''Eurotechno'' refers to the musical soundtrack by English group Stakker for their 1989 experimental

short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

of the same name. The original film was an

avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...

experiment and features rapidly shifting colourful computer graphics, reflecting the influence of

rave culture A rave (from the verb: '' to rave'') is a dance party at a warehouse, club, or other public or private venue, typically featuring performances by DJs playing electronic dance music. The style is most associated with the early 1990s dance mus ...

. Although the visuals of the film were primarily the work of Stakker members Marek Pytel, Mark McClean and Colin Scott, the musical soundtrack was largely the work of

Brian Dougans Brian Dougans (born 1968) is a British musician, and a member of the British electronic duo, the Future Sound of London (FSOL). He is the more technical member of FSOL, doing most of the programming, circuit bending et cetera and creating elec ...

, later of

The Future Sound of London The Future Sound of London (often abbreviated FSOL) is a British electronic music duo composed of Garry Cobain and Brian Dougans. They have been described as a "boundary-pushing" electronic act, covering techno, ambient, house music, trip ho ...

. The 25-minute soundtrack was recorded using a

Roland TB-303 The Roland TB-303 Bass Line (also known as the 303) is a bass synthesizer released by Roland Corporation in 1981. Designed to simulate bass guitars, it was a commercial failure and was discontinued in 1984. However, cheap second-hand units were ...

, and reflects the fast-shifting momentum of the film by incorporating fragmented elements of

acid house Acid house (also simply known as just "acid") is a subgenre of house music developed around the mid-1980s by DJs from Chicago. The style is defined primarily by the squelching sounds and basslines of the Roland TB-303 electronic bass synthesiz ...

Chicago house Chicago house refers to house music produced during the mid to late 1980s within Chicago. The term is generally used to refer to the first ever house music productions, which were by Chicago-based artists in the 1980s. History and origins Disco ...

and

Detroit techno Detroit techno is a type of techno music that generally includes the first techno productions by Detroit-based artists during the 1980s and early 1990s. Prominent Detroit techno artists include Juan Atkins, Eddie Fowlkes, Derrick May, Jeff Mil ...

that shift after their brief appearances, thus contributing to an intricately layered style. The film was released by Virgin Video Music in 1989 and became influential on other film-makers, although the soundtrack itself did not initially receive its own release. Over the years, the music proved influential on other producers, including

Squarepusher Tom Jenkinson (born 17 January 1975), known professionally as Squarepusher, is an English electronic musician, record producer, bassist, multi-instrumentalist and DJ. His music spans several genres including drum and bass, IDM, acid house, ...

and

Aphex Twin Richard David James (born 18 August 1971), best known as Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born British musician, composer and DJ. He is known for his idiosyncratic work in electronic music, electronic styles such as techno, ambient music, ambient, and jun ...

. The latter released the soundtrack on CD and vinyl for the first time in January 2003 on his Rephlex label, which had been inspired by the music. The album received positive reviews for its early acid techno sound and was hailed as innovative. It was followed by another release of early Brian Dougans music, '' Sessions 84-88'', later that year.

Film

''Eurotechno'' was a 1989 film created by video artists Stakker, made up of Mark Mclean, Marek Paytel and Colin Scott. One of the British rave scene's earliest visual projects, the film was a "massive statement" that explored possibilities for audio-visual presentation, and featured colourful graphics, such as multi-coloured

polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed ''polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two toge ...

s, cut-and-pasted and edited with quick shifts. ''Future Music'' regard it as "one of those early, computery, weirdy, acidy colourful things." Incorporating microcinematography from Sinclair Stammers Post Production, the film's innovative usage of colourisation was achieved using the CVI,

Quantel Mirage The Quantel Mirage, or DVM8000/1 "Digital Video Manipulator", was a digital real-time video effects processor introduced by Quantel in 1982. It was capable of warping a live video stream by texture mapping it onto an arbitrary three-dimensional sha ...

and Quantel Encore. ''Music Technology'' magazine referred to the film as "audio-visual

." Although Scott felt the film was built on "fairly random editing," Pytel argued it to be a " formalist" work. The music and sound for ''Eurotechno'' was credited to

, McClean and Scott, with Dougans responsible for performing the music. He found a

– a synthesiser pivotal to

music – in the basement of his college, and proceeded to feature it heavily in the production of the film's soundtrack. With its origins in the early days of

Madchester Madchester was a musical and cultural scene that developed in the English city of Manchester in the late 1980s, closely associated with the indie dance scene. Indie-dance (sometimes referred to as indie-rave) saw artists merging indie music w ...

