Richie Hawtin's Plastikman Live comes back to USA, details

By April MacIntyre Jun 26, 2011, 18:22 GMT

Later this summer, the Berlin-based artist will return to the States to bring his one-hour live experience that explores the connection between audio, visual and interactivity to Electric Zoo on Governor’s Island September 3.

Electronic music producer and performer Richie Hawtin returns to U.S. soil with his darker alter-ego Plastikman. 

Hawtin presented Plastikman Live for the first time ever at Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas Friday night (June 24)

Later this summer, the Berlin-based artist will return to the States to bring his one-hour live experience that explores the connection between audio, visual and interactivity to Electric Zoo on Governor’s Island September 3.  

This will mark the debut of Plastikman Live in New York City.  Richie Hawtin will also DJ separate sets at Electric Daisy Carnival and Electric Zoo in addition to presenting Plastikman Live.

Plastikman Live was voted the best live act of 2010 by Resident Advisor readers and also was included in U.K. tastemaker magazine MixMag’s best live dance act shortlist.

Since launching March 2010 at Timewarp in Mannheim, Germany, the PLASTIKMAN show has been under a constant state of evolution helmed by Hawtin and his partners visual architects Derivative and visual designer Ali Demirel.

There is also a customized iPhone/iPod Touch application called Plastikman SYNK. Conceptualized by Hawtin and developed with RJ Fischer (http://hexler.net) and Bryan McDade (Minus), SYNK is available for free and is the official companion iPhone/iPod Touch application of the current PLASTIKMAN LIVE worldwide tour.  SYNK users will participate in an experiment in audience-performer interaction aiming to blur the lines of perception and participation.

What is Plastikman Live

A real-time interactive concept experience.  It is the only show where the entire event has been created from the ground up with the artist (Richie Hawtin) spearheading each part of the development and vision. 

There is one performer--Richie Hawtin aka Plastikman --on stage employing the cutting edge and custom technology to control the entire audio/visual and lighting experience, with live real-time generative visuals (no timed coded pre-rendered video or movies) in connection with cutting edge Derivative TouchDesigner software, live control over DMX-controlled lighting (custom Ableton Live Midi>DMX solution), and real-time audience/performer interaction and communication with the custom iPhone SYNK App (The only live concert that allows the audience to control part of the show, HUD readouts, audience/performer chat client, live on stage camera feed, etc.).

"I'm very excited to bring my Plastikman Live show to Electric Daisy Carnival and Electric Zoo,” states Hawtin.  “I am very energized by the incredible developments in the electronic scene in North America, and finally we're seeing the underground movement that I represent with my label, artists, DJing and live shows being acknowledged by the big events and festivals. This is a great moment in American music history, and I am delighted to have a platform to present my take on where electronic music is today and my vision for its future."

“Richie Hawtin has reinvented himself as one of the club scene’s most forward-thinking, tastemaking and technologically driven artists. His was Coachella’s most-thrilling and pop-forward dance performance. The most relevant dance artist at the festival.” – LA Weekly

“Plastikman brings a new dimension to his reputation: a harder, heavier sound with innovative technology that blurs the distinction between artist and audience, and featuring a deep bass that shook the stomach as much as any chunky, contemporary dubstep” – Flavorwire

“Plastikman is a high-concept narrative. It pushes the boundaries of real-time music performance. Like a sci-fi Wizard of Oz, it creates a futuristic environment that evokes a demonic cabaret for droids.” – ArtInfo

“Plastikman blew our minds! – Monsters and Critics

“Plastikman is accompanied by an ultra-high-tech, fully synchronized light show for which all the visual superlatives – dizzying, overwhelming, mindmelting – seem inadequate.” – Beatportal

“Plastikman’s colossal set easily ranking as the most eye-popping performance in the Detroit Movement fest’s history.” – The Detroit Press