What is Raw & Hypnotic Techno? What defines the underground sub-genre and where it comes from

Why isn't techno just techno?

In order to answer the question of what Raw & Hypnotic Techno actually is and why the term techno as a collective term is not (or no longer) sufficient, we need to go back a few years. (Attention, short excursion into the history of terms)

In February 2020 to be precise, Beatport had long since established itself in the scene as a marketplace for the latest and hottest releases and decided to split up the existing techno category. Until then, techno was just techno. Of course, distinctions had already been made within the scene, but the terms referred to more general, clear distinctions such as “hard techno”, “deep techno” or “minimal techno”. The techno category was then dissolved in February, as reported by FazeMag and others, and formed into two new categories: Peak Time / Driving and Raw / Deep / Hypnotic. The split was intended to make it easier for users and DJs to search for tracks and for producers to gain more visibility, as they are no longer lost in a gigantic general category, but can be curated in more detail and ultimately be found more easily.

Raw & Hypnotic Techno term grows in the scene

After initial discussions in the scene as to why techno is no longer just techno, but now needs subgroups, derived terms such as “Raw & Hypnotic Techno” or “Deep Hypnotic Techno” have become established and can now be found everywhere: Various artist releases, playlists, DJ sets, sample packs etc. You could say that the framing for these sub-genres has now been accepted and has become part of established linguistic usage. And of course the subdivision also makes sense on a musical level, because compared to the releases under “Peak Time / Driving Techno”, “Raw & Hypnotic Techno” has completely different characteristics that run through the sub-genre. And it is precisely these characteristics that we are looking at in this article.

What is Raw & Hypnotic Techno?

Raw & Hypnotic Techno takes place on labels such as Pole Group, Warm Up Recordings, Mord, Kazerne and many more, on which artists such as Oscar Mulero, Lewis Fautzi, Temudo and many more release their tracks and continue to develop the sound.

Basically, the sound is based on the beginnings: Detroit 909 drums that are infectious with their interesting grooves and surrounded by textures. Today's Raw & Hypnotic Techno definitely includes rumble kicks with complex rumble layers. In addition, synth sequences - including FM synths - that spiral through various modulations with a few set midi notes and thus remain in constant motion. The energy level in the arrangement is regulated by the modulations and the insertion and removal of all possible cymbals such as rides, closed hats, shakers and open hats.

Raw & Hypnotic Techno Lowend - 909 Kicks & Rumbles

In raw & hypnotic techno style, the low end often consists of processed 909 kicks with techno rumbles as the bass foundation. The rumble groove should not be static, but should go through a grooving movement within a kick beat. Working with different layers is ideal for getting the ups and downs of the rumble under control. This allows you to add groove and movement to your rumble layer by layer.

Gritty textures for raw & hypnotic techno

The second layer, which is extremely important for raw & hypnotic techno tracks, are textures and repetitive FX sounds that nestle into the low end and create atmosphere. Good textures are of course available in many of our sample packs, but if you want to create your own textures, field recordings are a great sound source! What are textures anyway? Have you always wondered why many raw & hypnotic techno tracks have such a nice, fine, crackling background? That's exactly what textures are, often also called ear candy, which directly provide a certain vibe. The sounds take place in the higher frequency spectrum, are often looped and provided with filter and other modulations using an LFO. Textures tend to play in the background and leave room for the lead synth in terms of frequency.

Raw & Hypnotic Techno Synths - LFO is your friend!

The synth sounds in raw & hypnotic techno style usually don't sound like a classic sawtooth or square wave synth. Often the exact opposite is aimed for, so that it doesn't sound like a classic synth. FM synths are often used or the synth lines come from modular systems. It is important for the arrangement of the style that the synth is in motion and continues to unfold over the course of the track. This is often achieved, for example, by the filter only opening up as the track progresses and the sound initially sounding somewhat obscured. If the synth continues to open up and keeps moving, you have created a great framework for the storytelling in the arrangement.
Here are a few more ideas for you on which parameters are great for modulating: For example, detune, decay, oscillator position, filter cut-off, resonance, pulse wave and many more! Try it out here, the techno subgenre thrives on experimentation!

HiHats for Raw & Hypnotic Techno

When it comes to the hi-hats in raw & hypnotic techno style, it's always good to take out the clarity a little. This can be achieved with distortion tools such as Pedal in Ableton Live and with bitcrushers such as Redux. This allows you to make the hi-hats a little dirtier and bitcrushers also provide a gritty texture on the hi-hats, which we really want for our sound. As with the synths, it's important that the hi-hats don't sound unprocessed and therefore standard, but that you try to give them as much character as possible.

Learn more about the production techniques in Raw & Hypnotic Techno!

In our new course “How To Make A Track - Raw & Hypnotic Techno” you will learn all the details about production techniques in this special techno sub-genre. Experienced producer and DJ Marc Faenger has recorded the course in a compact 85 minutes for the community and shares his knowledge of common production techniques for raw & hypnotic techno with you. You'll learn all the details of creating a stable low end and how to create interesting textures and place them in your tracks. Find out more about the new tutorial now!

Go to Raw & Hypnotic Techno Guide