, it was one of the producer's earliest projects. Dougan's 1988 acid house hit "

Stakker Humanoid "Stakker Humanoid" is an 1988 track by Humanoid released in 1988 on the London-based label Westside Records. It is described by ''The Guardian'' as "the first truly credible UK acid techno record to break into the mainstream." History The projec ...

", regarded as one of the earliest examples of acid house to break into the mainstream, also originated from the producer's work with Stakker, and was described as a companion project. Released on VHS by Virgin Video Music in 1989, ''Eurotechno'' went on to become a "dance-culture classic" and a pioneering video for "bedroom digital production," even influencing a television advertisement for

Pot Noodle Pot Noodle is a brand of instant noodle snack foods, available in a selection of flavours and varieties. This dehydrated food consists of noodles, assorted dried vegetables and flavouring powder. It is prepared by adding boiling water, which r ...

. The advertisement, which aired in 1992, was controversial for inducing seizures on several viewers.

Composition

The music of ''Eurotechno'' reflects the fragmented, fast-cut editing of the film by incorporating quick jumps between musical styles, including elements of

, European

dance music Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded danc ...

and foreshadows of Ibiza house. The 25-minute soundtrack is split into 21 tracks, with intentionally jarring edits between musical sections ensuring no recognisable patterns or beats last for much longer than a brief appearance. One journalist described the result as "a conveyor belt of sounds." The soundtrack is intricately layered, and throughout the music are "squelchy" Roland TB-303 sounds, pounding grooves, build-ups and breakdowns, 'searing' techno and acidic bass lines. The sounds of the soundtrack reflect the

scene of the era. The liner notes of the album release refer to it as an

acid techno Acid techno, sometimes known generally as "acid", is a genre of techno that was derived from acid house and developed in Europe in the late 1980s to early 1990s. It saw younger artists apply the "squelching" synthesizer sound of Chicago acid hou ...

record. The 21 tracks throughout the soundtrack are not individually titled, instead being numbered as different parts of "Eurotechno" on the album release. According to Andy Beta of ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...

'', the frequencies in the music quickly distort into

four-on-the-floor Four-on-the-floor (or four-to-the-floor) is a rhythm pattern used primarily in dance genres such as disco and electronic dance music. It is a steady, uniformly accented beat in time in which the bass drum is hit on every beat (1, 2, 3, 4)."T ...

rhythms, but soon undergo "permutations" with "harsh powertools buzz" surrounding and cutting them. He compared the frenzy of "clashing sounds" to

Carl Stalling Carl William Stalling (November 10, 1891 – November 29, 1972) was an American composer, voice actor and arranger for music in animated films. He is most closely associated with the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' shorts produced by War ...

cartoons, due to the soundtrack's preference for "the most absurd squiggles, rubbery yanks, and rhythmic juxtapositions possible within the different patches of synth sound and editing capabilities." He described tracks 7-10–the longest on the album–as forming the "core" of the soundtrack, with metallic, droning keyboards and unabated beats. Track 9 features an

ambient Ambient or Ambiance or Ambience may refer to: Music and sound * Ambience (sound recording), also known as atmospheres or backgrounds * Ambient music, a genre of music that puts an emphasis on tone and atmosphere * ''Ambient'' (album), by Moby * ...

style with TB-303 "squirts basso," while track 10 features noises and processed vocals akin to early

808 State 808 State are an English electronic music group formed in 1987 in Manchester, taking their name from the Roland TR-808 drum machine. They were formed by Graham Massey, Martin Price and Gerald Simpson. They released their debut album, '' New ...

Album release and reception

Despite never originally receiving its own release, the music in ''Eurotechno'' proved influential. The music's tendency to eradicate recognisable patterns after a brief appearance proved influential on later day producers such as

and

Bogdan Raczynski Bogdan Raczynski (born 1977) is a Polish-American electronic musician. Associated with the intelligent dance music (IDM) movement, Raczynski's work draws inspiration from the chaotic breakbeats of jungle and hardcore rave as well as traditio ...

. For instance, track 9 has been cited as a predecessor to Aphex Twin's ''

Selected Ambient Works Volume II ''Selected Ambient Works Volume II'' is the second studio album by Aphex Twin, the pseudonym of British electronic musician Richard D. James. It was released by Warp in March 1994. Billed as a follow-up to James' debut ''Selected Ambient Works ...

