If you are in search of a documented history of the origins Techno and Electronic music, this is not the documentary for you. Amy shows how music can bring two people together at the same time tearing them apart, such as the relationship between her and her husband, David Day. As the documentary develops we follow her husband, David as he attempts to make Techno music more popular in Boston, working for an independent record distribution company and moonlighting as a promoter. We see the couple’s good times as they turn a Boston Loft into new hub for the Techno subculture. We also see the couple’s hard times as they financially struggle to create their documentary while trying to expand the Techno community. Eventually, everything they built slowly crumbles before the camera, including their personal relationship.
Aside from her own personal story, Amy Grill successfully parallel’s her love and passion for Techno to those who create it such as producer duo Modeselektor from Berlin, journalist turned DJ, Philip Sherburne from San Francisco, and a musical duo The Wighnomy Brothers from East Germany. We see their dedication and quest for the continued growth and perfection of a music that often blends electronic sounds, deep house bass, and elements of jazz and soul.
The vivid and dynamic stories not only carry you through the entire documentary, but the rich soundtrack scored by the film’s subjects will pull you further in to the mystical world of Techno music. If you were not a fan of Techno before seeing Speaking in Code, you are bound to have a new found love and compassion for it.
Official trailer and stills below: