DomingoYu.com

Techno Research Project

Posted Jan 25 2007

III. Science fiction, science, and other influences on techno
Techno is heavily influenced by a range of social issues, with a particular focus on the future. Although there are plenty of suggestions here feel free to come up with your own topics-with approval
Pick two, cite two sources each


*Alvin Toffler
-Famous author dealing with technology and the future. Named by some as one of the top three most important people in business

*Eugenics
-manipulating human genes (choosing eye color for babies, making dwarf babies, breeding people, eliminating others, Nazis, etc)

*Isaac Asimov
-famous science fiction author, writings have turned into movies such as I, Robot and he created the "Robot Law"

*Gene Rodenberry
-author of Star Trek (exploration and diversity)

*L. Ron Hubbard
-famous author who created a religion called Scientology, whose followers include Tom Cruise. This religion has been banned in some countries

*Area 51
-restricted area in the United States thought to be the site of a UFO crash

*Philip K. Dick
-famous science fiction author whose writings led movies such as Total Recall, Blade Runner, and Minority Report

*Octavia Butler
-famous African American science fiction author

*Aliens and Native Americans and/or Egyptians
-The pyramids, art, and other works of peoples such as the Aztecs and Mayans are often associated with outers space visitors

*George Orwell
-Famous books include 1984, which deals with the governemnt spying on citizens and using lies to control them

*Orson Welles
-Famous author, film maker, and radio personality, whose works include War of the Worlds, which nearly set off riots as it stirred up fear in listeners when it was broadcast on the radio

*Cloning
-history and controversy of this subject

*V for Vendetta
-address the main idea behind the comic book, not the movie (although you can address the author's criticism of it)

*Children of Men
New movie dealing with illegal immigration and other issues, set to the backdrop of human beings unable to reproduce

*Star Wars
-focus on the idea of rebels VS the empire and/or the beliefs of "the force" (it's often compared to Taoism)

*Jules Verne
-books include 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Time Machine, and Around the World in 80 Days

*Matrix/Terminator
-Describe the ideas behind these movies, how they're connected, you must include information on a woman named Sophia Stewart

*Predator
-Aliens travel across the universe to hunt

*Frankenfoods
-genetically modified food

*Sun Ra
-Famous jazz musician know for ideas rooted in science fiction, including the creation of a movie set in Oakland

Comments

1. Rob G said at February 1, 2007 2:30 pm:

Domingo- I'm always impressed with this blog/forum. one of the coolest things about techno, or any "underground" music, is this idea that you can make exciting music your own self, and thats way more interesting and sometimes money making then just turning on the big business radio. Maybe you should also have some further focus on some of the new toys that happened in the 80s (Roland 808, 909, 303) that helped techno to happen. Cuz most of these people were just doing their own thing with cheap used equipment, and one day - it all blew up (same story repeated for so many people in the history!) anyway, good luck with the research!!!

2. T said at February 2, 2007 11:05 pm:

Awesome idea. You might want to recommend the book "Techno Rebels" by Dan Sicko, that might help them trace the music in it's historical context... -peace, t

3. DC said at February 5, 2007 12:44 am:

TECHNO REBELS IS THE BIBLE FOR REAL. From Skratch (RBMA) and DJ Culture are good books. Last Night a DJ saved my Life is a nice one. I got them all and read them with passion, the last one is not so good in my Opinion. have a nice day peace DC

4. Inertia said at February 8, 2007 9:33 pm:

I thought that Last Night a DJ saved my life is a pretty good introduction to the history of dance music. It is readable and unpretentious, which I think is a good thing. I have notmanaged to read the Dan Sicko book but it is on my list

5. Daniel said at February 10, 2007 3:02 pm:

Yeah, I read "Techno Rebels" when it first came out. I need to reread it though. I thought that "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life" was pretty good. As a teacher, something that is similar to DJing is balancing what people want/know, with where I'm trying to take them. There's often a difference between what I listen to at home and what I play in public. If I lose the crowd, then I'm literally playing just for myself and I could've just stayed home. Yet, I want to turn people on to new music. There's that balance...Same with the books, DVDs, etc that I use in class. I have to start with the students' own background. Their exposure to techno has been fairly minimal beyond the mainstream and so many of them are into hip hop, reggaeton, and Latin music that I have to find the connections. It's usually not hard. They're loving this unit. I guess my point is that the best material isn't necessarily the best as an entry point. I gotta say that teaching this class has been an extension of DJing.

