It doesn’t matter if you’re considering making DJing a side gig, a simple hobby, or a potential serious DJ career path, knowing the different types of genres (and how to properly mix them) is an essential skill that any performing DJ must have.
This is largely because, with few exceptions, it has become a huge sound for the millennial generation and a scene to be linked with if you are a “cool kid” or in with the “in-crowd”.
Techno can definitely be considered one of the very first “Instagramable” dance music genres.
There is also an abundance of DJs and producers pushing out big tracks allowing Techno to be super accessible to DJs. Plus, it is fairly easy to mix.
Whereas hip-hop and deep house genres certainly require their fair share of expertise and can be more than a bit intimidating at the start, techno song is an incredibly low-pressure genre for starting DJs to play.
With only a small amount of time, even entry-level DJs can successfully DJ mix Techo music.
Below, we’ve gone over several useful tips that you can use to quickly learn Techno music, as well as several DJ tools that can help you get started right away.
How To Start Mixing Techno Music?
To get started as a Techno DJ you will need some essentials. You’ll need to invest in the following. A laptop, an entry-level DJ controller, basic monitor speakers, and some adequate DJ headphones. Once this is all connected you can begin exploring and DJing mixing Techno music through a well-stocked DJ pool or subscription service, such as Beatport LINK.
What Is Techno?
Before we can start to understand how to mix Techno music, we must understand what Techno music is and why it’s been such an instrumental part of the modern-day and historical DJing landscape.
Techno’s Origin
First created in the early 80s in Detroit, Michigan, techno was initially regarded as a radical form of music that was – as is the case for all new music – widely regarded as problematic for its time.
Relying heavily on remixing loud and repetitive beats, techno fast became a popular staple among many music listeners.
While the music was first released in the US and the UK, its name is thought to have been derived from the German language.
How Mixing Techno Music Has Evolved
During its infancy, techno was fairly minimal in its design, with only a few other instrumentals layered and playing in the background.
At the time, these singular beats would vary in their BPM and tempo, creating different musical moods feeling as a result.
Often, artists would get many of their sounds from recording randomly occurring noises, many of them with an industrial feel.
These could range from things like a horn blowing, or aircraft flying to a car alarms beeping. All of these sounds would then be incorporated into the performer’s tracks, working to make the music sound especially compelling.
It was often referred to as “industrial” techno in the 1990s.
Today, things are done a bit differently. Now, techno music has added enough advanced techniques and features, that the entire genre has become much more complex and complicated.
And while some artists may still record many of their sounds for a more natural feel, the vast majority of modern-day Producers/DJs have instead worked to cultivate a much more polished audio sound with advanced studio computer software producing an endless supply of digitally-generated sounds.
Stuff You Will Need to Start Djing Techno
If you want to start techno mixing, there are a few things you’ll need to start with. These basic things can include:
- Laptop
- DJ Headphones
- Monitor Speakers
- DJ Software (a LITE version is enough)
- Entry-Level DJ Controller
The laptop will work as the initial form of hardware while the DJ software will act as the setup for the brain; where you’ll go to create and put together all of your tracks before performing them.
In addition to the laptop and software, you’ll also want to invest in getting a DJ controller. While you can certainly grab a more basic controller setup, you’re not going to get much more than the lowest of mixing options.
Yes, they may be pretty inexpensive, but, more often than not, you’re going to be getting what you paid for – something that can’t do much more than the absolute basics.
Get something that syncs well with your preferred software and is as good as your money can allow it.
When you’re using your controller, you’ll be mostly learning how to mix between two different tracks.
This will be combined with learning how to utilize different sound effects and DJ techniques.
You also should consider investing in a good pair of over-ear DJ headphones.
Look around, they shouldn’t be too pricey, especially if you take a look at some of the ones we have already reviewed, such as the Pioneer DJ HDJ CUE1 DJ headphones.
Good over-ear DJ headphones are a must-have as they help you isolate the music while switching and fading in and out of either track.
What Techno DJing Software Should I Use?
There is a huge amount to consider it comes to getting the right DJ software for you.
