By day, I’m a 3D artist here in Manila, pushing pixels and meeting deadlines. But by night, my world is all about the kick drum. I’m a techno DJ, and it’s a passion that has connected me with some incredible people, including the very pioneers who built the techno scene here in the Philippines from the ground up back in the 90s.
Recently, I had the honor of playing a gig alongside some of these seasoned DJs. Between sets, while talking about music, one of them dropped a term I’d never heard before: “Business Techno.” The way they said it, with a mix of a smirk and a sigh, got me curious. I went home and fell down a rabbit hole, and what I found was a fascinating, heated debate about the very soul of our music. This article is the result of that deep dive, sharing my experience and what I’ve learned about this controversial label.
First Off: It’s Not a Real Genre
Let’s get one thing straight: you won’t find a “Business Techno” section on Beatport or Spotify. It’s not a formal subgenre like Minimal or Industrial. It’s a slang term, a pejorative, coined by the electronic music press and used by purists to critique a certain trend they see in the scene.
Think of it less as a sound and more as a “mindset.” It’s a label for techno that feels like it’s been 1polished, packaged, and marketed for mass consumption, losing its raw, underground edge in the process. It’s often a case of “you know it when you hear it,” making it a convenient insult for any popular track or artist someone doesn’t like. The term itself was born on Twitter in April 2018, when producer Shifted declared, “‘BUSINESS TECHNO is the new tech house'”—a serious burn in a community where tech-house is often seen as the commercial, less-serious cousin.
The Sound and the Look of “Business”
So, what does it sound and look like? Sonically, it’s often described as a predictable formula: a massive kick drum, a long, telegraphed breakdown, a blast of white noise, and then a huge drop designed for those “hands in the air” festival moments. The journey and hypnotic subtlety of traditional techno are replaced with immediate, explosive gratification. 2
Aesthetically, it’s just as distinct. It’s tied to a clean, “corporate marketing aesthetic” that feels detached from underground culture. This is the world of the “superstar DJ,” where an artist’s brand and Instagram follower count can feel more important than their track selection. It’s a direct contrast to the anonymous, anti-corporate ethos of foundational techno collectives like Detroit’s Underground Resistance.
The Community Divided: An Online War
The debate around Business Techno rages online, splitting the community into passionate camps.
The Case Against It: Critics argue that this trend leads to sonic homogenization, with festivals booking the same headliners who play the same predictable sets year after year. A major complaint is about the crowd it attracts—the “posers, the influencers, the one constantly on their phone,” who are there for the social media post rather than a genuine appreciation of the music. This commercialization is also blamed 3 for skyrocketing ticket prices and pushing smaller, independent venues out of business.
In Defense of Success: On the other side, many argue that this more accessible sound acts as a “gateway drug,” introducing new fans to techno who might later explore its deeper, more underground corners. Defenders often dismiss the criticism as elitism or jealousy from “has-beens who never got a slice of the pie”. They make a pragmatic point: artists deserve to make a living from their craft, and a larger, more mainstream scene can lead to “greater growth and prosperity for the techno community” as a whole.
It’s also crucial to note a troubling side to the debate: a lot of the criticism is disproportionately aimed at young, successful female DJs, with a “blatantly misogynist” undertone that questions their success and artistry in ways their male counterparts rarely face. 4
My Takeaway from the Turntables
After digging into this, it’s clear that “Business Techno” is a weaponized meme, a label that often says more about the person using it than the music itself. It’s the latest chapter in the age-old “underground vs. mainstream” conflict that exists in every genre with counter-cultural roots, from punk to hip-hop.
For me, as a DJ in Manila trying to find my sound, understanding this debate has been eye-opening. It’s a reminder that techno is a rich, diverse culture with a history worth protecting. Whether you prefer the massive festival stages or the dark, sweaty basements, the conversation around Business Techno forces us all to think about what we value in our scene. It’s a call to be conscious consumers and creators—to support the artists who inspire us, to respect the genre’s roots, and to keep the dancefloor a place of genuine connection and discovery.
- https://mixmag.net/feature/what-the-hell-is-business-techno ↩︎
- https://www.reddit.com/r/Techno/comments/btzieu/what_is_business_techno/ ↩︎
- https://www.reddit.com/r/Techno/comments/c8lp0q/whats_your_stance_on_business_techno_and_the/ ↩︎
- https://www.6amgroup.co/is-business-techno-officially-in-business/ ↩︎
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