“I wanted to create something that pushes the boundaries of what a DJ set can be”: James Hype’s upcoming Hï Ibiza residency will bring visuals which are synced in “real-time” with his musicJames Hype is welcoming music lovers on a multi-sensory journey this year in Ibiza. From June to September, Hype will incorporate game-changing visuals to his DJ sets, thanks to new SYNC technology.
SYNC’s full LED DJ booth perfectly pairs every action with a corresponding visual, meaning every button, scratch and beat drop triggers a visual shift. Hï Ibiza’s Theatre room will be hosting the 16-week residency, moving Meduza & James Hype’s collaborative production, Our House, up to a grander room following on from their majorly successful three-year Club Room residency.

READ MORE: So…How did Apple Music become a hero of streaming services, and Spotify a supervillain?

In a video teasing SYNC’s dazzling potential, the pulsing red lights match perfectly with Hype’s DJing. It brings the sound come to life, amplifying the hit of each sonic shift. The intention is to fully immerse a live crowd in each track – and it’s sure to feel even more incredible on a packed dance floor.

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“SYNC is more than a performance; it is a statement,” Hype explains. “I wanted to create something that pushes the boundaries of what a DJ set can be, integrating technology and artistry in a way that’s never been done before. Hï Ibiza’s Our House is the perfect place to bring this vision to life.”
Hype’s connection to music has always felt intuitive. In the past, he’s shared videos of him creating mixes in as little as 20 minutes, each sound slotting into place with ease. We’re keen to see how SYNC influences mixes in future – and how it will transform the live experience of tracks like 7 Seconds.

Meduza & James Hype’s Our House will be performing every Monday for 16 weeks. The shift from the Club Room to the Theatre is also set to allow SYNC to shine. “It’s something we’ve been building towards from day one,” Hype says. “It’s also so nice to be able to have Hannah Laing on supporting duty in the Club Room and have her join the OUR HOUSE family. She’s absolutely amazing and I’m sure she’s going to destroy that room week in, week out.”
The new residency will expand on Our House’s MEDUZA³, Meduza’s latest evolution. MEDUZA³ aims to craft a hybrid live show, which has involved toying with live piano, experimental new MIDI controls, and dynamic visual elements – Hype’s SYNC will be the latest way of pushing forward this goal alongside his Meduza peers.

“The launch of MEDUZA³ marks a new era for us, this isn’t just a performance, it’s a complete reinvention of the DJ experience,” the Italian production trio explain. “By blending live instrumentation with cutting-edge digital elements, we’re creating something truly unique, where no two sets will ever be the same. There’s no better place to launch this than Hï Ibiza, where we’ll be delivering an experience you won’t find anywhere else in the world, setting the standard for a new kind of club experience. Get ready, because this is going to change everything.”
Hï Ibiza always strives to be at the forefront of experimental DJing. This year, they’re set to open a brand new premium hyperclub, [UNVRS], which promises to offer a “high-end luxury” experience that will reach “the scale and ambition of arena events.”

The post “I wanted to create something that pushes the boundaries of what a DJ set can be”: James Hype’s upcoming Hï Ibiza residency will bring visuals which are synced in “real-time” with his music appeared first on MusicTech.

Record companies in India want to join a lawsuit against ChatGPT maker OpenAINews organizations, book publishers, and now music companies want to join a copyright infringement suit against OpenAI being heard by a court in Delhi
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FLUX, Soma’s wild theremin-inspired synthesizer controlled by hand motions, is shipping nowNearly two years after it was first announced, Soma Laboratory’s FLUX synth is finally shipping.
The highly anticipated instrument reimagines expressive electronic performance by allowing musicians to control sound entirely through hand motions. Unlike traditional synthesizers, FLUX eliminates the need for physical touch, using magnetic sensors and handheld bows to shape pitch, volume, and synthesis parameters in real time.

