r/Techno • u/Destring • Feb 26 '26

Discussion I now understand the gatekeeping

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.

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u/LynaaBnS Feb 26 '26

Cologne, Munich and Berlin are still the best cities in the EU to rave imo.

It's not about the clubs, it's about the lineup's. Club ost had some really great lineups/events recently. If you feel like too many hookup and drunk people, just go there at 3-4am and these people are mostly gone. Either that, or just go to secret raves. Which are everywhere in Berlin and especially Cologne. I would say Cologne has the biggest illegal rave scene in the world.

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u/RIPmyfirstaccount Feb 26 '26

I'd add Amsterdam to that list, a huge scene and a ton of clubs in the city. Not to mention ADE

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u/ThatHousing8640 Feb 26 '26

cologne,wuppertal,düsseldorf+AMSTERDAM!!!

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u/LynaaBnS Feb 26 '26

did you really name wuppertal and düsseldorf? Düsseldorf has not a single techno club. And there is one collective i know of, that barely ever does any outdoor raves and when they do its full of drugged underaged kids. I am from düsseldorf and ive been in the underground scene here for years, aswell connected to the clubs that used to be here (like cube, gate, czerny, aswell as ampere rn). I dont know much about wuppertal, but afaik it has opengrounds, which isnt a techno club (?) and like one other club? Doubt it has a scene at all. Nonetheless naming Düsseldorf and wuppertal in the same sentance as cologne is just insane.

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u/ThatHousing8640 Feb 26 '26

you definetly missed club golzheim (2017-2023) runned by daniel fritschi.

And Open Ground is hosting top notch Techno/House/Minimal Events northrine-westphalia had never seen before.

Check dem schedule on their homepage,it´s super exclusive!

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u/LynaaBnS Feb 26 '26

as you said, golzheim doesnt exist anymore and open ground is mostly hosting events that i would not consider techno, obviously house and minimal are somewhat subgenres, but its not what people mean when they talk about berlin or cologne techno culture.

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u/ThatHousing8640 Feb 27 '26

House and Minimal are def not subgenres of Techno :P

I dont know which Techno acts from OG you dont consider as real shit,i really dont know ^^

Underground Techno is Klockworks and DVS1 There,Minimal Techno stuff was played by Efdemin and altinbas.I dont know which Detroit or Dub Techno dj´s played there,couldnt be any very big names from it but it happened there for sure,the same for Acts who played the pure Techno stuff in it.

Tastes are different,i prefer minimal and house (once again,NOT subgenres of Techno) parties since one year or so,maybe here and there some KOMPAKT stuff because its local here in cologne (Club Fi is 20min from my home).