Techno music, a sub-genre of Electronic Dance Music, also known as electronica, is thriving in Asia due to its appeal to the young and growing generation. The Asia-Pacific region, which contains 60 percent of the world’s youth population, is now a huge market for the EDM industry, which originally dominated in the European-American region, is swelling up in Asia. A recent report titled “2022 IMS Business Report,” a leading report of the business dynamics of the electronic dance music industry, suggests electronic dance music stands at a staggering valuation of $6 billion. Major festivals like Ultra Music Festival and Sunburn have penetrated deep into Asian markets. Many prominent international artists perform in different Asian countries, catering to their huge young generation. Thailand, South Korea, and recently India are witnessing a surge in techno music and the rise of techno club culture. Shitij Rao, Features Editor of BFH has some interesting takes for you to know more about his experience at the the recent Techno event. Continue reading to know more!
Rise in Techno Club Culture
The IMS Business report tells about the rise in techno club culture across the world, suggesting electronic music is almost married to club culture. The phenomenon can be attributed to young people grooving to electronica music all around the world. In Asia, club culture is thriving, and many countries such as Thailand, South Korea, and India are fiercely competing against the Western countries that originally started the EDM scene. Originally, electronica music was played at underground parties, and the young raved and grooved at such parties. In recent years, tech club culture has been recognised as a real business because of how popular it is.
Techno party through my own eyes
On the left – Vyoma, and on the right – International Duo 999999999 playing at Habibi by Khubani, Aero city, New Delhi, India
To gain a better understanding of techno club culture in New Delhi, India, I attended a one-of-a-kind techno party in Habibi By Khubani, Aerocity, curated by Extended Drop and TechnoTakeoverIndia, which featured an international electronica duo named 999999999 their first ever debut in India, and other domestic artists such as Moscada, Shreyas, Ali Burni, Vyoma, and Technaari among others. There’s no denying the fact that that event was an enriching and surreal experience. The floor was densely crowded, and men and women in their 20s dominated with their presence. As soon as the international duo started their gig, the vibes were unprecedented and something I had never witnessed before. The techno music played was radical, Hypnotic techno, which was loopy and trance-like, captivating the mind with its hard BPM.
During the noisy and trippy music, I happened to find some solitude outside and met Siddhant Gupta, curator and partner in TechnotakeoverIndia, who organised the event. When asked about the experience they have created, he said, “It’s like being in a dream.” Gupta said, “We believe in breaking the stereotypes and transforming the conventional party culture by providing a specially curated experience to the audience that is inclusive of performing arts and music with top-notch sound and production.”
Youth’s infatuation with techno music
Techno, a subgenre of electronic dance music, has become synonymous with youth since its inception more than three decades ago. Both men and women are highly inclined to listen to and attend techno events. What’s the reason for this infatuation? Popular EDM DJ and renowned artist David Guetta divulged in a statement, “Hip-hop went from the ghetto to trendy mainstream, and the same thing is happening with EDM.” It’s the new sound of American pop music,” suggesting that the rise in popularity of electronica is potentially unlimited. One reason can be attributed to the increase in the number of social media platforms and streaming platforms, where artists all over the world are directly disseminating their content to users all over the world. Because youth are very active on social media, they pick up the content very quickly. Also, the rave culture is a driving force, and techno is fast and exciting. People are high on something or other and may have a “cathartic” experience attending techno events.
Why is Techno club culture thriving?
Liberalization and the enlistment of strict policies may have changed the game. 10 years ago in New Delhi, only the rich partied at 5-star hotels. The middle class was oblivious to club culture and had limited options. Now, the scene has changed a lot, and EDM’s worldwide prominence and a kind of renaissance in Asia through music festivals and club culture have made it the obvious choice. The youth, brimming with energy, are the face of techno club culture. Techno, in many of its diverse technical forms, is a club house favorite, and it becomes tough to quench one’s thirst for electronica as the infatuation keeps growing.
In A Nutshell
Well, there is no denying the fact that electronica is thriving and has the potential to dominate future music charts. Asian countries have started to acknowledge the prominence of techno music. Club techno is slowly and steadily breaking all the stereotypes and creating new experiences for youth. Youth and their infatuation with techno are bound to grow even more.