Basic Channel – The Pioneer of Dub Techno

If you are a lover of electronic music, you must have heard of the term Dub Techno. It’s a subgenre of techno music that emerged in the late 90s and continued to influence electronic music to this day. The name of Basic Channel often comes up in conversations about Dub Techno. Who is Basic Channel, you ask? Let’s take a ride through the musical biography of one of the pioneers of Dub Techno.

Basic Channel is a musical project created by Mark Ernestus and Moritz Von Oswald. They had several projects including Rhythm and Sound, Fiedel One, and Maurizio. Still, Basic Channel was their most popular and influential one, which became a milestone in the history of underground techno. The duo decided to start producing records in 1993 and released their first album, Basic Channel, in the same year. It was a combination of influences from Detroit Techno, Dub music, and Reggae, which was a sound never heard before.

Their most famous album is BCD, which was released in 1995. It’s known for introducing the use of dub chords and abstract sounds in electronic music. The album consisted of only four tracks, each approximately 12-13 minutes long, and released as two consecutive 12’’ singles. The tracks were separated into opener, break, and outro for DJs to mix seamlessly, creating long chill techno sets.

Basic Channel’s discography includes numerous EPs, Singles, and Compilations that transformed the underground music scene. One of the favorite songs from the Basic Channel is Phylyps Trak, first released in 1993. Its unique dub chords and soft drums revolutionized Techno and made it more accessible for a broader audience.

Basic Channel’s music is characterized by deep bass, repetitive rhythms, and the use of effects and delays. One of the significant influences on Basic Channel’s music was the Jamaican Dub sound and Studio One. The duo tried to imitate the analog sound of Studio One in their production, causing the music to sound warm and natural.

Basic Channel is one of the visionaries of electronic music that redefined the underground scene in the early 90s by bringing Dub into Techno. They have profoundly influenced many artists and genres after them, inspiring the minimal Dub Techno genre. Basic Channel's music is not for everyone, and it requires patience and a good understanding of the genre. If you haven’t tried Dub Techno yet, give it a chance today, and let Basic Channel's music take you on an immersive journey.