READ MORE: Here’s your chance to win a signed Oberheim Matrix-12 synthesizer worth $20,000

At its core, FLUX draws inspiration from the Theremin (yes, that instrument that makes a sound when you move your hands and fingers around its antenna) but operates on an entirely different principle.
Rather than relying on capacitive coupling between the hands and antennae, FLUX uses magnetic sensors to track the motion of two handheld bows. This enables players to manipulate sound with unparalleled fluidity, creating a uniquely organic and dynamic playing experience.
By using a multipolar magnetic sensor, the instrument accurately detects the player’s hand positions and movements: The right-hand bow controls pitch (via the X-axis) and volume (via the Z-axis), while the left-hand bow influences various synthesis parameters through its X, Y, and Z coordinates.
Since magnets have two poles, FLUX can also detect the angle of the bows. A simple flip of the right-hand bow on the Y-axis shifts the octave, granting players access to six continuous octaves without traditional transposition.Tilting the right-hand bow left or right on the X-axis controls two independent modulation parameters.
Meanwhile, the left-hand bow shapes timbre: the sensor has six poles, and independently registers positive and negative magnetic fields. This lets the user change which parameters are controlled by flipping the bow, enabling control of up to twelve independent sound parameters.
Together with the pitch, volume and two additional tilt parameters on the right-hand bow, you have access to a total of sixteen sonic controls you can use during performance, without ever touching the surface of the instrument.
Image: Soma Labs
Additionally, FLUX’s digital-to-analogue converters are designed in-house by Soma using high-end principles. The instrument works in monophonic, duophonic and polyphonic modes. Staccato-enabling and quantisation modes are also available, and unlike a theremin, FLUX features a clearly marked note scale, making it easier to learn and play in tune. The instrument’s synthesis is DSP-based and features spatial effects.
According to Soma, FLUX’s firmware will continue to evolve, with new synthesis engines planned for future updates. Specially designed presets will allow users to save and recall their complete setup, making FLUX an ideal tool for both experimental electronic musicians and academic composers seeking deep, expressive control over sound.
Priced at $1,300, FLUX is now shipping to Soma Laboratory’s international network of dealers.

Learn more at Soma Synths.
The post FLUX, Soma’s wild theremin-inspired synthesizer controlled by hand motions, is shipping now appeared first on MusicTech.

Brian Eno taught me these 10 lessons in his music-making workshopAt the start of 2025, I attended a series of workshops by Brian Eno, run by the School of Song. Sharing his thoughts on creativity, studio methods, and plenty of personal anecdotes, it offered us a rare chance to hear from the master himself on a spectacular music career and a lifetime’s worth of incredible musical advice.
Here are 10 lessons I took away from the sessions — and which you can learn from, too.

