Muscle memory and instinctual reactions are two things only built with years and years of experience, from repetition that borders on insanity and something dance legend and innovator Richie Hawtin has in spades when it comes to the creation of progressive and seminal music production, DJing and live performance.
His career spans near 30 years since the early 1990s with the birth of the minimal techno scene that saw him flourish alongside other pioneers Robert Hood, Jeff Mills, Carl Craig, and Daniel Bell as well as classic labels like Kompact.
Since then has many alias such as his famed Plastikman stamp of approval and an impressive touring schedule that has seen Hawtin travel from one end of the world to another with residencies in global dance hot spots in Ibiza and Miami and in a turn of events, playing here in Australia this weekend at Days Like This in Sydney and Pitch Music & Arts Festival in Victoria.
While impossible to fully summerise and breakdown his discography here are 5 of the most important Richie Hawtin releases spanning from
Richie Hawtin – Acid Probe (1996)
Imagine the scenes for your first time at a dark and dingy club, low light and heavy strobes when this soviet-esque vocal first cuts through the earlier track and before you know it, a crunching and heaving drum starts marching forward, unrelenting… a moment you’d unlikely forget when hearing “Acid Probe” in 1996.
Richie Hawtin & Steve Bug – Low Blow (2002)
Who knows what Steve Bug and Richie Hawtin were up to in the studio in 2002 but their track “Low Blow” is flat out weird. It’s a combination of the absolute minimum sounds but also a wobbling slap of low-frequency noise that’ll shake you from the insides.
Richie Hawtin – Minus/Orange 1 (1998)
Richie Hawtin must have been heavily on it in the late 90s and explains ‘Minus/Orange 1’, a scratchy acid laden vessel that’d take anyone willing on a chaotic journey to the depths and back.
Richie Hawtin – Call It What You Want (1995)
Yep, Richie wasn’t fucking around in the 90s with his output reflecting his relentless energy as a fresh face on a new scene and wanting to leave his mark. Case in point “Call It What You Want”, a challenging joint of thumping analog goodness but kept light with blasts of appregio’s.
Richie Hawtin – Core Resonance (2019)
A recent release from the Canadian producer, “Core Resonance” is a hypnotising and droning offering that winds and spirals in the most perfect showcase of what defines electronic music was and still is.
Again, a career spanning 30 years with multiple alias is always going to be an impossible task but certainly, here are five that have and will stand the test of time.
Catch Richie Hawtin alongside Nina Kraviz, The Black Madonna, Maceo Plex, Hunee and more this Saturday at Days Like This. Grab tickets here.