Bthelick’s Microtonal Techno Mashup: Jeff Mills Meets Angine de Poitrine

Right from the jump, Bthelick throws us into the deep end with a question only a true sonic daredevil would ask: what if you mashed up microtonal math rock with the relentless pulse of 90s techno? It’s the kind of idea that sounds like a BBQ gone off the rails, but that’s exactly the sort of chaos we live for. Inspired by a cheeky comment from Rapid Hazard and the viral antics of Angine de Poitrine, Bthelick sets out to inject some serious Jeff Mills energy into the microtonal world.

This isn’t just a genre crossover—it’s a full-blown experiment in musical rule-breaking. While most of us are happy sticking to the usual dance music toolkit, Bthelick’s ready to chuck tradition in the bin and see what happens when you let microtonal riffs loose on a techno dancefloor. If you’re after safe, predictable grooves, look elsewhere. Here, it’s all about the wild ride.

Bthelick breaks down microtonal music like he’s explaining how to cook a snag on a campfire—simple, but with a twist. For centuries, we’ve all been playing with the same 12 notes, but there’s always a few larrikins who want more. Enter microtonality, where the rules are as loose as a festival wristband on day three.

Instead of sticking to the classic A to G and their in-between mates, microtonalists add extra notes wherever they fancy—14, 18, 24 per octave, you name it. In the world of synths and modular gear, this is as easy as tweaking a voltage, and techno’s always been happy to ignore the rulebook. If you thought scales were sacred, think again. Here, it’s open season on tradition.

Getting your synth to play more than 12 notes per octave isn’t as easy as flipping a switch, but Bthelick’s not one to back down from a challenge. He first tries to find a ready-made 24-note tuning file, but when that turns out to be as rare as a sober punter at a bush doof, he hacks his way in with key tracking tricks. By reversing the synth’s key tracking and landing on the magic number of minus 63.5, he unlocks 24 notes per octave—enough to make any microtonal enthusiast’s heart race.

Of course, it’s not all smooth sailing. There’s a bit of trial and error, a few wrong turns, and plenty of experimentation. But that’s half the fun—sometimes the best sounds come from the wildest detours. If you want the full nitty-gritty of tuning hacks, you’ll need to watch the video, mate. Some things just can’t be bottled up in words.