There's no question that many DJs have expertly honed their skills, yet even the top professionals are faced with a vast array of sonic choices while performing. Although they can still improvise based on the audience's energy and reactions, live acts typically depend on a more limited selection of sounds. When paired with the potential for technical glitches, spontaneous deviations, and creative experimentation, this fosters an exhilarating sense of immediacy and wonder that is unique to live performances.
From kick-drum-free techno to modern classical club sounds, here are some of Clash’s electronic artists currently making waves in live performance.
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Barker
Barker has gained recognition for his experimental live performances that navigate the space between energetic techno and ambient soundscapes without kick drums. A prominent resident at Berghain and a core member of Ostgut Ton, Barker has played a pivotal role in the electronic live movement for several years. Whether collaborating with frequent partners like nd_baumecker and Jako Jako or performing solo, his distinctive trance-infused hardware sounds have emerged as his signature after three notable releases: ‘Debaising’, ‘Utility’, and ‘Stochastic Drift’ on Smalltown Supersound, which delve deeper into this aesthetic.
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LUXE
Known as a staple in the underground electronic music scene, LUXE’s live performances elevate her artistry to an entirely different level. With a background in classical music, primarily in flute, piano, and voice, she presented her REVERIE show at Draaimolen last year, merging her classical roots with club elements, supported by a large ensemble featuring violins, cellos, harps, percussion, and a live choir. This juxtaposition of serene calmness and dynamic energy is something that must be experienced in person.
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96 Back
Sheffield’s 96 Back unveiled his new live performance at No Bounds Festival last year, an experience we were fortunate to witness firsthand. Centered around his latest album on SVBKLT, his show exudes both confidence and vulnerability, revealing a newly styled melancholy that transports his work to an entirely new dimension.
Blending around 160 BPM footwork, experimental glitch, and ambient sound, he manipulates his own voice through pitch-shifted effects and deep, hazy breaths, emphasizing the themes of cycles—how they are acknowledged, cherished, and released.
“I sought to explore how we soften the impact of change and to reflect this sonically.”
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Cartin
Cartin, one of the most captivating artists from Ireland in recent years, hailing from Derry, has begun channeling animated live sets into club-oriented electronic rhythms, creating his unique style of organic club mutations, as showcased in his latest single, ‘Noodle Boogie’.
Influenced by artists like Barry Can’t Swim, Mount Kimbie, and Arctic Monkeys, his sound finds a middle ground between Bonobo’s artistry and Le Boom’s uplifting vibes, featuring live electric guitar improvisations that embody a signature feel-good essence. Combining the energy of major festivals with the intimacy of an Irish traditional music session, this is a live performance worth following closely.
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Sloucho
An enigmatic figure, Sloucho emerged from the Wicklow Mountains and has devoted their life to exploring various realms in search of meaning. Even during interviews, Sloucho remains in character, as seen in a recent feature for Dazed.
Their recent OUCH Presents: Fragments Of Eternity show at The Complex in Dublin raised the standard for live performances in Ireland, featuring other boundary-pushing artists (Rory Sweeney, Brawni, Spooklet, Vatican Jail, Rhoshi) in a collaborative format. Blending Hyper-pop, bass, and dembow elements, Sloucho’s performance is not only sonically brilliant but also weaves in their extraordinary self-created narrative filled with mythical lore, futuristic AI bots, and 3D Meta Human figures. There’s truly nothing else like it.
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Iceboy Violet & Nueen
The album ‘You Said You’d Hold My Hand Through The Fire’, released on Hyperdub last year, acts as a personal chronicle of Iceboy Violet’s heartbreak. Narratively structured, it unfolds from the breakup experiences to feelings of separation, attempts to process emotions positively, and concludes with the thrill of new love tinged with uncertainty.
During their live show, Iceboy raps through processed vocal effects, accompanied by Nueen’s spontaneous production, blending ambient, noise, and grime influences to create a nearly transcendent experience. The Manchester artist often engages with the audience while smoke fills the room, transporting spectators to an ethereal realm of sorrow and despair.
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RÓIS
Originally from County Fermanagh, Rose Connelly combines ancient Irish elements with synthesis and drone in a mesmerizing manner. Her latest album ‘Mo Lean’ received critical acclaim upon its release last year, earning her a Choice Prize nomination and establishing her as an exciting emerging live performer.
Navigating between avant-garde
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There is certainly no question that many DJs have truly honed their skills, yet even the top performers globally face an almost limitless range of sound choices when it comes to DJing.