''. Aphex Twin's record label Rephlex was also influenced by the soundtrack, and agreed to re-release it after a period of unavailability. They remastered the music from the original tapes and, on 28 January 2003, released it for the first time on CD and vinyl. Rephlex soon followed it with a compilation of other Brian Dougan productions from the era, '' Sessions 84-88''. ''

The Wire ''The Wire'' is an American Crime film, crime drama Television show, television series created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon. The series was broadcast by the cable network HBO in the United States. ''The ...

'' called ''Eurotechno'' "an orgiastic 25 minute sequence of build ups, breakdowns, 303s and four to the floor beats." They praised Rephlex for "rescuing this unique moment in the history of

rave A rave (from the verb: '' to rave'') is a dance party at a warehouse, club, or other public or private venue, typically featuring performances by DJs playing electronic dance music. The style is most associated with the early 1990s dance mus ...

from its original fate." ''

Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character tra ...

'' wrote that Replhex's reissue of the soundtrack was " r from an exercise in nostalgia," and instead "more like a labor of love." They referred to the soundtrack as an influential "acid lover's paradise" and wrote that, despite its short length, the album is "perfect for anyone looking to own a slice of dance-music history." Christine Hsieh of ''

Remix A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...

'' wrote that ''Eurotechno'' "still sounds fresh, new and innovative." She commented that the release is "no nostalgic nod to the past," but instead "a testament to the timeless quality of solid electronic music." In a positive review for ''

'', Andy Beta noted the influence of the music on contemporary producers, and wrote that: "Either as a history lesson through the classic Acid noises of a decade back, or as just a good ol' mix, ''Eurotechno'' is still quite quick and efficient work, even for a time machine." Ned Raggett of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

noted that the release would appeal to dedicate fans of Dougans' later project

. He wrote that while ''Eurotechno'' was "curious" and "very much of-its-time" in 1989, and had remained "not really all that deathless," it maintained a "certain thrill" and was "good enough fun." He felt parts of the music would anticipate Ibiza house. I. Khider of ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

'' felt that, as an item of "audio anthropology," ''Eurotechno'' is "fun and interesting to listen to." Nonetheless, they wrote that the lack of "breadth" within the tracks meant that listeners would find it hard to engage with the music: "Just when the mind is about to wrap itself around a sumptuous rhythm or sound, a new track intrudes, resulting in a rather detached listening experience." ''

Uncut Uncut may refer to: * ''Uncut'' (film), a 1997 Canadian docudrama film by John Greyson about censorship * ''Uncut'' (magazine), a monthly British magazine with a focus on music, which began publishing in May 1997 * '' BET: Uncut'', a Black Enter ...

'' referred to the soundtrack as " storic stuff" in a three-star review.

Track listing

All music written by Brian Dougans, Mark McClean and Colin Scott # "Eurotechno (Part 1)" – 1:11 # "Eurotechno (Part 2)" – 0:59 # "Eurotechno (Part 3)" – 0:54 # "Eurotechno (Part 4)" – 1:09 # "Eurotechno (Part 5)" – 0:17 # "Eurotechno (Part 6)" – 0:34 # "Eurotechno (Part 7)" – 2:40 # "Eurotechno (Part 8)" – 1:28 # "Eurotechno (Part 9)" – 2:26 # "Eurotechno (Part 10)" – 1:44 # "Eurotechno (Part 11)" – 0:46 # "Eurotechno (Part 12)" – 0:57 # "Eurotechno (Part 13)" – 1:05 # "Eurotechno (Part 14)" – 0:42 # "Eurotechno (Part 15)" – 1:06 # "Eurotechno (Part 16)" – 2:05 # "Eurotechno (Part 17)" – 1:06 # "Eurotechno (Part 18)" – 0:19 # "Eurotechno (Part 19)" – 1:02 # "Eurotechno (Part 20)" – 1:49 # "Eurotechno (Part 21)" – 1:29

Personnel

* Music composed by Brian Dougans, Mark McClean and Colin Scott. * Remix by Colin Scott * Original Video: ''STAKKER EUROTECHNO'' produced and directed by Mark McClean, Colin Scott and Marek Pytel

References

External links

* {{Authority control Stakker albums Rephlex Records albums 2003 albums Acid techno albums Acid house albums Rave albums Instrumental albums 2003 soundtrack albums