emergence of political hip-hop such as Grand Puba’s “911 Is A Joke.” By mocking police brutality and calling out corrupt leaders, hip-hop artists challenged power structures while inspiring young people to use their voices effectively.
Electro
Techno emerged from its underground club scene to gain mainstream prominence during the ’90s, rising quickly through warehouse clubs filled with sweaty bodies moving in unison under pulsating strobes, as well as weekend-long raves that opened minds while forcing you to dance. Techno represented something different; nothing seemed able to stop it.
Techno gave birth to numerous sub genres that expanded its boundaries further, such as electro, which combined elements from funk and disco music with synthetic beats and futuristic synths – many songs becoming stadium anthems that helped herald in a new wave of dance music.
One iconic example is The Prodigy’s ‘Firestarter,’ an international hit which broke through UK dance scene barriers and became an international success. This song boasts an infectiously catchy melody with an irresistibly engaging rhythm and heavy bassline to get any dance floor moving.
Numerous artists use vocals to create more danceable sounds, particularly electro funk. Aphex Twin, the Detroit techno musician known for creating this intricate masterpiece in the late ’90s was unmatched at combining electro, IDM and unconventional song structure into his signature work.
Afrika Bambaataa was a former gangster who turned his attention toward Hip Hop music and dance as a means of keeping youths off of the streets and out of trouble. Additionally, he took an interest in electronic music – one of the first rappers to use a TR-808 which gave him his unique sound known as electro funk and made him a global star.
While most electro tracks were predominantly instrumental, some early ’90s tracks also incorporated vocal-synthesis technology to add lyrics with lyrical themes using vocoder or speech synthesis technology. While most male rappers utilized this style, female rap artists also participated, including Loleatta Holloway from Italo-house fame with her hit single ‘Ride On Time’ from 1992.
Nowadays, anyone can easily create tropical house hits in their bedroom with Ableton Live and headphones (while still in pyjamas!). But back in the 1990s, producers who produced timeless tunes needed to toil away in actual studios, dealing with limited sample times and analogue kit that seemed to have minds of its own.