Minimal techno

History and character

Techno reduced to the essentials, developed in the early '90s by the Detroit second-wave producers Robert Hood and Daniel Bell: Hood describes it as a “basic, stripped-down, raw” sound (Minimal Nation, 1994 EP on Axis); in parallel Richie Hawtin (Plastikman, Sheet One and Spastik, 1993) explores the reduction of the 303 and the 909 to minimal gestures. Key techniques: skeletonization (only the essential elements, with small embellishments for variation) and massification (many sounds layered over time with little variation).

In the early 2000s “minimal” mostly meant the German and Central European style: Kompakt (Cologne), Perlon (Frankfurt/Berlin), Hawtin's M_nus, then the Berlin of Ricardo Villalobos, Zip, Magda, Troy Pierce and the Romanian scene (“rominimal”: Raresh, Rhadoo, Petre Inspirescu), merging with microhouse (micro-sounds, clicks, tiny samples).

Aesthetic: space, detail, hypnosis; every sound counts and changes only slightly; a groove made of micro-variations, silences and unusual timbres.

Scales and keys

Convention: Roman numerals refer to the major scale on the same tonic (uppercase = major, lowercase = minor, ° diminished, ø half-diminished, + augmented; b/# = degree lowered/raised relative to the major: in A minor F = bVI, G = bVII). Notes and chords below are calculated exactly from the formula.

Pedal and minor pentatonic

• Formula: 1 b3 4 5 b7 — steps: T+S T T T+S T
• On A: A C D E G
• Characteristic note: in minimal there is often a single note (the tonic) and a few passing pentatonic notes: no semitones, no harmonic tension.
• Use: 2–3 note basslines, tuned blips and bleeps, pitched percussion.
• Common mistakes: adding melodies that distract from the groove.

Aeolian

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 — steps: T S T T S T T
• On D: D E F G A Bb C
• Diatonic triads: Dm i · Edim ii° · F bIII · Gm iv · Am v · Bb bVI · C bVII
• Seventh chords: Dm7 i7 · Em7b5 iiø7 · Fmaj7 bIIImaj7 · Gm7 iv7 · Am7 v7 · Bbmaj7 bVImaj7 · C7 bVII7
• Characteristic note: the b6 (Bb): a touch of melancholy in the chords (Dm7 or stabs).
• Use: subtle pads, isolated m7 stabs, “glitch” chords.
• Common mistakes: dense voicings: 2–3 notes are better.

Dorian

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 — steps: T S T T T S T
• On A: A B C D E F# G
• Diatonic triads: Am i · Bm ii · C bIII · D IV · Em v · F#dim vi° · G bVII
• Seventh chords: Am7 i7 · Bm7 ii7 · Cmaj7 bIIImaj7 · D7 IV7 · Em7 v7 · F#m7b5 viø7 · Gmaj7 bVIImaj7
• Characteristic note: the major sixth (F#), used in the Am7–Bm7 (i7–ii7) dyads that sound “open”.
• Use: two chords a whole tone apart, Rhodes or pad in microhouse.
• Common mistakes: using too many chords.

Locrian (dissonant dyads)

• Formula: 1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7 — steps: S T T S T T T
• On A: A Bb C D Eb F G
• Diatonic triads: Adim i° · Bb bII · Cm biii · Dm iv · Eb bV · F bVI · Gm bvii
• Seventh chords: Am7b5 iø7 · Bbmaj7 bIImaj7 · Cm7 biii7 · Dm7 iv7 · Ebmaj7 bVmaj7 · F7 bVI7 · Gm7 bvii7
• Characteristic note: the b5 (Eb) and the b2 (Bb): unstable intervals for “crooked” stabs.
• Use: tritone or semitone dyads as percussive sounds.
• Common mistakes: using it as a real key: it serves only for colors.

How to choose between scales

In minimal the scale is almost irrelevant: you choose a tonic and tune bass, perc and blips to it; the few added notes come from the pentatonic or the Aeolian. Harmonic colors (m7 chords, whole-tone dyads) enter as rare, almost “percussive” events.

Harmony

Function

Almost absent: pedal, a single minor chord or a dyad for the whole track; stabs as rhythmic events.

Techniques

• One bass note + one tuned blip.
• i7–iiø7 or i7–ii7 (whole-tone) dyads as a minimal oscillation.
• Short m7 stabs with delay and reverb, sometimes with a pitch that changes by a semitone (glitch).
• Sampled chords chopped into micro-fragments.

Harmonic rhythm

Static; any changes every 16–32 bars.

Examples

• A5 or Am7 for the whole track.
• Am7–Bm7b5 (i7–iiø7) as a minimal alternation.

