By Pwr Serg, founder of Entropy LA
There's a lot of techno out there. Playlists, algorithm radio, endless mixes. But finding a techno radio show you look forward to every week is harder. Here's how I'd go about it, and why I built Entropy LA the way I did.
Start with the set, then follow the DJ
Don't search for "techno" and hope for the best. Find one set that grabs you, then follow the DJ and the show behind it. A genre gets you in the door. A selector keeps you there.
When I listen to a set, three things decide whether I come back:
- Track selection. Does the DJ dig deeper than what everyone else is playing?
- Energy. Does the set build, breathe and hit at the right moments, or is it flat for an hour?
- Surprises out of nowhere. That one track you didn't see coming, the one that makes you stop what you're doing and look up the tracklist.
If a set gives you all three, that's a DJ worth following.
Look for shows, not just streams
Live radio is different from a playlist because there's a person on the other end making choices in real time. A good techno radio station has regular shows with a schedule, so you know when your favorite DJ is on.
On Entropy LA, the schedule is on the website. Show times are listed in Pacific Time and convert to your own time zone automatically, so you can catch a set wherever you are in the world.
Make sure you can replay what you miss
You won't catch every broadcast live. Nobody does, especially if the show airs in the middle of your night. So check whether a station keeps its past sets.
Every live show on Entropy LA goes up on our Mixcloud, and you can also find them in the Past Shows tab on the site. Some shows stream with live video too. Missed a set? Replay it, then check the schedule so you can catch that DJ's next one live.
A show to start with: TQA
If you want an example of what Entropy LA is about, start with TQA – Techno Quality Assurance. TQA is a techno duo, Zelda & Santo Techno Toro, playing from the Netherlands.
That's the point of Entropy LA. We're based in Los Angeles, but we broadcast worldwide, and we give artists anywhere a chance to be heard. A duo in the Netherlands can have a resident show on an LA station, and a listener anywhere can tune in live or replay it later.
Why I built Entropy LA
I wanted to build a safe place for the electronic music community.
I've seen too many artists shut out because they don't have a big following yet, or because they're still growing. On Entropy LA, artists get a chance to play no matter how many followers they have. Everyone starts somewhere.
I also dislike pay-to-play. Artists shouldn't have to pay to be heard, and listeners shouldn't have to pay a subscription to hear them. Entropy LA is free, with no ads.
Resident DJs get their own DJ page and press kit with a booking form, so promoters can reach them directly. Every set they play goes up on Mixcloud for the world to replay.
More than a radio station
Entropy LA is also a community, and that's what keeps people coming back between sets:
- Live chat with other ravers during shows
- Rave Radar to post your events or find events near you, wherever you are
- Kandi Lab to make and trade kandi
- Photo gallery with shots from events by Entropy LA photographers, so you might find yourself in one
- Member profiles to connect with DJs, artists and other ravers
How to start listening
- Go to entropyla.live and hit play on the live radio.
- Check the Schedule for upcoming techno and electronic shows.
- Dig through Past Shows or our Mixcloud for replays.
- Find a DJ you like and follow them to their next set.
When you're ready to join the chat, post events and connect with the community, sign up free at entropyla.live/join with the code JOINELA.
See you on the floor.