Age-old Techno

Jeff Mills said a few years ago that he was making and releasing music for an ageing audience - does this hold true for techno generally nowadays? I'm not sure if this statement is 100% correct, but there is anecdotal evidence to suggest that there is some truth in what he said - and that it's not a lazy generalisation. When techno, acid house or whatever you want to call it first exploded, it sucked in a large proportion of the generation that was then in its teens and early 20s. The shift in culture at the time was so seismic that it was hard not to feel seduced by something genuinely new sounding. Nearly twenty years later, what passes for 'youth' (although that word seems obselete for this post!) or 'popular' culture is a huge mish-mash of styles and genres.
Where clear divisions once existed, fragmentation is now the key characteristic and the house-techno microcosm shows the most interesting demographic imbalances. While some people went off and had kids, bought a house and settled down, others just kept going. Berlin is now one of the world capitals of techno (and, though less documented, a house capital too). While cheap rent and non-existent licensing laws are usually cited as the main factors for Berlin's status, one other reason is rarely talked about. It's the capital city of a country where no one has kids any more. Germany has one of the lowest birth rates in Europe and, if you go to a club in Berlin or to a club in any other major German city for that matter - or even take a look at the 'Feiern' DVD if you don't want the hassle of leaving your sitting room - it's obvious that the age profile is much higher there than in a club in Ireland or the UK. At this point, I don't want to explain why this happening because I'm not a sociologist and even if I was, any explanation would be shaky at best: do Germans just want to have more fun and less responsibility than the rest of us? Do they think that techno is more important than kids? Or are they unable to have kids or have them when they are older - it is true that in the 'old' EU states, fertility rates are falling and people are leaving it longer and longer to have kids. so maybe this is explanation for Germany's older techno profile. Contrast this situation to Ireland and the UK, where the clubs are usually full of people in their teens to late 20s with just a sprinkling of thirtysomethings in the room - is this because these societies dictate that we buy houses rather than rent apartments and therefore we have to get a 'real' job and a mortgage, knuckle down and knock techno on the head at an earlier stage?
My cursory knowledge of Spanish clubs suggests to me that a relatively similar age profile exists there as in Ireland and the UK, even though there is a stronger rent culture but also, paradoxiacally, falling birth rates. Adding to this confusion is the greatest unknown factor, those people who still listen to techno but who don't go out anymore - after all, tempos have been dropping steadily since the late 90s, and the current whatever you want to call it minimal/techno/deep house fusion could be just as pleasing a soundtrack to do the ironing to...

Comments

[tom/pipecock]

i think part of it is that germans tend to take techno music seriously, it's not just "for kids to do drugs to" or whatever attitudes are popular in other places. nightclubs just happen to be the place that you go to hear that music! in big cities in the US like chicago, detroit, and nyc, the deep house crowd can be pretty old as well.

[skkatter]

After school, Germans have to either do a year in the army or a year of "social work", which delays their entrance to college. They also usually spend a longer time in college than Irish people on average, my sister's German fiancé once told me that seven years is the average time spent by a German in college, rather than the Irish four. So perhaps that's why they postpone having kids until they're a good bit older and spend more time going to clubs?

Next time I'm in a club here I'll do a survey of ages for ya! :)

[Kenny]

I find myself feeling alot older in clubs these days in Ireland (especially down EC, but hey its a thursday night so thats to be expected i s'pose) compared with germany and its very true that people tend to see it as something to do when they are younger and are caning it, and stop when they get fed up of the comedowns - instead of maybe going out and enjoying the music (shock!!) without getting jiggered up.

Also I think there is the feeling - esp moreso now with all this celtic tiger blah blah - that we need to be out quicker making the cash money and investing etc at a younger age than Europe, and hence such activities as clubbing are seen by many as something you simply grow out of, as if it's some sign of maturity that one is "over" that stage.

I just finished college this year (at 27) and on average was 5yrs older than everyone else in my class, while the year I studied in Germany mine was the average age.

There are still clubs in Germany that get those similar young crowds (Tresor) who wanna get fucked up, but in other places - for eg Robert Johnson - it was definatly an older crowd out for a few drinks and a boogie, which though we go on about loving keraaazy atmospheres in clubs, I still enjoyed the more relaxed atmosphere, it was full of real music fans and there was a great buzz.
Then in the middle is Berghain which has all ages in all manner of states...

I wonder actually whats the story with certain nights in the UK. Obviously the Fabrics will attract the young crowds, but does say Lost - which is fitting regards the opening of the topic - have the same clientele that it got 6-7 yrs ago, - as its line ups would probably appeal less to the what many younger clubbers would maybe be into.

[mark e]

"after all, tempos have been dropping steadily since the late 90s, and the current whatever you want to call it minimal/techno/deep house fusion could be just as pleasing a soundtrack to do the ironing to..."

ouch that hurt.
i like my shirts clean and crispy, just like my music.
i iron and i'm proud of it.
m.e

[Brophy]

Generally, I think that the Germans have a more sensible approach to life than we Irish. As Skkatter points out, they study for ages - when I studied in Germany for a year I was a mere slip of a lad compared to the dudes I lived with who were all in their 30s and had just started college! - and they know how to party, nice and slowly and steady. They also have clubs that stay open all night and they treat techno as a serious art form - afaik you can get government grants to set up small labels, studios, shops etc.

[Elyza]

OMG i just bought the cutes shirt ever!!!!You guys need to go and get it soon!!!!

[Elyza]

OMG i just bought the cutes shirt ever!!!!You guys need to go and get it soon!!!!