techno, electronic dance music that first appeared in the U.S. in the 1980s and became globally popular in the 1990s. It originated with Detroit deejay-producers who, inspired by European electro-pop, underlaid dreamy synthesizer melodies with rapid electronic rhythms. Imported in Europe, it was adopted by the burgeoning rave scene of all-night dance parties (which often featured the hallucinogen ecstasy) and is celebrated in the annual Love Parade in Berlin.