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emma ecstacy on Why the 909 Hits so Hard

What do mathematics, science fiction and birds have in common? Genevieve Gough-Croy (a.k.a emma ecstasy) likes them all. She also likes music, and she’s very good at producing and DJing it. Her music straddles the harder, deeper side of techno. A scroll through her Instagram will reveal a penchant for hardware samplers, drum machines and synths – something that, as she tells us in this interview, carries through to her DJ sets. As well as her emma ecstasy pseudonym, Gough-Croy also DJs und

The Best Music Software Deals This Week [Live List]

As the music production landscape evolves week by week, so does the opportunity to save on powerful creative tools. New plugin releases, flash sales on VSTs and limited-time deals on music software can appear from any angle, making it harder than ever to keep track of what’s worth your attention. Whether you're looking for the latest bundles on offer, or even deals on exciting virtual instruments, it's as important as ever to stay up to date on what we have to offer. That’s where our live g

galen tipton – Prolific and Playful

galen tipton is prolific. Unrestrained by genre, or style, the Ohio-born producer has released dozens of EPs, singles and LPs in the last decade under her given name, and monkers dj galen and recovery girl. Over that time, she’s built up quite a fanbase, with notable support from Anthony Fantano, Iggy Pop and David Byrne. Even if you don’t know her name, you’ve probably heard her music. Her 2022 track snow elves went viral on TikTok and YouTube. It’s been used in 130,000 TikTok videos, and ha

In Conversation with Polymath Producer and DJ Ariel Zetina

Chicago-based producer, DJ and dramatic writer Ariel Zetina is a force to be reckoned with. In her music, she manipulates percussion, vocal repetition, and theatrics, taking inspiration from everything from techno to musical theatre to the worldwide queer club scene. Speaking of the worldwide club scene, Zetina holds a residency at the legendary Smartbar in Chicago, and Carly Zeng’s party Dissident in Berlin, and has opened for huge names like Beyoncé, James Blake and Caroline Polachek. He

Bianca Oblivion on the 808 and 909's Influence on the Queer Ballroom Scene

An LA native whose dance music career has now taken her across the globe, Bianca Oblivion is one of the hottest up-and-coming DJs on the global scene right now. She’s made a name for herself by fusing a diverse range of genres into her high-octane sets. Catch a Bianca Oblivion anywhere around the world, and you’re just as likely to hear hip-hop and R\&B as you are dubstep and grime. Oblivion’s mantra is “anything goes as long as it bangs”. Outside of the booth, Oblivion’s been releasin

ABSOLUTE. on the Legacy of the 909 in Queer Dance Music

ABSOLUTE. is a defining queer force in dance music. His sound moves from raw, percussive house into surging progressive euphoria: sweaty, hypnotic, built to carry a room. Now a fixture of the global dance circuit, his remix of Bronski Beat's Smalltown Boy has become a peak-time must-play for DJs around the world. For ABSOLUTE., it’s just one of many releases on iconic labels like Permanent Vacation, UTTU, Shall Not Fade, Hot Haus, and Maximum Airtime ABSOLUTE. is also known for his collabo

DUCKY Dives into his Signature Sound, and how Transitioning Changed it

For CK Neiman – AKA DUCKY – life is an opportunity to create. The San Francisco-born and now Rotterdam-based polymath has led a life of artistic self-expression ever since he first started DJing clubs at the age of 13. Thanks to his infectious taste in EDM-flavoured rave music behind the decks and, due to his age, fake IDs, Neiman began to hone his craft throughout the 2010s, building the DUCKY alias as a producer and DJ, with fans gravitating towards his high-energy sets, unrestricted by gen

Samantha Togni on the Legacy of Dance Music’s Queer Roots

Header Photo By Joseph Delaney To simply call Samantha Togni a DJ and producer would be doing her a disservice. As well as being an internationally renowned artist who has played super-clubs the world over, and released a string of hard-hitting tracks over the past decade, the london-based musician is also the founder of Boudica, a platform championing women, trans and non-binary artists in electronic music. With Boudica, Togni runs workshops, a conference, and an international club series

TmrO Sessions – with Don Cannon and the TmrO Network

Step into the studio with Don Cannon and TmrO Network for Sessions — a five-part livestream and video series spotlighting the art of beatmaking. Featuring industry legends, exclusive sounds, and real-time production magic, this collaboration brings tools from Plugin Boutique and Loopcloud into the heart of the creative process.   Behind the Beats: Don Cannon x TmrO Sessions Each episode captures an in-depth session with top-tier producers, with hands-on insight about and demonstrati

The Tools That Took Sacha Robotti to Dirtybird

Few artists in modern electronic music embody the balance between discipline and spontaneity like Sacha Robotti. Over two decades, the Berlin-bred producer has moved fluidly between scenes and sounds, from his early techno roots to Dirtybird’s free-spirited west coast energy. His debut album I, Robotti captures that full arc, a record that spans basements, festivals, and continents while still feeling intimate and personal.   Across twelve tracks, the album functions like a sonic memoi

Inside Pan-Pot’s Minimal and Physical Production Approach

Pan-Pot built HUMAN as an extension of their experience of club culture and of how they want audiences to experience music again. The concept centers on depth, presence, and physical impact in a room. That same thinking carries directly into their studio process, where arrangement, sound selection, and dynamics are shaped with long-term tension in mind rather than short-term payoff. In our conversation with the duo, Tassilo and Thomas break down how that philosophy translates into real p

Inside our first India event: Plugin Boutique at Bootcamp Goa

In March 2026, Plugin Boutique made its first appearance in India. We partnered with Bootcamp Goa to host a masterclass at their annual residential music camp in Morjim, North Goa. Now in its fifth year, Bootcamp Goa brings together DJs, producers, live performers and visual artists for 14 days of focused music education. The masterclass was led by Krishnamurthy Ramesh, an Ableton Certified Trainer, as part of the camp's Advanced Music Production Week. It was built around Excite Audio's Bl

Staying Human in a Digital Studio: ATB’s Approach

For more than three decades, ATB has been a defining voice in electronic music. From the early success of “9 PM (Till I Come)” to his new collaboration with Shaun Farrugia on “Believe in Love,” he has kept one goal in focus: to connect emotion and energy in equal measure. His music still carries the same DNA that made his early work resonate, but the technology and collaborators around him continue to evolve.     Speaking from his studio, ATB reflects on what it means to stay curren

The Tools Behind LEISURE’s Timeless Album

For LEISURE, Welcome To The Mood marked a clear point in how the group wrote and recorded together, and the conversations around the album focused on process, arrangement choices, and how the six-piece keeps decisions consistent across a long timeline. The record leaned further into live recording, and it expanded the palette through added musicians like strings, brass, piano, and backing vocalists, while keeping the songwriting direct and personal. That context shaped the questions in our

Chris Avantgarde Masterclass ahead of Hyperreal Release – Plugin Boutique x IO Event

The LA event bonanza continues; this time in the form of a masterclass with none other than Chris Avantgarde. This rising star has been making waves for some time now, with more and more accolades accumulating on his belt. The next of which is set to be his debut album, Hyperreal (expected to be released in June). Chris took the stage at this masterclass, shedding light on his creative process and sharing his innermost production secrets to success. This event took place following a successfu