Richie Hawtin in LA

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  • Richie Hawtin conceived of CNTRL as an opportunity to educate young electronic music fans, with the aim of helping them see past the big-tent festivals and celebrity DJs of EDM. He took the concept on tour through North America with Loco Dice back in 2012, prefacing the parties with talks and workshops. By most accounts, CNTRL was a noble idea that didn't exactly blow minds the first time around. The newest iteration of CNTRL, a tour of college campuses, makes more sense. This time Hawtin and friends (including Chris Liebing and DJ TechTools founder Ean Golden) addressed students who were interested in electronic music, focusing on the form's possibilities for technological and artistic expression. I attended the final date of CNTRL 2015 in Los Angeles, where the Herb Alpert School of Music at UCLA hosted the daytime programming. A marketplace of gear, from DJ kits to synthesizers, enticed visibly excited students, while Richie Hawtin gave a talk where he discussed production methods, his inspirations and what it's like making a career out of dance music. More interesting was the two-hour group panel where Liebing, Hawtin and Golden were joined by Victor Calderone and special guest Grimes. There were lots of clichéd platitudes about dance music and creativity, but there were also moments of lucidity. Grimes, for example, spoke up defending Garageband and other novice-friendly programs as a means for young artists to get started. The panel had an interactive bent, taking questions from eager students who were flailing their arms to get noticed by the MC. At one point the hosts even listened to a track from an audience member with the aim of providing feedback, though their promise of a detailed critique sounded more like vague praise (which definitely made that young producer's day). Even if the panel wasn't full of revelations, it left a lingering feeling of inspiration and positivity. CNTRL had trouble carrying that feeling over to the nighttime portion, which was a giant rave at the gorgeous Hollywood Palladium. It's here that the concept hit a snag. Sure, Calderone's modern brand of loopy, Drumcode-style techno was agreeable, while Chris Liebing delivered a reliably heavy set. Hawtin's turn was merely average, though, staying at a simmer with just the sort of loopy minimal beats you'd expect. It only exacerbated the feeling that if CNTRL is meant to showcase the exciting possibilities for electronic music, then it should showcase more engaging material. Take the conceptual weight away from the night and there was less to complain about. The Palladium was busy and the crowd was diverse, though the audience skewed older than the UCLA attendees. The lighting rig was incredible, and it equaled most EDM-scale shows I've seen, which is where the CNTRL party truly excelled. It felt like Hawtin was acknowledging what makes EDM exciting for its fans rather than disavowing it. From the people to the presentation, the show had a mainstream appeal that helped spruce up the conservative music, even if it came with its own set of problems (for instance, ads in the bathroom for table service that lets you watch shows "like the aristocrat you are"). With another CNTRL tour finished, it seems like Hawtin still hasn't gotten to the bottom of what makes the concept worthwhile, especially with regards to the clubbing aspect. My mind kept going back to Grimes at the panel, and how her younger perspective felt refreshing next to her older peers. Not only that, but Grimes was also one of only a few women selected to take part in the tour, making electronic music look like an old man’s game. That's neither progressive nor inclusive, qualities that CNTRL has always, in theory, strived for. There’s something complacent about a handful of established DJs trying to court a new audience without actually offering them anything new.
RA