6. Hugo Kruysh said at February 13, 2007 9:04 pm:

I've done my paper ( ??? the work you have to give at the end of your studies) at university in the same mind : "an extension of DJing". I do not have many time to do this but i'd like to summarize it and to translate it. I'm really interrested about what you're doing. Is this project only about researching or do you or will you teach them things about techno music ? If you do or you will, could you send me a copy of the lesson you give (if it's possible), i would be pleased to read them. I'd love to find a place like you to teach people about techno but another way than behind decks.. not that i don't like the place behind the decks, but i'm also interrested by the place behind the desk not everybody comes to parties or are in touch with dj's so i think it's the way techno has to go to if it will be spread yet more around the world than it already is, and be understood. Here are some of the books or texts i've read to do my paper, some are talking about music in general more than only about techno but they give an approach that may help to view music another way than the musicological one: - http://www.tagg.org/xpdfs/semiotug.pdf ( all the work of Phillip Tagg is really interresting) - Thornton Sarah, Club cultures. Music, Media and Subcultural Capital, Cambridge, Polity Press, 1995 - Sheperd John, The Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World, Vol. I, Media, Industry and Society, London, Continuum, 2003 ; - Sheperd John, The Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World, Vol. II, Performance and Production, London, Continuum, 2003 (for definition about musical things and historical overview) - Technoritualités. religiosité rave, (sous la dir. De François Gauthier et Guy Ménard), Montréal, Université du Québec, « Religiologiques » n° 24, 2001 (the titel is in french and the most of the articles are in french (sorry my language ) but there is a text in english about the Carnival in Rio and rave) now that i think about it it may exist in an english version here is the link http://www.unites.uqam.ca/religiologiques/ you have to go in "numeros parus" then the nummer 24 these are abstract in english but i do not know if there is an english version... - Hebdige Dick, Subculture the meaning of style, London, Routeledge, 1979 - http://www.hermetic.com/bey/taz_cont.html , it's "Taz" from Hakim Bey, many theoricians do a parallel between parties in rave or clubs with what Bey call Taz (temporary autonomous zone) These are the english books i read , if someone is interrested by th french one i can also post them.

7. Daniel said at February 18, 2007 11:18 pm:

Thanks for all of the info. Yeah, I don't have time to DJ like I used to. If I had stayed in Detroit I'd probably go crazy trying to teach and stay hyper active on the music side. Yet I've found teaching to be quite rewarding, especially when I can do projects such as these. For a link to the lesson, just go above. In terms of what students wrote, there's nothing too amazing as it was basic research that just about everyone here probably knows already. However, one of my students actually interviewed Atlantis and Dex via phone. She was quite excited so I'm going to help her craft an article. Students also shared their techno tracks as part of their final today. There were some good tracks there. FYI, it's not a techno class, but more of a music and social issues one. This particular unit was on techno, the next is on house. We have lots of great projects in the works, including mini radio shows and more traxs. They'll be floating around the internet soon enough. Who knows, the next crop of UR DJs/Producers might be sitting in front of me in 6th period.

8. SkypainteR said at December 16, 2008 3:43 pm:

YO YO WAZZUP my Electronic people Where I can Download da "Techno Rebels" by Dan Sicko, [img]http://www.spannered.org/media/images/large/750.jpg[/img] Is A tight book Maybe Some Link-- Peace Out- UR-4-L1F3

9. E said at January 8, 2009 3:40 pm:

I too wrote a research paper on Techno music for my 12th grade English Class.....it was a pain in the ass. haha. But my love for techno might have been about the only reason why I wrote the paper at all. XD

10. Dinah deSpenza said at November 22, 2010 1:42 pm:

Can some one put me in touch with folks that have written papers on Techno Music as I am a graduate student doing a presentation on Techno Music based on educational writings.

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