Devon Hughes has been performing laptop-free live techno, house, and tech-funk as Rhythm Droid since 1999. The Southern California native has performed across the US, Canada, Mexico, Japan and China, refining a professional but raw-and-upfront live show for a wide range of audiences. Rhythm Droid’s sound can be described as a harmony of Detroit techno and funky house, and elements of future bass, vintage acid, and industrial dirt. His releases and remixes span across labels including RD Records (CAN), Schmooze (FR), Espai (ES), Sunlinxx (DE), and Avex Records (JP).
In this session, Rhythm Droid will showcase all of the most effective methods for laptop-free live performance that he has distilled in his many years of club experience. Staying true to the “pre-Ableton-Live” art of tending a dance floor with machines, Rhythm Droid has developed a performance style which fuses the smooth song transitions of club DJing and the improvisational live hardware “jam” style of classic acts such as Orbital, the Chemical Brothers, and Daft Punk. His hardware weapons of choice usually include a dedicated drum machine, a true analog compressor, an analog bass synth (or two), and a DJ mixer… keeping the focus on melodic basslines, rich chords, and drum patterns crafted for maximum head-bobbing and butt-bouncing. Attendees will gain an understanding of how to accomplish true hardware-based live electronic music performance without the aid of a laptop or a DAW, and leave inspired to craft their own stunning live sets.