Richie Hawtin is an electronic musician and a techno DJ, born in the UK and raised in Canada. Hawtin began DJing in his hometown, Windsor, Ontario and soon he became a pioneer for his own sound, a unique techno sound. Manufactured in Detroit – the home and birthplace of techno music – Hawtins developed a distinct sound, a sort of electro house, which was very minimal, yet highly danceable.
Hawtins took trips to Detroit, much like pilgrimages, as he wanted to further his DJ career. As Hawtins explains “You couldn’t be into the scene or getting into it and not understand that the music that was being made was kind of a revolution that was happening around the world” (Slater, 2020). The creation of his sound was a culmination of inspirations. From the futuristic sounds of Detroit techno to Chicago’s acid house atmosphere to the spectral frequencies of the sci-fi movies he grew up with, he would eventually use this as a foundation of his workflow, his inspiration. This led to the production of his first album under the persona F.U.S.E., Dimension Intrusion.
Hawtin’s first real studio was called U.T.K., short for Under The Kitchen, which was a storage room under his parent’s kitchen. He describes it as “one full wall of all the analog synthesisers, a little corner that had my Atari computer, which I used for strings but nothing else really, and there was a wall in front with my Tannoy speakers…” (Slater, 2020). Most of his works were on cassette so that he was able to listen to them in the car. “In the other room was a reel-to-reel where I was doing my editing and tape slicing” (Slater, 2020). A lot of his works were on cassette as they were much more accessible at the time. Hawtins also utilises a Roland TB-303, which is a staple piece of equipment to his music. He explains that “The 303 was made to practice, or get rid of your bass player, and it sounded nothing like a real bassline. It was actually a horrible failure for its intentions, but inadvertently created the texture and the frequency that inspired a whole new generation of music…” (Lunny, 2019).
Hawtin’s workflow was very improvisational. He mentions that “I would usually start with some kind of rhythmic bassline or sound with a 101 or a Pro-One” (Slater, 2020). These were machines that were simple to use and allowed for quick melodies. Simultaneously, you could work with a drum machine and create different variations of sections. The Roland TR-909 was also a staple machine in his workflow. “I’d be sitting at the 909, triggering sequencers, adding melodic triggers then adding hi-hats, maybe from some other drum machines” (Slater, 2020). This would all be eventually sent to his Allen & Heath GS2 mixer into separate channels. He would mix and continue to mute and make variations, resuming tracks and creating different arrangements until he found a good live arrangement. Hence, this shows his workflows to be quite spontaneous.
Additionally, Hawtin’s approach to releasing music was very DIY-based, a lot of his gear he bought was secondhand, hence he didn’t know how to release a record nor how to distribute it.
References:
- Slater, M.-R. (2020) Richie Hawtin on his origins as F.U.S.E. and how he made techno in the early ’90s, Fact Magazine. Available at: https://www.factmag.com/2019/05/18/richie-hawtin-signal-path/ (Accessed: December 5, 2022).
- Lunny, O. (2019) Richie Hawtin, Renaissance Man of Techno, on Bridging Technology and creativity, Forbes. Forbes Magazine. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/oisinlunny/2019/10/08/richie-hawtin-renaissance-man-of-techno-on-bridging-technology-and-creativity/?sh=6c766f28214b (Accessed: December 5, 2022).