He founded Frankfurt's techno music scene in the 1980s. DJ Alex Azari, director of the Museum of Contemporary Electronic Music and one of the pioneers of the movement, explains how.
© Zucchi/dpa/picture-alliance Techno party in Frankfurt in 1995The techno music genre emerged in the 1980s when electronic music pioneers such as Kraftwerk inspired young music producers to experiment with synthesizers and turntables. Back then, Detroit was in the lead, but Europe was also wildly creative, and the center of the burgeoning tech scene was Frankfurt am Main.
Starting in 2022, Frankfurt will be home to the Museum of Modern Electronic Music (MOMEM), the first museum of its kind in the world. MOMEM director Alex Azari told DW how he and other pioneers of the scene like Sven Väth and DJ Talla 2XLC helped the movement at the time.
DW: Why is techno so important in Frankfurt?
Alex Azari: Right off the bat, this is one of the few cities where you get a very full and complete scene. These are clubs, producers, musicians, labels, record stores. In the early 1980s, perhaps five or six cities worldwide had this status.
Another important factor is Dorian Gray, at the time of the Frankfurt Airport Club. They always offer the most creative music. It began as a continuation of the disco-heavy concept of New York's Studio 54. But soon DJs started playing electronic music there.
In this space, with light and atmosphere, you can feel something change in the room while electronic music plays. She inspired people and inspired them to keep playing modern music.
Are you part of the scene?
Yes I am. I remember well the first time I went to Dorian Gray. I am not yet 20 years old; I walked into this huge club and when I got to the subwoofer, I suddenly felt my heart race "pop-pop", until it suddenly picked up the beat.
I approached the DJ who was playing a mix of Planet Rock and Kraftwerk. I was looking at the record the whole time and suddenly the DJ reached up and pulled out the record. I was surprised, the music was still playing. It was then that I realized that I had made a transition that I had never heard of. I was baptized
I started DJing in 1982. In 1984 my friend Tal founded Technoclub. I worked as a publicist at Dorian Gray and introduced Tala. From 1987 to late 2000 we had the techno club and all the big raves.
The club is unique in the world. Lots of people, including DJs, come from abroad and throw parties and come back.
Frankfurt airport is an international zone, there is no closing time, so the club can open in the afternoon.
And of course the party people you meet there are amazing and passionate which makes it all special because they really melt you away. It is a very important place. Unfortunately, it had to be closed for fire safety reasons.
Berlin is the tech hub of Germany these days. because?
There are not many places in Frankfurt. It is difficult for creators to open a club and develop their ideas. That's why the clubs we have today haven't developed music properly. They mainly want to sell liquor. And that is a big problem.
On the other hand, things got worse in Berlin after the fall of the wall. From old warehouses and factories to gas plants, this industrial scene has spaces to match the music. You can develop something new in such a place. Unfortunately, we don't have all of that here.
For a year now, technology enthusiasts have had a reason to return to Frankfurt with its museum. What is the idea behind MOMEM?
The idea for this museum came from my colleague Tala. In the year In 2011 he traveled to southern Europe with the Goethe-Institut, teaching young people and students. And it was so well received that he called me at one point and said, "You know what, there really should be this whole museum."
In fact, we see ourselves as a center of art and culture, because the culture of this club is very important and still exists today. It is not something that closes, but continues to expand. After that it became an international phenomenon.
But the expression museum makes it clear that we are looking at an institution, which I think is important, because we are talking about a cultural movement that has inspired people for 40 years and has created a great revitalization for society.
MOMEM Frankfurt is currently presenting the personal playlists of the top DJs in the exhibition "Milestones — Favorite Club Tracks 1985-2020", along with photos of international artists.
This interview was originally conducted in Germany.
Author: Rachel Stewart
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