Typical progressions

Rhythm and groove

• Feel: light-to-medium swing (54–58% MPC) on perc and hats; micro-shifts (5–20 ms) for a “slippery” groove.
• Polymeter: loops of different lengths (3/16, 5/16, 7/16) that drift out of phase.
• Accents: steady kick; clap often only on 4 or absent; syncopated rim and click.
• Variation: micro: a hat that changes decay, a click that shifts.

Drums

Kick

On every quarter note, short and “round” (decay 150–250 ms), often tuned; sometimes soft, almost a sine wave.

Clap and snare

Short clap or snap, often only on 4 or in displaced positions (steps 12, 14); sometimes absent.

Hi-hat

Short closed hats on the offbeat; open hat rare; low-volume sixteenth-note micro-hats.

Percussion

Rim, click, tiny samples (drops, wood, paper, voices), tuned perc; loops of 3, 5, 7 sixteenths.

Dynamics and ghost notes

Many ghost notes, widely varied velocities, group swing.

Interaction with bass

Short, syncopated bass that interlocks with rim and click.

Sections

Subtle variations every 8–16; short breakdowns (removing the kick for 4–8 bars).

Fills and transitions

Almost none: an element comes in or drops out.

Sound choice

Short, dry, precise sounds, very “clean” or, conversely, micro-dirty (microhouse).

Typical mistakes

Too many elements; long sounds that muddy the mix; no swing.

Bass

• Sound: sine or triangle with a small click, short “bubble” basses, a very closed 303 (Plastikman).
• Register: A0–A2.
• With the kick: syncopations between the kicks, very short notes; light sidechain or none (the space is in the rhythm).
• Notes: one or two.
• Rhythm: 1-bar pattern with micro-variations.

Harmonic instruments

Rare stabs, very thin pads, sampled Rhodes (microhouse), tuned blips. Everything very short and filtered.

Melody and vocals

• Melody: almost absent; blips, small 2–3 note riffs.
• Vocals: micro-samples, syllables, whispers, chopped and displaced voices.
• Effects: tempo-synced delay, short or enormous reverbs (for contrast), granular, light bitcrushing.

Instruments

TR-909, TR-808, TB-303, samplers, Elektron, Ableton/Max, modulars, simple monophonic synths, field recordings.

Drum patterns

Synths and sounds

• ARP 2600 V — Blips and perc: Oscillator + filter with a short envelope for blips and tuned perc; sample & hold for variations.
• SEM V — Short basses and bubble: 12 dB filter in low-pass or notch for round, short basses.
• Buchla Easel V — Organic sounds and clicks: Low pass gate for natural percussive sounds and micro-textures.
• Modular V — Polymetric sequences: Sequencers of different lengths for polyrhythms.
• Mini V — Short sub: Sine/triangle with short decay.

Song structure

Long tracks (7–10 minutes), minimal but continuous changes.

Mixing and mastering

Sonic goal

Clean, precise, spacious: every element has its place in frequency and in stereo; compact low end; lots of detail in the highs; dynamics preserved. References: Robert Hood — Minimal Nation, Plastikman — Spastik, Ricardo Villalobos — Easy Lee.

Kick

HP 30 Hz; +2 dB 50–60 Hz; −3 dB 300 Hz; light click; no or light compression; mono.

Clap/snap

HP 300 Hz; short room; to the side or centered.

Hi-hat and percussion

HP 500 Hz–1 kHz; surgical EQ to separate; very wide and precise panning (L10–L80 / R10–R80); 1/16, 3/16 delay; short or very long reverbs for contrast; decay and pan automation.

Bass

HP 25 Hz; LP 300–500 Hz; light compression; mono.

Stabs and blips

HP 200–400 Hz; tempo-synced delay with high feedback; long filtered reverb; wide.

Vocals and micro-samples

HP 200 Hz; filters; delay; wide panning.

FX

Micro-FX, granular, short reverses.

Buses and groups

Drum bus with minimal compression (1 dB) or none; FX bus.

Sidechain

Light or none.

Master

EQ → light compression → limiter. Target −10/−8 LUFS integrated, true peak −1 dBTP, crest factor 9–12 dB: minimal lives on transients.

Common mistakes

Dense, squashed mix; elements in the same band and the same stereo position; reverbs that muddy the mix; excessive loudness.

Reference tracks for the mix

• Robert Hood — Minimal Nation (1994)
• Plastikman — Spastik (1993)
• Ricardo Villalobos — Easy Lee (2003)

Reference listening

• Plastikman — Spastik (1993)
• Robert Hood — Minimal Nation (1994, EP)
• Ricardo Villalobos — Easy Lee (2003)