Acid techno emerged from applying Chicago acid house's TB-303 squelch to harder European techno

Acid techno developed in Europe (primarily the UK and Germany) in the late 1980s to early 1990s when younger artists applied the squelching TB-303 synthesizer sound of Chicago acid house to harder-edged, faster-paced techno material. The genre also absorbed influences from German trance, Belgian rave, and hardcore techno. Early proponents included Richie Hawtin (Plastikman), Aphex Twin, Dave Clarke, and Hardfloor. In London, the scene developed through a network of illegal parties; the 1997 compilation ‘It’s Not Intelligent…And It’s Not From Detroit…But It’s F**king ‘Avin It’ documented the London underground scene.

Examples

Hardfloor’s ‘Acperience 1’ (1992) — a defining early acid techno track. The London illegal party circuit of the 1990s, organized by acts including Liberators and D.A.V.E. The Drummer.

Assessment

Explain what distinguishes acid techno from acid house (aside from tempo), and name two geographic scenes central to acid techno’s development.