LIVE PERFORMANCE & PRODUCTION OF ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC

A workshop with
Thor Rixon.

5th November, 6pm CET. Online. €25

THE WORKSHOP

Are you an independent artist, music producer, or aspiring professional looking to break into the music industry? This online music business workshop is a practical, beginner-friendly crash course designed to help you understand the fundamentals of the modern music industry. Perfect for musicians, label managers, and creatives, the session covers essential topics including how music rights and royalties work, digital music distribution, marketing and pitching strategies, copyright basics, and common music industry contracts and deal structures. Gain the knowledge you need to navigate today’s evolving music landscape, protect your creative work, and take control of your career in the music business.

THE DETAILS

This online workshop is designed for electronic music producers, performers, and enthusiasts who want to bridge the gap between in-the-box production in Ableton Live and the tactile world of external hardware. We will cover essential concepts of live electronic dance music performance, starting from beginner-friendly fundamentals and moving toward more advanced workflows using machines such as Elektron devices (Octatrack, Digitakt, etc.).

Who Is This For?

  • Beginner to intermediate producers interested in live performance

  • Artists who want to incorporate hardware into their Ableton workflow

  • DJs looking to transition into live sets

  • Musicians exploring new performance setups beyond the laptop

  • Beginner to intermediate producers interested in live performance

    • Understanding the philosophy and intention behind live electronic sets

    • Exploring different types of live setups (hybrid, fully DAW-based, hardware-only)

    • Overview of how Ableton Live integrates with external gear

    DJs looking to transition into live sets

    Musicians exploring new performance setups beyond the laptop

    • Creating flexible, performance-ready project templates

    • Warping, arranging, and preparing stems, loops, and samples

    • Clip launching, follow actions, and dummy clips for dynamic improvisation

    • Using effects, racks, and macro controls for live manipulation

    • MIDI routing, syncing, and basic troubleshooting

    • Introduction to Elektron machines and similar drum machines/samplers

    • Connecting and syncing hardware to Ableton (via MIDI or Overbridge)

    • Building patterns and sequences on the hardware

    • Managing song structure and live transitions on hardware

    • Combining sound design, performance, and sequencing on the fly

    • Juggling between Ableton and hardware: best practices

    • Looping and resampling hardware into Ableton in real time

    • Creating improvisational moments within structured sets

    • FX routing between DAW and outboard gear

    • Building confidence with live gear

    • Troubleshooting on the fly during a performance

    • How to prepare for a gig: technical checklist and set-building philosophy

    • Crafting a narrative in your set: dynamics, tension, energy flow

THOR RIXON

Rising from the South African underground, Thor Rixon has found his home in Berlin’s electronic music community, spreading his unique sound of forward-focused dance music across Europe, with releases on respected House & Techno labels such as Get Physical, Activia Benz, Laut & Luise, and his own labels Vibe Killer & Eko Worldwide.
 
When he takes the stage, expect energy! He launches a dance floor with an array of analog drum machines, synthesizers, and samplers. Fully improvised live sets that dive deep into intricate and textured soundscapes, which sit on a bed or rolling and pulsing rhythms. Rixon’s production style and live set have made him a growing force in the global dance music community.
 
His raw and infectious energy has allowed him to perform his live show on the stages of Europe & South Africa’s most notorious festivals and clubs, leaving his mark on Fusion Festival(DE), Garbicz Festival(PL), Lighthouse Festival(HR), Habitat Festival(DE), Watergate(DE), The Great Escape Festival(UK), and Carfax(SA).