Techno

Techno has its roots in mid-'80s Detroit, but our Essentials have been selected to cover some of the genre's mutations (hardcore techno, ambient techno), as well as the retroactive inclusion of Kraftwerk, techno gods on the back of tracks like "Tour de France". Your journey begins in Yorkshire, with the sub-bass delights of LFO's "LFO".

Now that you're warmed up, it's time to push towards the outer reaches of techno in the company of several producer/DJs who have spent their careers at the genre's cutting edge. Laurent Garnier ("Basic") became a cult hero while in residency at the Hacienda during Madchester, and Dave Clarke deserves his moniker, the Baron of Techno.

If your head's a touch fuzzy, one way to open the doors of perception is to syringe your ears with premium tracks like these: We trust you're now ready to handle the inspired abrasion of Surgeon's "Muggerscum Out", the otherworldly squelches of Autechre ("Reniform Puls", "Rotar") and the crushing avalanche of Secret Cinema's "Acid Come".

Put simply, techno is ultra-sharp, synthesized music dance. Defining the scene, however, has become complicated, because so many first-rate DJ/producers have dipped their toes in techno waters, adding an influence here, riding a tangent there. As a result, we have witnessed the movement's kaleidoscopic flowering. These Essentials strive to represent techno's range, from the IDM (intelligent Dance Music) of the Aphex Twin and the Black Dog, to Sheffield's Yorkshire Bleeps and Bass sub-scene, and the second-wave Detroit techno outings of Carl Craig and Jeff Mills. Bottom line: the future of music starts here.