Black Techno Matters

Black Techno Matters I think I was put on this earth to be the party starter. The person in the room who lights the energy up and gets everyone excited to be there. I also like to think outside the box and like creating music and art that shows people new ways of looking at things or doing things. I see founding Black Techno Mattersas definitely one of the milestones of my career and a combination of both traits.

These words come from Bernard Farley, a multidisciplinary artist whose work is rooted in the celebration of black artistic expression. Hailing from Washington, DC, Bernard's journey from a childhood imbued with music to his work championing the innovators of the techno genre tells a story of perseverance, self-belief and the power of community.

Bernard's introduction to audio started with tapes and beat making in his youth. I used to have fun doing tape overdubs, distortion, and simple channel mixing effects on my sisters old karaoke machine back in 9th grade, he says. When my family finally got its first computer, it had a demo of Beat2000 which was this loop-based music creation software that had all sorts of fun house, techno, drum n bass, and rave loops in it. Eventually, I got into modular music software like Audiomulch and DAWs like Ableton Live. Now I record exclusively using drum machines and synth hardware like the Roland TR-8s.

Music was prominent throughout his childhood, instilling an appreciation for a wide range of genres within him. My mom would listen to disco all the time, says Bernard. She had such a beautiful voice; she would sing around the house all the time and make up songs on the spot. She was also a great dancer - thats where I got my dancing genes from. I was absorbing music from artists like Sylvester and MFSB and labels like Salsoul Records. I lived in Queens, NY while in elementary school and my mom would bring home recorded mixes from New Jack Swing DJs she was dating.

Bernard's father was a jazz musician and multi-instrumentalist playing several instruments including guitar, saxophone, and keyboard, with a love for artists like Sade, Anita Baker, and Prince. He would improvise over jazz instrumentals and record it straight to tape. My dad was stiff as a board - he tried to teach me guitar, but it didnt go well. I think I prefer to learn things on my own, including playing and writing music.

Growing up with an obsession with Michael Jackson, Bernard was one of the kids that had all of his music video choreography memorized. Middle school would open him up to artists like Daft Punk, Chemical Brothers, and Aphex Twin by way of local radio in Middletown, NJ, and by high school, he ventured towards techno, becoming familiar with the music of Jeff Mills, Richie Hawtin and abstract music from the likes of Autechre.

I went to Virginia Tech and had a show on their college radio station. I would rip hundreds of CDs to my computer while playing songs on the air and that really opened my tastes to all sorts of artists including Steve Reich, Philip Glass, and John Cage. I also became a huge Bjork fan while in college and I taught myself to sing by practicing her songs from Homogenic' and Vespertine' over and over.

Reclaiming TechnoFounded out of the need for a platform to uplift black artistry in techno music, Bernard started Black Techno Matters, a collective on a mission to reclaim techno as a manifestation of black expression. The collective creates online and in-person spaces that celebrate the black origins of techno, champion the originators of the genre and gives a space for new creatives to find their voices as artists.

I started Black Techno Matters in October 2019 after doing a google search for Black Techno Artists' and being disappointed with the search results. There were some sites mentioning The Belleville Three and pioneers like Jeff Mills, but I didnt see a list of black artists making techno, particularly in more modern times. This shocked me especially since techno IS black! After about an hour of searching on the internet, I was able to fill a piece of notepad paper with the names of black artists.

The phrase Black Techno Matters' came to me, and I threw a party in DC where there were only black artists on the line up, Bernard continues. Several people who came out to the show thanked me for creating that space and thats when I realized there was a real need to highlight black artists and also to physically bring them together in the same space. Since then, Black Techno Matters has grown into a collective, organizing events, playlists, mixes, music releases, and other resources highlighting and celebrating hundreds of black artists from around the world.

In a personal reclamation of the techno genre and celebration of black music, Bernard's music has taken on many personas over the years. Ive recorded several electronic music solo albums as Outputmessage ranging from downtempo to techno to indie dance. Ive also recorded several ambient albums as Smoke & Tea with my good friend and music partner Patrick Blinkhorn. I have a new album coming out this March, its called hell0' and I think it really sets the stage for the musical portals Id like to open up as B_X_R_N_X_R_D. Bernard will release his new album as his B_X_R_N_X_R_D persona through Black Techno Matters' music label, as well as streaming platforms and Bandcamp.

Bernard's determination to celebrate his existence as a black artist and the history of black artistry is the driving force behind his work, both personally and within his community. His mindset refuses to yield to an oppressive narrative, and so he creates his own.

As a black man, I have to choose hope over fear, patience over anger, and joy over despair in order to stay sane in this racist society. I also have to think and work outside the s

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