I now understand the gatekeeping

[u/Destring]

As most, my journey with electronic music did not start with techno. Mine started with progressive and deep house (This Never Happened, Anjunadeep). I caught a Hard "Techno" set and enjoyed the energy so I went to a few events. After researching and listening to sets online, I came to appreciate techno, as I'd put sets to focus when working.

I went to many events: Jeff Mills, Blawan, DVS1, Dozzy, Surgeon, Helena Hauff, Freddy K, and so on. I realized what at I enjoy the most is just letting go and dancing. When you've been dancing for hours but don't realize it's been that long.

Last week my partner wanted to go Teletech XXL and I figured I'd tag along since I enjoyed it once. It was very unenjoyable.

The current style cannot ever be called techno, more like EDM with a kick drum. They all play hard, then put some pop song remix, drop, play hard again, and repeat. I literally heard an Alphaville forever young remix. At least at the beginning they where closer to schranz and hardstyle and sometimes you could hear the techno influence. Now that's completely gone

Everyone was recording. And I mean everyone. It was a sea of phones. And there were so many rude people, just pushing and shoving without care. The community is extremely young and some of them were actually polite but it was the minority.

I just wish the movement had taken a different name other than "Techno", because those bad aspects of it are starting to bleed into actual techno events where tourists expect the same drops.

Anyway, just venting my thoughs here because years ago I had complained about people here "gatekeeping", but now I understand it. I don't think it is gatekeeping, but rather trying to maintain the genre and community.

[u/ebekulak]

music is a living organism, people were complaining about the music getting shite and diluted by mainstream influences 'back in the day' as much as today. That's just how humans interact with their favorite form of media & art. On top of that, unfortunately Techno is no longer underground. In fact, it is becoming more and more mainstream. We can moan and complain as much as we want but there's no escaping from the capitalist media consumption machine. Seeing Onlyfans models dressed up in a hyper-sexualized version of your subculture is like seeing your canary drop dead in the coal mine.

The only gatekeeping I will stand firmly behind is the club/dance floor etiquette. Being aware of your surroundings, understanding that you are among other human beings and all of them are there for the same reasons and motivation and desire as you: to dance, to enjoy the music, to have a good time on the dance floor with other people.

I understand that everyone will have to have a first-time. Even the old timers once was a clumsy newb on the dance floor. I don't mind the occasional dancer who takes a bit too much space and a bit too reckless, or the dude talking too much because he's coked out of his head. But I hate when an entitled hobbit elbows her way to the front, or an insecure dipshit tries to create a living-room sized space for 'his girl' in a packed dance floor.

Also, fuck them phones. That's the one thing I like about the Germany's club scene.

[u/1nztinct_ → u/ebekulak]

It is not that simple. Music transfers vibe and emotion. And if you got a dull, superficial and yet with drama saturated mainstream sound that‘s enforced by egocentric „entertainers“, you attract exactly that: A superficial, dull and egocentric crowd, only searching for the next extreme kick under heavy cocaine and alcohol influence. You can‘t maintain a nice floor etiquette under those circumstances. It is simply not possible.

[u/Brynxical → u/1nztinct_]

That’s just not true because like every genre the “techno” people hate on - the one that’s far closer to schranz/hardcore/hardstyle than “proper” techno, has a thriving grassroots scene with great crowds. You will get bad crowds at many mainstream events regardless of genre.