Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk (Paperback)

by Dan Sicko (Author) "Don't turn your back on the media-they're liable to hit you upside the head with a new buzzword..." (more)
Key Phrases: techno rebels, techno records, techno artists, United States, New York, Derrick May (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
An authoritative chronicle of the people, places, and social forces that comprise the newest and most innovative music form to impact on the waning years of the 20th century, Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk tells the story of the development and growing popularity of the music known as "techno" or "electronica," from its genesis in Detroit to its expansion worldwide. A synthesis of stark European synth-pop and Midwestern funk, techno has emerged as one of the most dynamic music forms today. Here is the whole story of techno's birth, development, and ongoing move toward worldwide acceptance.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Billboard Books (May 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823084280
• ISBN-13: 978-0823084289
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #420,035 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reviewer above misses the point., February 25, 2000

By	Monny (London, UK) - See all my reviews

I think the reviewer above who complains about Sicko's lack of information on hardcore and trance has somewhat missed the point. This book exists, as the author stated above, to show the ignorant American that techno was, in fact, a music indigenous to his/her country. Techno isn't trance and it isn't hardcore. If you want to read about trance there's all too many books. If you want to read about techno there are very few. All credit to Sicko for trying to rectify that.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I expected more, October 31, 1999

By	Christian Molstrom (Portland, Oregon USA) - See all my reviews

As a book on the artists behind techno, Sicko's work is quite good. It is packed with names, dates, albums, tunes, clubs, and so forth, as one would expect from a music journalist. But as a work on techno, the art, I found the book to have some glaring holes. He does not discuss the technology of techno, he does not discuss the techniques developed by techno artists, and he does not really explore the question of what really aesthetically distinguishes techno from other music forms (I would expect a chapter devoted to each subject). But this book did not set out to answer these questions, I don't think -- an indication perhaps that the critical thinking on techno is still in its infancy.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a thorough book about AMERICAN techno., October 16, 2001

By	"joseph_ruszel" (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This book is very decent. It definitely tracks the growth of the techno scene and genre in America very well, especially for the techno enthusiast.
This book is NOT, however necessarily appropriate for the person who thinks "techno" means everything electronic. Techno is a specific genre of electronic music that does NOT include trance, hardcore, jungle/d'n'b, or whichever other genres people have been complaining about the lack of in this book. If you note the author's review, he clearly states that the book is first and foremost a chronicle of American techno music.
Good Job Mr. Sicko!