Techno vs Melodic Techno vs Tech House: What’s the Difference?
If you’ve ever read a club lineup and wondered about techno vs melodic techno vs tech house, this is for you. They come from the same family, a steady four on the floor beat made for long nights, but each has its own sound, speed and energy.
Tech house
Tech house sits between house and techno. Groovy basslines, punchy drums, catchy vocal hooks and a lot of swing. It’s built to get people moving from the first track.
- Tempo: roughly 124 to 128 BPM
- Feels like: fun, bouncy, a party
- Labels to know: Toolroom, Hot Creations, Solid Grooves
Melodic techno
Melodic techno keeps the driving techno beat but adds big emotional melodies, long builds and breakdowns. It’s the sound behind a lot of festival main stages.
- Tempo: roughly 120 to 126 BPM
- Feels like: emotional, cinematic, hands up at the drop
- Labels to know: Afterlife, Diynamic
Techno
Techno is darker, harder and more hypnotic. Fewer vocals, more repetition, heavy kicks and industrial textures. Music for the late hours.
- Tempo: roughly 128 to 140 BPM, faster for hard techno
- Feels like: driving, dark, hypnotic
- Labels to know: Drumcode, Ostgut Ton
Quick comparison
- Tech house: 124 to 128 BPM, groovy and fun, vocals often, great from warm-up to peak time
- Melodic techno: 120 to 126 BPM, emotional with big melodies, vocals sometimes, peak time
- Techno: 128 to 140 BPM and up, dark and driving, vocals rarely, late night
Where to hear them in Bangkok
At Mustache Bangkok on Decho Road, Silom, you’ll hear house, tech house, melodic techno and techno on a VOID Acoustics sound system every Friday and Saturday. For something harder, Subwerk in the same building plays hard techno.
See this weekend’s lineup on our events page. For more clubs, read our guide to the best techno and house clubs in Bangkok.