If you’re a beginning DJ, or someone just starting mixing Techno, there’s no reason to spend heaps of cash on software from the off.
To get you started, all of the major software out there come with “LITE” versions with the easy option of upgrading to the full or “Pro” version once you are comfortable with a particular platform.
I am not going to go into more detail here about all the pros and cons of each software.
That is a topic within itself that we cover in detail in a whole range of software articles here at DJ Tech Reviews.
We link below to some super handy and detailed articles below about the main software players. So read those articles next.
DJ Software Options
- What Is Serato DJ?
- What Is rekordbox DJ?
- What is Engine Prime?
- What is Traktor DJ?
- What is Virtual DJ?
In some instances, DJ controllers will come natively linked to many of these software types, so that is another keep that in mind when deciding on the controller that you want. Just be aware.
You also want to keep in mind that software can be quite expensive, so be sure to research what you want before ever officially deciding on anything (for example, making sure the software you want is compatible with your choice of DJ hardware or laptop).
Where To Find Tunes for Techno Mixing
A Techno DJ can’t be much of a DJ without the techno music to play with.
Luckily, there are a ton of different websites available online that can offer you various high-quality DJ tech music. The majority of these sites offer an MP3 file format, which is great for DJs; just make sure they aren’t too grainy or low-quality before deciding to listen to them.
Here is a list of options to choose from, all of which are very viable in their way:
- Beatport
- Bandcamp
- Juno Download
- Traxsource
- Soundcloud
- Mixcloud
Read this next: Soundcloud vs Mixcloud: Who Rules Supreme?
While all of these are great options, the most popular is arguably Beatport.
This is one of the biggest music downloading music sites for DJs out there. With around 6 million tracks, you can safely say they’ve got a pretty deep library of electronic music. This includes music from every major label and genre out there.
They’ve even got a new subscription service called Beatport LINK which is another very impressive method of accessing music. In short, the user pays a monthly subscription fee. This then allows the user full access to Beatport’s huge catalog which can then be streamed directly into your devices.
By the way, we love using it at the office. It gives the user so much scope to play around with.
There are some pros and cons with this service and we go into that fully in our Beatport LINK article below:
Read this next: Is Beatport LINK Just Another Library?
Record Pools
Just some more on more on Record pools.
If you are just starting out this streaming methodology is perfect to get you acclimatized to different styles of music, without breaking the bank!
The reality is that, whatever you choose, getting tracks to build up a catalog can be quite difficult and expensive. for a starting DJ simply due to the cost.
This is why a lot of DJs instead use record pools.
These are generally low-cost subscription services that let you download music at a reasonable price. Just be sure to do your research on the right pool for you and what you’re looking for.
There are also several different sites available that offer free music. These generally won’t have as huge a variety as the other options included, but if you’re strapped for cash, these places can be a great way to start.
Read this next: Which DJ Pool Is Best?
How To DJ Techno Tips
The good thing, when it comes to techno music, is that it is an incredibly easy DJ genre to jump into. There are a few things you’ll want to take into consideration when bending and mixing Techno tracks, but overall, the process is fairly simple and straightforward.
Some good tips to keep in mind when using Techno music:
- Transitions: Techno music is innately fast-paced. That means you’re going to want to make transitions smoothly and subtly so that it matches the music’s BPM and tempo. The quicker and snappier you can make it, the better.
- Switch Things Up: Switch things up to keep your sound from becoming stale. Since Techno focuses primarily on beats over melodies, long songs can begin to get boring. Fast!
- Don’t be Creatively Lazy: Don’t just play the same BIG tracks as everyone else around you. There is a vast choice of tracks out there. Get hunting and digging!
How To Start Mixing Techno Music: Takeaway
All in all, the best advice for any new DJ on how to start mixing Techno music is to practice, practice, practice!
By understanding the different aspects of techno music, you can best know what works for you and what won’t. Just keep track playing and experimenting with tracks till you find a sound that works for you.
From there, stick with it and help it grow until you’ve got a Techno sound and performance that can’t be missed.
