The roots of techno in the South Bay scene are hardly well known. The very idea of there being a techno scene in one of the most prosperous technological cities in the world is an anathema to most people. The thought that at one point the most advanced techno artists in the West Coast came out of San Jose gives rise to the proverbial "WTF?" It is for that reason that this article has surfaced today: out of respect for a scene that advanced techno on the West Coast earliest on.

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DEFsf: For you, what do you think inspired the South Bay/ San Jose techno scene? It seems there were a lot of techno heads who just started up out of nowhere in the 90s. Do you have any idea where that came from?

Lucas Rodenbush: Since San Jose is so close to San Francisco, I think a great deal of the techno enthusiasts drew their inspiration from the early SF party scene of the nineties, but in being from a different city, they also drew from their own inspiration. Places like Upstairs Records, Odyssey, Star, Underground Records, Daleeps and Outer Rhythm/Solid Grooves had a lot to do with shaping the music scene and culture. There were also clubs like One Step Beyond, FX, Ajax, The Agenda and the Cactus Club that served as venues for breaking that music. There is a huge live band scene in San Jose, so the party culture seemed very underground by comparison.

People in San Jose, I think, wanted to have that kind of party fun without driving to the City, so underground parties started popping up in the early 90s. The police in San Jose wouldn't have it, so it was really risky to throw a party without getting everything confiscated and people arrested. That struggle is what fueled the vibe and music scene, in my opinion. There is also nothing to do in San Jose... most of the town is usually dead by 10pm. It's a town living in the shadow of SF, so there is a want from the people to be recognized for their own efforts without being considered as being from SF.

Mattski: I think technology was the biggest thing, our surroundings. We were Silicon Valley - The home of Technology. Our parents and relatives worked for the Tech companies. We had early Tech museums, computers in our classes before any one in the U.S. did.

In the mid 90s I would have to say the breeding ground was "Outer Rhythm" record store which then turned in to "Solid Grooves" ran by Brandon Yee. Brandon Yee was the only motherfucka besides Derreck Scott (aka the Rhythmist) that truly new what real Techno was, its history, education, meaning and lifestyle.

Brandon Yee was not a producer or DJ but was a serious record collector and pioneer of Bay Area Techno. No store in the Bay Area had the selection he had and no record buyer was more educated in Techno then Brandon Yee. He had every fuckin Detroit label in his store at all times. He was the only cat I knew who could hang with Dereck Scott.

By having the only true underground dance record store in San Jose obviously attracted local DJs and