Minimal techno

[3][4] By the early 2000s the term "minimal" generally described a style of techno that was popularized in Germany by labels such as Kompakt, Perlon, and Richie Hawtin's M-nus, among others.

According to Derrick May, "while the first-wave artists were enjoying their early global success, techno also inspired many up-and-coming DJs and bedroom producers in Detroit".

[5] This younger generation included producers such as Richie Hawtin, Daniel Bell, Robert Hood, Jeff Mills, Carl Craig, Kenny Larkin, and Mike Banks.

People would complain that there's no funk, no feeling in techno anymore, and the easy escape is to put a vocalist and some piano on top to fill the emotional gap.

[8] Los Angeles-based writer Daniel Chamberlin attributes the origin of minimal techno to the German producers Basic Channel.

[9] Chamberlin draws parallels between the productions by Richie Hawtin, Wolfgang Voigt, and Surgeon with phase music techniques used by American minimalist composer Steve Reich.

Many projects in other locations, such as those of Regis in the UK, Basic Channel in Berlin and Mika Vainio in Finland, have also made significant contributions to minimal techno.

Minimal techno has found mainstream club popularity since 2004 in such places as Romania,[14] Germany,[15] Portugal, Japan, France, Belgium, South Africa, The Netherlands, Spain, Sri Lanka, Italy, Ireland and the UK, with DJs from a wide variety of genres incorporating differing elements of its tones.

In 2003, minimal techno received widespread commercial attention when Kylie Minogue employed the sound on her number-one hit "Slow", while in years to come the work of M.A.N.D.Y.