Tektronicity

I've been listening to electronic music since I was old enough to tune into the John Peel show on Radio 1. Peel first introduced me to Chicago House, Detroit Electro and Rap. I would listen to an entire show with my finger hovering over the record button of my 'tape-recorder' close to the radio speaker just to record whatever 3 electronic imports he would play each night. I wish I'd kept those recordings. From the moment I first heard 'Roxanne Shante' I sought out everything I could ranging from Kraftwerk, Mike Oldfield, Kurtis Mantronik, Africa Bambata, Grandmaster Flash, Gorgio Morodor, Axel-F, Jean Michel Jarre and just about anyone who used a synth to make music! With the arrival of House in the mid-late 80's the likes of Marshall Jefferson, Frankie Knuckles, Farley Jackmaster Funk, Steve Silk Hurley, Adonis and many more American underground House producers, the music had developed into a new, seriously exciting phenomena. Music progressed at pace with House and Acid imports driving change, the UK in particular underwent an epiphany of sorts in the 80's and 90's. From Break-Dancing to New Romanticism, the music developed, finally morphing into the early genres of Acid Trance, Techno and Progressive Trance. Heavily influenced by American and underground Dutch and German artists and with the advent of clubbing and non-speaking mixing DJ's, it opened up a Pandora's box of new music, influences, sounds and styles. What that amounted to for me (and most others like me) was an ever-growing range of electronic music that was continually breaking free from pigeon-holes and mainstream pop culture. Electronic music had become the new classical music of a generation. I can only say that electronic or computer music has evolved beautifully in the past 40 years and I love it as much now as the day I first heard John Peel play fantastic American imports. I'm not anything more than a bedroom DJ and electronic music enthusiast. I have the greatest admiration for those who DJ p