READ MORE: 10 lessons everyone in music can learn from Quincy Jones

Boredom is important
“I’m almost sure that [Music for Airports] would have never happened had I not been sitting in an airport bored,” says Eno — before adding, “and [being] slightly annoyed by German disco music”.
It was perhaps a lot easier to be bored in the 1970s before the invention of the smartphone. These days, most of us spend hours avoiding being bored by scrolling through content platforms. “Consumerism is the fear of boredom embodied,” Eno goes on to explain, but we need not be afraid of boredom. The next time you wake up, don’t consume anything he suggests — not anything on your phone, not even your breakfast. Instead, see what enters your mind. “Something will appear,” he says. For Eno, that ‘something’ planted the seed for one of his best-selling albums.
Brian Eno with a guitar and synthesiser at home in the 1970s. Image: Erica Echenberg/Redferns via Getty Images
Taking things out is as important as leaving things in
Challenging yourself to remove the main hook or riff in your song might seem self-defeating, but Eno thinks this is a powerful way to open up the rest of your mix and see the potential of each part.
There are two ways it can go: By removing the most important part, you might realise that none of the other instruments are doing much at all. On the other hand, as Eno explains, it might “make you realise that the least revolutionary part is the bit that you’re hooked by”.
One thing Eno would do at the end of every recording session is to create what he called the “film mix”, that is in other words, taking the piece apart, leaving stuff out, and seeing if he could create something with the parts that were left.
Push the limits of your parameters
Eno believes that most of the truly interesting stuff happens at the outer limits. For any given parameter, he’s more interested in what happens at the “edges of controls”, than the comfortable middle range that most people stay in. After a lifetime of turning the knobs on all manner of studio gear, Eno says, “I’ve realised that the most interesting thing about controls is what happens at the extreme end of them”.
Brian Eno performing with the Baltic Sea Philharmonic, conducted by Kristjan Järvi, at The Royal Festival Hall on October 30, 2023 in London, England. Image: Jim Dyson/Getty Images
Take note of what grabs your attention
Creating good music starts by knowing what you like. At a time when algorithms vie for our attention, he repeatedly stressed the need to notice our thoughts and feelings. Eno often repeated the phrase, “If I do a double take, I do a triple take.” In a production context, this means noticing when something feels off or identifying what really clicks — then asking yourself why.
Break the grid
Ignoring the gridlines in your DAW or opting for an unusual time signature are just some techniques Eno suggests for adding unpredictability to your work process.
It was something that he noticed while watching the young producer and his apprentice, Fred Again.., effortlessly navigate Logic Pro. Ignoring gridlines entirely, he would start by dropping sounds into the middle of the timeline.
“If you work in Logic and you’re not a Fred, you tend to work in straight lines,” Eno says, but what is key to Fred’s music is that he ignored the boundaries that constrained most artists and acted more like a “collage artist”, fluidly placing bits of music next to each other that completely ignored the grid.
Brian Eno at the Bestival Festival in 2006. Image: John Horsley/Avalon/Getty Images
Constraints are good
We’ve all felt the urge to buy more gear or invest in some sprawling software mega bundle, but Eno cautions against this. He believes limitations are something that drives our creative thinking and stops us from getting paralysed by endless options. “The kiss of death,” warns Eno. “Is software that says, ‘Now you can do anything.’” In the digital age, self-imposed constraints are essential, says Eno, and goes so far as to suggest ideas like banning artificial reverb from the studio, forcing yourself to write a song in 20 minutes, flipping a coin to choose your chords or limiting the number of tracks in a session.
Double the tempo
Alongside his pioneering avant-garde work, Eno has written plenty of chart toppers and produced some of the world’s most famous bands. Along the way, he’s picked up some recurring tricks that “nearly always make a song better”.
One of these tricks he calls the Klaus Dinger beat, also known as the motorik beat. Named after the drummer from Neu!, it effectively doubles the tempo of a song. While working with U2 on Beautiful Day, Eno says the song wouldn’t gel until he asked the band to try the Klaus Dinger beat. That simple repeating 4/4 beat gave the track momentum and turned it into the hit we know today.

