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Richie Hawtin provides RA's historic 100th podcast.
Perhaps the most celebrated techno DJ in the world, Hawtin has been at the cutting edge of dance music for more than a decade-and-a-half. Whether it’s his future-forward productions and mixes, his work in developing Final Scratch, or in defining minimal techno via his Minus label, Richie Hawtin has become one of electronic music’s most recognisable figures.
What makes Hawtin so fascinating in 2008, though, is his continued interest in the newest technology and sounds available. At the beginning of the year, Hawtin and the rest of the Minus imprint underwent '10 Weeks of Silence', a break that saw Hawtin officially jettison vinyl altogether. It's not a new thing for many - plenty of DJs have gone the digital route - but, per usual, Richie is using his new setup to challenge the limits of what a traditional DJ set.
With his RA.100 mix, Hawtin gives us an exclusive look into how the set is coming together, weaving together 60 minutes of snippets from deep house, techno, minimal and more. It's a testing lab for what might just be the next DE9 mix. Enjoy.
So, you’ve stopped playing records...
I am now using a setup consisting of Traktor Scratch/Studio, Ableton, and A&H Mixers/controllers. So far, it’s been really inspiring for me, as though a weight has been lifted from my shoulders, and perhaps that one of the last remaining walls (or most of it) between the Studio and the Club has come down.
DJ’ing and performing is - for me - at its best when you really feel free to be as creative as you can imagine, and you’re moving towards a system where you have more options. It’s still the early stages for me and my new setup, but I feel that even though I’ve perhaps lost the dynamics of vinyl, I’ve gained a more fluid, dynamic, even organic feel to my sets.
Another interesting advantage of this type of setup is that it offers me more possibilities to use more of the material that I'm receiving these days. In the old days your 'crate' would be full with only final finished tracks, all mastered and polished, but now I can better use some of the pre-masters, demos, samples and things that I receive from up-and-coming producers and work them into my mix.
Where and how was RA.100 recorded?
I’m in the process of fleshing out ideas for what might become the next DE9 project, possibly based upon re-editing/mixing a number of live performance elements into a hybrid live/studio release. This podcast is a bit of an experiment of how that could work (or not).
The basic structure of the mix is a combination of multiple pieces from the songs listed below, sometimes one after another, but usually built up from multiple simultaneous loops and samples weaving in and out throughout the mix, sometimes continuing as atmospheric textures in the background.
How is the beard working out for you?
HA! Mixed results. Some people love it, others hate it. I never thought I’d like having a beard, but without it I feel naked at the moment, so another change, another new year, and a new look. I have a short attention span, you know. :)
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