chassis ground · 13 · a.c. only cat. stp–008

Chapter One

welcome to the machine

America wakes up to techno, 1997–2010

the record

in the order he names them

17 releases

  1. 01 speedy jpull overIn the Netherlands, Speedy J’s “Pull Over” hit the Top 40 in 1990. single
  2. 02 leftfieldshallow graveThe introduction to Boyle’s 1994 film Shallow Grave and the pivotal emotional finish of his 1996 film Trainspotting feature the music of Leftfield and Underworld, respectively. single
  3. 03 orbitalthe saintThere have been some interesting exceptions, however, including Orbital’s energetic theme for the 1997 film The Saint (a reworking of the theme from the old TV show of the same name) and a clever interweaving of techno and narrative in … album
  4. 04 dirty vegasdays go byA commercial for the Mitsubishi Eclipse began airing in 2002 with “Days Go By” by the group Dirty Vegas providing the soundtrack for a “pop-locking” front passenger. single
  5. 05 the chemical brothersexit planet dustThe U.S. music industry really started noticing techno after New York’s Astralwerks, a semi-autonomous branch of Virgin Records, brought the Chemical Brothers’ 1995 album Exit Planet Dust to American audiences, giving English band members … album
  6. 06 the chemical brothersdig your own holeOnly a few years later, the group’s 1997 album Dig Your Own Hole had gone gold in the United States and platinum worldwide, with one track—“Block Rockin’ Beats”—winning the 1998 Grammy Award for best rock instrumental. album
  7. 07 the chemical brothersblock rockin’ beatsOnly a few years later, the group’s 1997 album Dig Your Own Hole had gone gold in the United States and platinum worldwide, with one track—“Block Rockin’ Beats”—winning the 1998 Grammy Award for best rock instrumental. single
  8. 08 run‐d.m.c.walk this wayTogether, guitar riffs and breakbeats connected electronica to the combination Americans already knew and loved: that of rock and hip-hop,5 tracing back to Run-DMC’s 1986 breakthrough “Walk This Way” and Beastie Boys’ records old and new. single
  9. 09 kraftwerkautobahnStarting with 1974’s Autobahn, Kraftwerk single-handedly moved electronic instrumentation out of the cloistered workspaces of inventors and theoreticians and into the bloodstream of popular music. album
  10. 10 kraftwerktrans-europe expressBy the time Kraftwerk recorded Trans-Europe Express in 1977 and Computer World in 1981, its meticulousness in the studio was reflected in a much-imitated straight-laced appearance and a seamless, machine-perfect sound. album
  11. 11 kraftwerkcomputer worldBy the time Kraftwerk recorded Trans-Europe Express in 1977 and Computer World in 1981, its meticulousness in the studio was reflected in a much-imitated straight-laced appearance and a seamless, machine-perfect sound. album
  12. 12 afrika bambaataa & the soulsonic forceplanet rockThe group’s direct influence on New York’s Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force and producer Arthur Baker,9 for example, resulted in Bambaataa’s 1982 record “Planet Rock,” which exploded onto the dance scene and helped define the genre … single
  13. 13 kraftwerkhome computerMany Chicago house pioneers cite Kraftwerk’s 1981 record “Home Computer” as an early reference point. single
  14. 14 kraftwerkralf & florianBartos and Flur were added at separate intervals—just after the Autobahn and Ralf & Florian albums, respectively. album
  15. 15 kraftwerktour de franceThis combination is audible at least as far back as “Trans-Europe Express” in 1977, but is most pronounced in the group’s 1983 hit single “Tour de France.” single
  16. 16 james browncold sweatIntentionally or otherwise, the metallic gliding and ticking of these sounds recalls the tight, rhythmic guitar work of Jimmy Nolen on James Brown staples like “Cold Sweat.” single
  17. 17 kraftwerkelectric caféBy the time Electric Café was released in 1986, Americans were well versed in Kraftwerk, thanks to adventurous radio programmers in tune with disco and progressive rock, and to the group’s inclusion in the new wave and “neue Deutsche … album

technorebels

An unofficial reader’s listening index to Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk by Dan Sicko (Wayne State University Press, revised edition 2010).

Sicko’s book carries no discography, so every record here was found in the text itself, listed in the order he names it, each with the sentence that introduces it.

Links run YouTube searches, so they resolve in any country. Records belong to their artists and labels. Cover design and jacket artwork remain the property of their rights holders; the drawings here are original work in that idiom.

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