Never delete anything
You might just find treasure in the trash, but the only guarantee you’ll come across it is if you never empty the bin. That goes for your desktop bin too. According to Eno, he never gets rid of any idea, snippet, demo, or recording, reporting that he’s got thousands of song ideas that he’s collected over the years.
Over time, a well-kept archive becomes a creative library where you can pull out a recording on any given day and pick up where you left off. “I don’t ever let anything go out of play, the point about the archive is to keep all the saucepans on the stove.”
In the case that it’s a total failure Eno will still stick to his rule, although he might leave his future self a reminder: “Sometimes I will give it a title like, ‘Possibly the shittest piece of music I’ve ever done’.”
Find music in everyday life
While living in New York, Eno found himself fascinated with American radio. He would regularly record “shock jockeys” and shouting evangelists using a boom box and a cassette tape. Comparing American radio to the BBC back home, he thought, “This is amazing to live in such a fertile, unfiltered, sonic world.”
This material eventually ended up in the album My Life in the Bush of Ghosts with David Byrne. As he recalls, “I had recorded this guy off the radio… he was stuttering with nerves in a kind of fervent”, that bit contrasted heavily with the host who replied rather flatly with: “Yeah, yeah yeah…”. Taking these everyday recordings to the studio Eno pieced together the funky rhythmic track called America Is Waiting.
Brian Eno (right) and David Byrne (left) in a recording studio in Mexico. Image: Lynn Goldsmith/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images
Polish the turd
“Try to polish a turd,” Eno suggests; it’s one thing you can do with a piece of music you think is completely useless. It’s an interesting take on a classic cliche.
According to Eno, what’s great about something that’s already bad is that there’s no risk you can make it any worse and this frees you to try something utterly different. These bits that don’t become a song on day one might continue to have a life in the future perhaps repurposed into a part for another song. Eno does this so often that he declares with a laugh, “I am probably one of the most prominent turd polishers in the business”.
The post Brian Eno taught me these 10 lessons in his music-making workshop appeared first on MusicTech.

Thousands protest Elon Musk’s DOGE in NYC on Presidents’ DayMore than 10,000 protesters gathered in New York City on Presidents’ Day to speak out against the current Trump administration and the actions in particular of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).  It was one of several protests that took place Monday in major cities across the country and came during the same long […]
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Argentine lawyers file complaint with US DOJ, FBI amid LIBRA falloutA group of Argentine lawyers have filed a complaint with the US DOJ and FBI that points to the protagonists behind the LIBRA token and asks for President Javier Milei to be investigated.

Probably The Most Esoteric Commodore 64 MagazineThe world of computer enthusiasts has over time generated many subcultures and fandoms, each of which has in turn spawned its own media. [Intric8] has shared the tale of his falling down a rabbit hole as he traced one of them, a particularly esoteric disk magazine for the Commodore 64. The disks are bright yellow, and come with intricate home-made jackets and labels. Sticking them into a 1541 drive does nothing, because these aren’t standard fare, instead they require GEOS and a particularly upgraded machine. They appear at times in Commodore swap meets, and since they formed a periodical there are several years’ worth to collect that extend into the 2000s, long after the heyday of the 64.
Picking up nuggets of information over time, he traces them to Oregon, and the Astoria Commodore User Group, and to [Lord Ronin], otherwise known as David Mohr. Sadly the magazine ended with his death in 2009, but until then he produced an esoteric selection of stories, adventure games, and other software for surely one of the most exclusive computer clubs in existence. It’s a fascinating look into computer culture from before the Internet, even though by 2009 the Internet had well and truly eclipsed it, when disks like these were treasured for the information they contained. So if you find any of these yellow Penny Farthing disks, make sure that they or at least their contents are preserved.
Surprisingly, this isn’t the only odd format disk magazine we’ve seen.

Record companies in India want to join a lawsuit against ChatGPT maker OpenAINews organizations, book publishers, and now music companies want to join a copyright infringement suit against OpenAI being heard by a court in Delhi
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Atmos & XR: Latest SOS Case Study now live In our latest SOS Case Study, we take an in-depth look at how the immersive audio capabilities of Antelope Audio’s Galaxy interfaces are being put to work by two very different users.

Here’s your chance to win a signed Oberheim Matrix-12 synthesizer worth $20,000Fancy winning an Oberheim Matrix-12 synthesizer signed by Tom Oberheim himself? Well, here’s your chance.
The Bob Moog Foundation – the nonprofit organisation set up in 2006 following the death of synth pioneer Robert Moog – has announced a fundraising raffle, with the winner taking home a signed Oberheim Matrix-12 valued at $20,000.

