Selections for your Reading Pleasure

XLR8R
Accelerating Music and Culture

This is the magazine that Techno Music fans need to keep up to date with the latest Albums as well as the whole music scene. I especially like the section near the end of the magazine (over a dozen pages) where they review various new albums grouped by category. Checkout the XLR8R website to get a feel for what the magazine is like (backissues are now online too!) Then hit your local newstand to get the latest issue. If you don't want to hunt it down at your newstand you can subscribe to it online via X-Radio's ordering system (that's what I did):

• subscribe for one year
• subscribe for two years

The History of Techno

While "techno music" was not isolated to any one area in the world - two areas stand out: Detroit and London. It seems only just then that two of the books attempting to document techno's history come from authors in just those two cities: Dan Sicko (Detroit) and Simon Reynolds (London). While both authors try to paint the whole picture, they both do focus on their own home turf! So, it is a real treat to read both books and compare their views!

Techno Rebels
by Dan Sicko (1999)

Dan is a native of Detroit and was "there" during its beginnings. In Techno Rebels he tells the Detroit story, but also delves into techno's assimilation and worldwide expansion. He demystifies the genre's complex range of influences, from Chicago house and Midwestern funk to stark European synth-pop and industrial music. Dan has a very enjoyable writing style and the whole book is a joy to read. The photos scattered throughout the book add to its flavor, letting you see just who some of techno's "rebels" really are! The books many insights will be noted at various times on this site (first example were quotes right on our home page!)

Best yet is the extensive discography of more than 300 essential albums. And the nice part is that he tries to limit his list to those that are available on CD and even tries to indicate how easy it might be to find a copy now if you want to order it! You may want to get this book just for these 22 pages!

• Dan Sicko's E-Zine: Reverb

Paperback

Generation Ecstasy: Into the World of Techno and Rave Culture by Simon Reynolds (1998)

Hardcover

Generation Ecstasy should really be subtitled "The History of Techno" since he traces the roots of Techno and follows it progress through 1998. While the book itself is extremely well written and very intriguing ... it is worth buying just for the 40 page discography at the end! You will see this book mentioned in Techno Heaven. For example, one of our first recommended Techno CDs is Techno Animal vs Reality - which is discussed on pages 478-479 of the paperback edition of this book! This book is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Special Note: Generation Ecstasy was published in the UK as Energy Flash. It includes a chapter on UK Pirate Radio that was removed from the US release Generation Ecstasy. Energy Flash also includes an accompanying CD with 12 rave classics - seven have never appeared on any compilation and are VERY hard to find.

Energy Flash is not available at Amazon.com ... however, it is availabe at Amazon.co.uk ... so if you want to get the CD along with the book make sure to order Energy Flash. If you live in the UK or Europe, this would be your best way to get the book anyway! If you live in the USA the prices quoted on Amazon.co.uk are in British Pounds. If you charge the purchase they automatically convert to US dollars for you. Air Mail shipping to the USA adds about 5 British Pounds to the cost. The exchange rate changes daily, but as an estimate it is 1.665 now (Aug 31, 1999)... so when I ordered my copy (I already have the USA version - but want the CD too) the order totalled 15.34 British Pounds ... or about $25.54 US dollars. This is a good deal considering ordering the paperback Generation Ecstasy (US version) costs $18.34 when including the shipping costs. That is only $7.20 more and includes the CD (half the tracks on the CD are VERY hard to fine elsewhere) as well as 40,000 words more text than the US version. (note: both prices and exchange rates vary, so this is merely an example)

• UK Pirate Radio (extended chapter - "directors cut")
• Audio Clips from a UK Pirate radio broadcast that is referred to in this chapter
• Track listing for the CD that is included with the UK Energy Flash book
• Simon Reynolds's website

MP3 Power! With Winamp
by Justin Frankel, Dave Greely, Ben Sawyer (1999)

MP3 Power With Winamp is a good book for anyone intersted not only in getting the most out of playing music on their computer with Winamp ... but understanding MP3 and SHOUTcast as well!

There is a good summary of this book posted - where else - on the Winamp site!

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Special Acknowledgment and Thanks to the DJs at Technostate: Dr. Nog, Gabbergirl, Inanna, Insect, Ki and especially Forest Green. They are what heroes are made of - and without their expert help this site would not exist.