• Exploring Sri Lanka’s techno music journey

One of the key movements in music today is that of techno music – a genre of Electronic Dance Music (EDM) that emerged in the US during the 1980s, particularly from Detroit, and later gained immense popularity in Europe, especially Germany. 

Characterised by repetitive beats and synthesised sounds, techno music typically features a tempo ranging from 120 to 150 beats per minute and is often instrumental, focusing on rhythm over melody and conventional song structures. The genre draws influences from various styles, including house music and German electropop, with pioneers like Derrick May, Juan Atkins, and Kevin Saunderson shaping its early sound.

Techno’s cultural impact in the years since its advent is significant; it has become a global movement that not only informs much of what we hear in clubs today, but the genre also saw a culture develop around the clubs that drove the techno music movement. 

In Germany, particularly after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, techno evolved into a symbol of freedom and unity. The underground rave scene flourished in abandoned warehouses and clubs like Tresor and Berghain, fostering a sense of community and self-expression among diverse groups of people. 

As a global phenomenon, techno has not only shaped music history but has also set trends that have impacted contemporary culture, art, pop culture, media consumption, and technologies. Techno is music, but also far more than music, finding its echoes in design and fashion, philosophy, subculture, and people’s relationship to machines, to the virtual, in political emancipatory projects, and in the ruins and fissures in hegemonic norms. 

Techno as a sense of life and time that transcends borders reflects the respective social, living space, and economic structures it finds itself in, and can equally well be used as a political tool. Today, techno continues to influence not only music but also fashion and social norms, reflecting its enduring legacy as a vibrant and transformative cultural force.

This month (until 28 September) sees the ‘Techno Worlds’ exhibition – a tribute paid to techno music in the Sri Lankan context – at the old Rio Hotel and Cinema in Kompanna Vidiya. Taking place in the form of an exhibition with associated events, ‘Techno Worlds’ is led by the Goethe-Institut and is a travelling exhibition that comes as a part of a broader international initiative to reflect on techno as a global movement, its intricate connections to art and culture, and its relevance across continents. 

What makes the Sri Lankan edition particularly compelling is how it dovetails into the local context, drawing parallels between the global techno scene and the burgeoning electronic music culture in the country.

The greater ‘Techno Worlds’ exhibition

The exhibition itself traces the roots of techno, which originated in the post-industrial landscapes of Detroit in the 1980s, born from a fusion of futuristic electronic music and the sociopolitical struggles of marginalised communities. Over the decades, techno has grown into a worldwide phenomenon, representing both a musical genre and a cultural movement that transcends borders, languages, and politics.

‘Techno Worlds’ includes photo, video, and installation works by artists and musicians from all over the world including DeForrest Brown, Jr., Jacqueline Caux, Tony Cokes, Chicks on Speed, Zuzanna Czebatul, Kerstin Greiner, Abu Qadim Haqq, Rangoato Hlasane, Ryõji Ikeda, Maryam Jafri, Romuald Karmakar, Robert Lippok, Henrike Naumann and Bastian Hagedorn, Carsten Nicolai, Vinca Petersen, Daniel Pflumm, Lisa Rovner, Sarah Schönfeld, and Jeremy Shaw, as well as Tobias Zielony. 

The exhibition was curated by Mathilde Weh, Justin Hoffmann, and Creamcake. It has previously travelled across the US and Europe before making its way to Sri Lanka with further stops planned in India and other South Asian countries. 

“The exhibition features works from 18 artists and looks at the phenomena of techno and rave and party culture,” Goethe-Institut Sri Lanka Cultural Programme Jan Ramesh de Saram shared with The Sunday Morning Brunch. 

“Techno had a huge influence on all parts of popular culture, design, art, and music all across the world. Germany played a transformative role in techno music culture after East and West Germany were reunited in 1989 after the socialist system collapsed. There were lots of abandoned spaces, government buildings, and institutions that no one was in charge of, and creatives moved in to occupy these spaces and throw parties.”

The exhibits in ‘Techno Worlds’ engage visitors in a sensory experience, using sound installations, video projections, and interactive displays to bring the history and impact of techno to life. The exhibition also pays homage to the genre’s early pioneers, like Atkins, May, and Saunderson, while also showcasing contemporary techno artists who continue to push the boundaries of sound.

