Description

This special 2-hour Supporter Session explores remixing through the lens of House, Techno, and Breakbeat, using a single song as source material. Led by resident teaching artist Kate Siefker, the class will cover both technical and conceptual foundations of remixing in Ableton Live.

The session will begin with a brief lecture on the historical and theoretical roots of remixing, tracing its evolution from dub and disco into house, techno, and breakbeat. Kate will discuss remixing’s role in reinterpreting sound and highlight the structural, rhythmic, and sonic characteristics that set each genre apart.

The hands-on portion of the workshop will focus on using Ableton Live’s built-in tools. Participants will learn how to warp and splice audio to adjust time and pitch, use Simpler and Sampler for chopping and re-layering sounds, and program rhythmic patterns with Drum Rack. We’ll also work with audio effects like reverb, delay, and sidechain compression, along with glitch effects for depth and texture.

Genre-Specific Approaches:

✣ House: focus on rhythmic continuity, groove, and four-on-the-floor structure.
✣ Techno: techniques for minimalist, evolving textures.
✣ Breakbeat: experiments in dynamic, chopped, and syncopated rhythms.

The session will conclude with time for participants to experiment with the techniques discussed, followed by a short Q&A.

Ideal for those with a basic understanding of Ableton Live.

Please note: ticket registration closes one hour prior to the class start time.
About Supporter Sessions

Held on the second Tuesday of the month, Supporter Sessions are free for all.

In each hour-long workshop, a lecture on an aspect of experimental music production is followed by hands-on exercises.

Sessions are designed to provide our Supporters with opportunities for both creative and professional development.

Workshop recordings are available exclusively to our Supporter members.

Become a Supporter for $10/month here: https://withfriends.co/soundial. Cancel Anytime.
Hardware & Software Requirements

- Computer with Ableton Live & Zoom software
- Headphones
- A second monitor/screen is encouraged

Instructor Bio

Kate Siefker is an audio engineer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. They create music and sound design for a variety of mediums including documentaries, podcasts, video games, music production, commercials, and more. Their love of electronic dance music is at the center of their production practice.

Kate is a Resident Teaching Artist at Soundial, leading programming for the Supporter Sessions.

https://futurebabe.studio/
Contact
hi(at)soundial.org
Website: soundial.org
Instagram: @sound.ial