READ MORE: You can save hundreds on DAW controllers and Korg synths right now in Reverb’s Presidents’ Day sale

Along with Tom Oberheim’s signature, the synth also features the signatures of Marcus Ryle and Michel Doidic, the principal designers of the Matrix-12. 
It’s also unique in that it was previously owned by Doug Curtis, the late inventor of the legendary Curtis chips used in many classic synthesizers. It was donated to the Bob Moog Foundation by Doug Curtis’s widow, Mary.
Credit: Bob Moog Foundation
Also, it is said to be in “pristine condition”, having been personally restored by Marcus Ryle. Its serial number is P53207 (the seventh unit built in the 32nd week, August 5th – 9th, 1985).
Launched in 1985, 2025 marks four decades of the Matrix-12, so the raffle lines up nicely with its 40-year anniversary.
The Matrix-12 followed the Oberheim Xpander – which launched in 1984 – and features two Xpanders (for 12-voice polyphony), as well as five-octave velocity and an aftertouch keyboard.
Elsewhere, the Matrix-12 features 15 different analogue filter modes, linear analogue FM, and a matrix modulation system to route the 27 modulation sources to the 47 modulation destinations.
Credit: Bob Moog Foundation
“Forty years ago we developed the Xpander, and its big brother, the Matrix-12, with an uncompromising spirit to create the most versatile and amazing sounding instruments we could imagine,” recalls Marcus Ryle. “To this day, the Matrix-12 is still my favorite synthesizer to play.”
“Doug appreciated the Matrix-12 so much that he had two, so our family had to think hard about donating this legendary instrument,” notes Mary Curtis. “At last we decided that Doug would have said yes to the idea out of a love for the Matrix-12 itself, a belief that it will raise money for the important work of the Bob Moog Foundation, and the wish for another musician who loves it to make glorious music.”
The raffle runs from 17 February to 10 March at 11:59 ET, and tickets are available at $25 each, five for $100, 12 for $200 and 35 for $500. Participants who purchase five or more tickets will be invited to an exclusive group Zoom call with Marcus Ryle, to be held in early April.
For more information, head to the Bob Moog Foundation.
The post Here’s your chance to win a signed Oberheim Matrix-12 synthesizer worth $20,000 appeared first on MusicTech.

Beastsamples offers Beastverb reverb plugin for FREE in limited time offer
Pluginomat offers the Beastverb ($69 value) reverb plugin by Beastsamples as a free download for a limited time. Beastverb is a 64-bit-only plugin for Mac and Windows in VST3 and AU, with AAX support on the way. Reverb is an invaluable tool for creating atmosphere, depth and dimension in a mix, and there is an [...]
View post: Beastsamples offers Beastverb reverb plugin for FREE in limited time offer

Hit the Decks! It's GrabbitzElectronic music producer, musician, composer, and DJ Grabbitz started producing around the age of 13."[It was] on my first family computer which came with Garageband," he says. "I made hundreds of beats and learned everything I could about the program, then transitioned to Logic Pro. I learned DJing out of necessity because I was making a lot of EDM at the time, and in order to show it off I had to DJ it. It started to become serious when I started to get attention from labels, got my first few major synch placements, and put out my first few official projects as Grabbitz that got millions of hits. "Today, he describes his sound as, "a combination of rock and electronic music. I exist in both the thriving bass music scene, but I'm trying to incorporate more original songs which I do through my voice and rock influence."His latest album is Big Epic Nothing."It's a collection of songs I really love and I think continues to push that line between rock and bass," he says. "I try not to set boundaries for myself while creating and I think the versatility really shows that on this record."As for gear: "I can make music with any set of tools I have available but when I'm at my home studio, I have a few toys I like to use," he says. "Moog One, Mellotron, my Neumann u87 Microphone, Shure sm7b, my guitar collection."Looking ahead, Grabbitz has plenty planned for 2025."I'm touring on a bus for the next few months, but I'm always looking to push myself further with my recorded music, and looking to collaborate more with my peers in electronic music this year," he says. "We're also going to be doing a lot of headline shows in the fall."Photo by Zach Frank

The post Hit the Decks! It's Grabbitz first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

You can save hundreds on DAW controllers and Korg synths right now in Reverb’s Presidents’ Day saleToday is Presidents’ Day, and that means the biggest US retailers are offering killer savings on a wealth of music tech gear. And some of the best savings are to be had right now over at Reverb.
There’s quite literally hundreds of products discounted for today only, but the team here at MusicTech have picked out some of our favourites to help you upgrade your gear arsenal for less.