‘Techno Worlds’ and techno music in the Lankan context

The decision to bring the ‘Techno Worlds’ exhibition to Sri Lanka was made in light of the country’s young but vibrant electronic music scene. As part of the exhibition, a series of events, including panel discussions, live performances, and DJ sets, has been organised, creating a dialogue between local electronic music culture and the global techno movement. 

These events aim to foster an exchange of ideas, highlighting how local artists are contributing to a global soundscape while also shaping a uniquely Sri Lankan electronic music identity.

The ‘Techno Worlds’ exhibition is being held at the Rio Hotel and Cinema complex, a site that has much significance because it was used as a venue for one of Sri Lanka’s pioneering techno music events, ‘Pettah Interchange,’ which was first held in 2012. 

Initiated by the Goethe-Institut and its electronic music web platform Border Movement, the first edition of ‘Pettah Interchange’ served as a showcase for material composed by musicians from Germany and the South Asian region during an artist residency that took place on the outskirts of Colombo in July 2012. 

In its five-year run, ‘Pettah Interchange’ became known for its vibrant atmosphere and eclectic lineup, featuring various genres beyond techno, thus appealing to a diverse audience. The event was not only a music festival but also a cultural gathering that highlighted the creative expressions of the Sri Lankan artistic community. The event grew in numbers, beginning with 600 people to close to 3,000 people during its last year.  

It took place in abandoned colonial structures in the Pettah area of Colombo in a nod to the techno music scene’s penchant for taking over unused spaces. The event focused on techno music and showcased a blend of art and culture, drawing both local and international artists. 

Its last edition was held in 2016 at Transworks House (which was once the Public Works Department). The Rio Hotel and Cinema complex, which has been unused since 1984, served as the location for ‘Pettah Interchange’ twice, once in 2014 and then as the event’s penultimate location in 2015. 

Addressing the local context of techno music, the ‘Techno Worlds’ exhibition also features a collection of work that looks through the history and evolution of ‘Pettah Interchange’ mixed media and multimedia installations. 

De Saram explained that the exhibition in ‘Pettah Interchange’ had been intentionally curated to connect to the Sri Lankan relationship with techno music, and the Rio had been used as an avenue in recognition of the fact that it had hosted ‘Pettah Interchange’ as well as several other art exhibitions and events before. 

“‘Pettah Interchange’ covers the Sri Lankan aspect of techno. After the end of the war, we wanted to go into empty buildings in Fort and Pettah and do something similar [to what took place in Berlin after the reunification of East and West Germany]. There was an atmosphere of uncertainty at the time, but there was also a lot of excitement and room for growth,” he said. 

He further noted that part of what had driven the Goethe-Institut in first initiating ‘Pettah Interchange’ was the German cultural centre recognising that techno was an important part of German culture and wanting to promote more music worldwide. 

Fringe events of the ‘Techno Worlds’ exhibition include: 

• A screening of ‘Sisters with Transistors,’ a film by Lisa Rovner (UK, 2020), highlighting the female pioneers of electronic music, on Wednesday (25) at the Goethe-Institut
• A conversation on 1990s Berlin techno with Robert Lippok and Jan Ramesh de Saram, moderated by Prof. Asoka de Zoysa on Friday (27) at the Rio, followed by live performances by Lippok at 7 p.m. and Isuru Kumarasinghe at 8 p.m. 
• A screening of ‘Berlin: Symphony of a Great City’ (Germany, 1927) by Walter Ruttman at the Rio Cinema, featuring live musical scoring by Asvajit Boyle, Geve, Nigel Perera, and Sweetie

Info box

‘Techno Worlds’ takes place from 13-28 September from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. (Monday-Friday) and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Saturday and Sunday).

The exhibition itself takes place at the Rio Hotel and Cinema in Kompanna Vidiya, with selected fringe events taking place at the Goethe-Institut in Colombo 7.

For more information on the exhibition and its associated programmes:

• Facebook and Instagram: @goetheinstitut.srilanka