“Once tech like stem separation is inside the CDJ, people will get a bit more creative”: Richie Hawtin on how real-time stem separation will impact live showsRichie Hawtin has shared his thoughts on the impact real-time stem separation might have on contemporary DJs, especially their approach to live sound manipulation.
Hawtin debuted his new concert series, DEX EFX XOX, at this year’s Movement Festival Detroit and Sónar Barcelona. The show sees him focus less on grandeur and visual spectacle, and far more on the most important element – the music.

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For DEX EFX XOX, Hawtin uses Traktor, Bitwig, his own MODEL 1 mixer, two A&H Xone K2 MIDI controllers, a Novation Launchpad, and a bunch of “custom scripts” that allow on-the-fly control over a suite of Roland software emulations, including the TR-808, TR-909, and the SH-101.
In the future, the use of stem separation – something he’s avoided up til now – may also make its way into his sets. In a new interview feature for MusicTech, he explains, “My shows are all pretty spontaneous. I’ve been reluctant to use any stem separation because it all has to be done beforehand. But real-time, high-quality stem separation is coming very shortly, and I’m excited because that will allow for even more fluid mixing.”
With his shows, Hawtin wants to revive that hypnotic state that immersive sound and lighting can induce alone. He wants his shows to feel more like a club experience, rather than concert which may focus more on feeding the eyes than the ears. Of the current DJ sphere, he says, “On one level, I see that the scene has exploded with the TikTok DJ generation who maybe think that DJing is just two CDJs and a mixer, but I’m starting to see some of the DJs who’ve been around longer really jumping into these hybrid setups.

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“Once tech like stem separation is inside the CDJ, people will get a bit more creative — but will we see a whole generation of DJs working on their own unique setup? I’m not sure that that’s going to happen.”
He adds, “I don’t want to sound like I’m slagging off the new-school DJs. Really, the production etiquette and technique of young, modern producers is fucking mind blowing. The music they’re making crosses and combines genres more than ever before — there used to be the house lane, the techno lane, the minimal lane. Now, it’s all going back into the melting pot and that’s where a lot of the energy and excitement is coming from.”
So, why does he feel rising DJs are not experimenting with their setup as much as they perhaps should? “Part of it is just the convenience of jumping on a plane with a USB stick and jamming out some great tunes,” he says. “I would have been excited if I could have done that 30 years ago, instead of dragging around three 50kg cases and a friend to help me.”
Find out more about Richie Hawtin, or view all of his scheduled live dates.
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