READ MORE: The best free and paid-for plugins you need to know about this week

First up, you can get this Korg ARP ODYSSEY FS Duophonic Synthesizer Kit for $1,331.99, with $468 off its original price of $1,799. This DIY kit enables synth enthusiasts to build their own Korg ARP ODYSSEY FS, with the same authentic analogue circuitry and original specs, including a full-size keyboard and black panel design with orange lettering. And of course, there’s a pictorial guide included, and no technical knowledge or soldering is required. This is a steal for any true synth nut.
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In another example of a BIG saving, you can also get your hands on a used Korg MS-20 Original Analog Mono Synth – complete with a case and patch cables – for $1,610, $690 off its original price of $2,300.
One of Korg’s first successful portable analogue monosynths and dubbed the big brother to the MS-10, the MS-20 is a two-oscillator monophonic lead and bass synth with hard wired and patchable connections. It’ll make a little dent in your wallet, but significantly less so than usual, and if you’re a proper synth aficionado, you won’t regret it.
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And lastly, we’d be remiss if we didn’t highlight this particularly stellar deal: $176 off the iCON Pro Audio V1-M USB MIDI DAW Control Surface. You spend a lot of time inside your DAW, so why not invest in a control surface to make the production experience that bit more tactile?
With motorised faders and a touchscreen display, the V1-M makes it easy to navigate throughout your DAW, regardless of the size of your session. Get yours now for just $703.20.
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The deals we’ve picked out here are by no means exhaustive, so make sure you head over to Reverb to browse its full Presidents’ Day sale now.
The post You can save hundreds on DAW controllers and Korg synths right now in Reverb’s Presidents’ Day sale appeared first on MusicTech.

5 Types of Artificial Music Streaming: How to Avoid ThemArtificial music streaming may seem like a shortcut to success, but it can destroy your career before it even begins. Learn the most common scams, how to spot them, and the right way to grow your audience.
The post 5 Types of Artificial Music Streaming: How to Avoid Them appeared first on Hypebot.

