The Rules

There aren't many:

1. The sequences should EITHER be so damned good that you can happily listen to them for many minutes (i.e. Klaus Schulze) without any variation or evolution OR sequences should evolve and vary in both content and timbre to prevent tedium setting in. (*)

2. No guitar solos. Ever! Guitars have their place in electronic music, but never as a solo / lead instrument. Using them occasionally to add tonal variation and background drones is permissible in small quantity.

3. Avoid 'live drumming'. This isn't jazz. This is structure, patterns, purity, mathematics. Hyperactive, poorly executed drumming is going to draw attention from the song.

4. Sounds should be 'old school'. If it needs more than a 3-oscillator Moog it probably doesn't belong in this genre.

5. Take the sequences and sequencers seriously, but don't take yourself seriously. There are dozens of Scandinavian chaps who are far better at this that you, and even they aren't going to be popular, famous, or mainstream. You're making music for yourself, and maybe a handful of others.

(*) Since there's only one Klaus Schulze, this rule really becomes: sequences should evolve and vary in both content and timbre to prevent tedium setting in

What I strive for, and what I don't

I guess I should provide some examples of the music and styles I'm talking about...

Here's a typical Redshift track that exemplifies Berlin School sequencing. Note in particular the 'ratcheting', especially at 11 mins, 15 secs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU4tHA-KgOQ

In this live version, there is some nice ratcheting at 6 mins 30 secs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbVwhMZWI0U

I'll be talking a lot about 'ratcheting', but in summary it's when a repeating sequence suddenly has a coughing fit, and previously individual notes in the pattern are replaced by multiple shorter ones. Redshift use ratcheting a lot, and so did TD in the good old days.

Redshift make a point of having sequences run, but altering and evolving them in real-time. This is in contrast to Klaus Schulze who is a master of sequencing, but he tends to just let the sequence run and run unchanging, and in this extract we see he takes a literal 'hands off' approach:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvhxqZkZdJo

I consider Klaus a genius, but there's no point trying to emulate him, it would just be embarassing, he's too close to perfection. It's no surprise there are no Klaus Schulze tribute bands; nobody else can get close.

Speaking of embarassing, here's what has become of Tangerine Dream, even when they play some of their classics:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPUomQU0Wkg

I especially enjoy the drummer who has no sense of timing, and that fact that they all look as if they are having dental surgery.