Allien nation
Berlin's headmistress of techno, Ellen Allien keeps the pressure on the future.

By Peter Nicholson

THE TIME IS now for techno. Its aggressive embrace of the future, its chameleon face (minimal, banging, pop, electro), and its feel for machines (which ultimately affirms human possibility) perfectly fit a present rife with gloomy uncertainty. On one hand, techno says, "Fuck it all – let's dance!" and "Forget about everything but the beat." But at the same time, it's one of the few genres that's currently pushing its own limits, breaking its own rules.

Berlin's Ellen Allien is one such rule-breaker. When she was in San Francisco last year, opening for techno legend Plastikman, her energetic DJ mix of electro, hard techno, and even rave-y styles whipped the packed Mezzanine into a frenzy, stealing the show from the headliner. Allien's "Sehnsucht," from last year's Berlinette on her own label, BPitch Control, had the bugged-out kids and the geeked-out laptop jockeys jumping to its breakbeat breakdowns, jerky then sweeping synths, and heavily processed vocals. Best of all, she was clearly having a ball; grinning and pumping her fist to the beat, she was miles away from the stereotype of a furrowed-brow, knob-twiddling techno DJ.

Allien's headlong love for techno and her work as a producer, DJ, and label boss constantly shine, even through the less-than-ideal filter of an e-mailed and translated interview. Her home city of Berlin has become a mecca for electronic producers, particularly those focusing on techno and experimental styles, but unlike some other natives, Allien welcomes all the newcomers. "The city of Berlin is loaded with lots of young people from all over Germany and also from all over Europe and the whole world," she writes. "Lots of new Berliners who provide new input. There are all sorts of creative people in Berlin, from fashion designers to painters, sculptors, musicians, and a lot of crossover artists.... There is a lot to explore, lots of space for long days and even longer nights. You can spread your wings."

Allien got involved with music after spending 1988 in London, where she was exposed to the acid house revolution at the Wag Club. She returned to Germany and an even greater revolution: the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was in this heady, anything-goes atmosphere that Allien first began to DJ, eventually landing gigs at the Fischlabor party in 1991. From there, she quickly established herself in what was becoming the world capital of techno, playing what she called "abstract techno" at venues Bunker, Elektro, and the legendary Tresor. In the decade since, Allien has never let up, hosting radio shows for KISS FM Berlin, producing singles for labels like Champion Sound, and organizing the Braincandy and BPitch Control parties, both of which spawned labels.

The DIY ethic is central to Allien's work, and her roots in the early years of techno, when a party was just as likely to be in a squatter-claimed East German building as in a club, continues to inform her music. Her productions are free from the constraints of genre, and just as she has forged collaborations and collectives in the sometimes insular boys' club world of electronic music, her songs take their own paths. Her remix of Miss Kittin with Goldenboy's "Rippin Kittin" alternates metallic buzzes and smooth, pulsing melody, taking cues from the song's electro origins, the 4/4 inevitability of techno, and a collage aesthetic that balances the unexpected with an urge to dance. "Techno is body music," Allien writes, "and people love to dance. That's why this style of music exists. Also, there are so many facings and styles.... If you take a closer look, there are always new and exciting things to discover."

Examine the folds of texture that crunch beneath the kick drums of 2002's "Kuss," which fuses breakbeats, electro, and techno into something Allien calls "elechtech." Lose yourself in the skittering rhythms, ravelike bass synth, and bell tones reminiscent of Plaid on "Push," on Berlinette. Trace the seam between computers and emotions sewn by Allien's manipulated voice on "Wish," and look beyond the seemingly simplistic lyrics ("No wars, no cars / I wish it could be true") to feel the humanist hope that drives her music, no matter how much technology surrounds its birth. Then put on her new mix, My Parade, and get ready to dance like a fool, consumed by the beat of Midi Rain's "Always," the compressed acid burble of C.J. Bolland's "Mantra," and the distorted shuffle of her own "Bang Bang." As an artist, Allien astounds with a synthetic versatility, vibrantly claiming her future with the tools of technology.

Allien's enthusiastic embrace of all things techno is reflected in her supporters. San Francisco's David Wang, a.k.a. Mochipet, has released work on BPitch and DJed alongside Allien at Berlin's WMF club, but he still remains somewhat in awe. "Ellen Allien ... doesn't take no crap," Wang writes in an e-mail. "She knows what she likes and goes after it. And she's very prolific at it. I really don't know how she manages to DJ, produce, run a record label, and send me nice hello e-mails all at the same time."

While Allien maintains that DJing is one of her true joys and perhaps a release of sorts ("It's what makes me happy ... DJing is more like a switch to party mode"), it's clear that she remains focused on her music and BPitch Control. "Running a label and producing music is only possible if I try to focus on what's important for me and to concentrate on being creative. That is the moment I manage to slip into a deeper creative consciousness." Ellen Allien plays Sat/20, 10 p.m., Rx Gallery, 132 Eddy, S.F. $12. (415) 474-7973.

If techno plays in the forest ...

Despite San Francisco's reputation as a hot spot for electronic music, techno has always been something of an also-ran in the city. Yet several local DJs have always spun to the beat of a different drummer, including Mochipet, Philip Sherburne, and Forest Green. Since she started DJing in 1996, Green has played an assortment of styles but also steadily stuck to her techno guns. In addition to gigs from Phoenix to Prague, Green, together with Organized Chaos, ran the weekly party Minimal Mondays for a year and a half. She's a resident at Hugger Mugger at Lit and Kiss Kiss at the Hush Hush Lounge, where she mixes up techno with electro and '80s tunes.

"I've always had an affinity for underdogs or things that people might not be getting exposed to," Green says over the phone. She thinks, or at least hopes, San Francisco is becoming a little more open to techno, partly due to DJs like herself who gradually build an audience and promoters like Blasthaus who have booked a steady stream of important techno artists like Michael Mayer and Superpitcher of Kompakt Records. "I think people actually like techno when they hear it," Green says. "But when they hear the word, they're afraid of it." Taking a break from traveling for the winter, she is focusing on moving into production, hoping to have some releases ready by the beginning of 2005.

In the meantime, here's a list of regular S.F. events for those seeking to master their fear of techno. Also look out for the occasional clubs Trouble and Konstukt at various venues.

Hugger Mugger: Tech-on's Techno Tuesdays, with Forest Green, Andy W., and Clarity, Tuesdays, 9 p.m., Lit, 101 Sixth St., S.F. Free. (415) 278-0940.

Kiss Kiss, with Forest Green, Mochipet, and Seraphim, Fridays, 10 p.m., Hush Hush Lounge, 496 14th St., S.F. $5. (415) 241-9944.

Pop, with Broker/Dealer, first Saturdays, 10 p.m., Rx Gallery, 132 Eddy, S.F. $7. (415) 474-7973.

Soda, with Philip Sherburne and the Fresh Blend, third Saturdays, 10 p.m., Rx Gallery, 132 Eddy, S.F. $5. (415) 474-7973.

P.N.