Mixing beats, history, and technologyIn a classroom on the third floor of the MIT Media Lab, it’s quiet; the disc jockey is setting up. At the end of a conference table ringed with chairs, there are two turntables on either side of a mixer and a worn crossfader. A MacBook sits to the right of the setup.Today’s class — CMS.303/803/21M.365 (DJ History, Technique, and Technology) — takes students to the 1970s, which means disco, funk, rhythm and blues, and the breaks that form the foundation of early hip-hop are in the mix. Instructor Philip Tan ’01, SM ’03 starts with a needle drop. Class is about to begin.Tan is a research scientist with the MIT Game Lab — part of the Institute’s Comparative Media Studies/Writing (CMS/W) program. An accomplished DJ and founder of a DJ crew at MIT, he’s been teaching students classic turntable and mixing techniques since 1998. Tan is also an accomplished game designer whose specialties include digital, live-action, and tabletop games, in both production and management. But today’s focus is on two turntables, a mixer, and music.“DJ’ing is about using the platter as a music instrument,” Tan says as students begin filing into the classroom, “and creating a program for audiences to enjoy.”Originally from Singapore, Tan arrived in the United States — first as a high school student in 1993, and later as an MIT student in 1997 — to study the humanities. He brought his passion for DJ culture with him.“A high school friend in Singapore introduced DJ’ing to me in 1993,” he recalls. “We DJ’d a couple of school dances together and entered the same DJ competitions. Before that, though, I made mix tapes, pausing the cassette recorder while cuing up the next song on cassette, compact disc, or vinyl.”Later, Tan wondered if his passion could translate into a viable course, exploring the idea over several years. “I wanted to find and connect with other folks on campus who might also be interested in DJ’ing,” he says. During MIT’s Independent Activities Period (IAP) in 2019, he led a four-week “Discotheque” lecture series at the Lewis Music Library, talking about vinyl records, DJ mixers, speakers, and digital audio. He also ran meetups for campus DJs in the MIT Music Production Collaborative.“We couldn’t really do meetups and in-person performances during the pandemic, but I had the opportunity to offer a spring Experiential Learning Opportunity for MIT undergraduates, focused on DJ’ing over livestreams,” he says. The CMS/W program eventually let Tan expand the IAP course to a full-semester, full-credit course in spring 2023.Showing students the basicsIn the class, students learn the foundational practices necessary for live DJ mixing. They also explore a chosen contemporary or historical dance scene from around the world. The course investigates the evolution of DJ’ing and the technology used to make it possible. Students are asked to write and present their findings to the class based on historical research and interviews; create a mix tape showcasing their research into a historical development in dance music, mixing technique, or DJ technology; and end the semester with a live DJ event for the MIT community. Access to the popular course is granted via lottery.“From circuits to signal processing, we have been able to see real-life uses of our course subjects in a fun and exciting way,” says Madeline Leano, a second-year student majoring in computer science and engineering and minoring in mathematics. “I’ve also always had a great love for music, and this class has already broadened my music taste as well as widened my appreciation for how music is produced.”Leano lauded the class’s connections with her work in engineering and computer science. “[Tan] would always emphasize how all the parts of the mixing board work technically, which would come down to different electrical engineering and physics topics,” she notes. “It was super fun to see the overlap of our technical coursework with this class.”During today’s class, Tan walks students through the evolution of the DJ’s tools, explaining the shifts in DJ’ing as it occurred alongside technological advances by companies producing the equipment. Tan delves into differences in hardware for disco and hip-hop DJs, how certain equipment like the Bozak CMA-10-2DL mixer lacked a crossfader, for example, while the UREI 1620 music mixer was all knobs. Needs changed as the culture changed, Tan explains, and so did the DJ’s tools.He’s also immersing the class in music and cultural history, discussing the foundations of disco and hip-hop in the early 1970s and the former’s reign throughout the decade while the latter grew alongside it. Club culture for members of the LGBTQ+ community, safe spaces for marginalized groups to dance and express themselves, and previously unheard stories from these folks are carefully excavated and examined at length.“Studying meter, reviewing music history, and learning new skills”Toward the end of the class, each student takes their place behind the turntables. They’re searching by feel for the ease with which Tan switches back and forth between two tracks, trying to get the right blend of beats so they don’t lose the crowd. You can see their confidence growing in real time as he patiently walks them through the process: find the groove, move between them, blend the beat. They come to understand that it’s harder than it might appear.“I’m not looking for students to become expert scratchers,” Tan says. “We’re studying meter, reviewing music history, and learning new skills.”“Philip is one of the coolest teachers I have had here at MIT!” Leano exclaims. “You can just tell from the way he holds himself in class how both knowledgeable and passionate he is about DJ history and technology.”Watching Tan demonstrate techniques to students, it’s easy to appreciate the skill and dexterity necessary to both DJ well and to show others how it’s done. He’s steeped in the craft of DJ’ing, as comfortable with two turntables and a mixer as he is with a digital setup favored by DJs from other genres, like electronic dance music. Students, including Leano, note his skill, ability, and commitment.“Any question that any classmate may have is always answered in such depth he seems like a walking dictionary,” she says. “Not to mention, he makes the class so interactive with us coming to the front and using the board, making sure everyone gets what is happening.”