Melodic Techno, I Can't Take It Seriously

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-- Melodic Techno, I Can't Take It Seriously

Posted by TranceElevation on Dec-30-2022 20:31:

Melodic Techno, I Can't Take It Seriously

I feel like Melodic Techno is a trend, a bit like it was with Dubstep, it attracts the most volatile and superficial audience. It will stay on top for a few years and then slowly fade into nothingness.
There is something about this "genre" that just doesn't convince me. I mean, even the name itself "Melodic-Techno" sounds goofy to me.
Had they called it Progressive Techno maybe it would've sounded somehow more serious.
It reminds of 10 years ago when some kids started calling Uplifting Trance with orchestral elements as "Emotional Trance". Fortunately it never turned into a legit genre, but I'm getting the same vibe here with "Melodic" Techno.
From a production perspective Melodic Techno sounds flat to me. You often have some minor key arp in the background or in front staying there statically for most of the track. You would expect it to be taken out and reintroduced in various ways later, but nah, it just keeps being static for around 70% of the track. At least in Trance you have the filter cutoff opening and closing thus creating more movement. It seems to me like Melodic Techno producer wanted to make Trance but they gave up after 1 year of learning and chose to start releasing music with the basics they learned.
It's curious, this genre does not revolve around a hook, a main melody which you could remember in the future. So in what does exactly the "Melodic" part consists of? It's the annoying 3 note arp, plus you have some random atmospheres in the background, some Aaahs and Ooohs which lead to nowhere. This is maybe the part that triggers me the most. They add this one note liners that have no direction.
So they way in which Melodic Techno is different than regular Techno is that you have some basic reverbered arps with Aaahs and Ooohs added? Really? And this justifies the creation of a whole new genre?
Also, another thing that's amusing to me is how even when they choose dark sounding keys, they still can't make it sound serious and authoritative.
In conclusion, I feel like Melodic Techno sounds "incomplete". It's like a producer who didn't go the whole way and started producing with the limited knowledge he had.

Posted by cryophonik on Jan-02-2023 17:27:

Seems like every time I listen to something in the dance music world that the composer calls “melodic” or “progressive”, I find myself thinking…

https://youtu.be/G2y8Sx4B2Sk

Posted by alfiwolfnuts on Nov-28-2023 13:48:

WHatchu talking bout, Bruce?
Theres loads of great melodic techno songs, and theyve been around for ages..

This is from like 2006 or something...

edit: its from 2004, and still a banger