ABLETON LIVE and MODULAR SYNTH courses

primarily for Queers, BIPOC, trans, agender and non-binary people

by mentors from Berlin’s techno and industrial scene and beyond

August - November 2023, Berlin

free of charge

application form at the end of the page

Not only are queer and bipoc producers still underrepresented in the (industrial) techno scene, they are also less likely to have access to expensive and time-consuming private music schools due to structural discrimination.

The aim of the mentoring program is to not only create the fundament of a more diverse scene but also to offer free and easy access to knowledge about electronic music production for music producers affected by (structural) intersectional discrimination, so that they can deepen their production skills in a non-hierarchical and non-judgemental space where participants can explore and express their identity and distinct creativity.

The program CONSISTS OF two courses THAT CENTER TECHNO AND ITS DARK, Atmospheric AND NOISY SUBGENRES

YOU CAN EITHER APPLY FOR ONLY ONE OF THE PROGRAMS OR FOR BOTH OF THEM

  • AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2023, BERLIN

    LEVEL: intermediate - advanced

    • Electro-Acoustics Sound Lab

    • Sound Synthesis: Wavetable

    • Sound Synthesis: FM

    • Sound Synthesis: Granular

    • Field Recording & Found Objects for Sound Design and Production

    • Experimental practice: Design Drums and Textures with a focus on randomisation techniques, Audio Manipulation and Effects

    • How to produce distorted Kick Drums and glitchy Percussions

    • How to produce evolving Ambiences and Drones

    • Send and Return Channel in-depth

    • Performing with Ableton Live and Hardware

    • Recycling: Collaborative Creation Lab

    • How to: Sound Effects for Film and Video

    • Advanced Mixing & Mastering

    Individual lessons can be taken as required if these are needed due to learning and comprehension difficulties.

  • OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2023, BERLIN

    LEVEL: beginner - intermediate

    • Introduction to Modular Synthesis: How to get started with Eurorack and the Basics of Patching

    • Industrial Techno: Modular Case Essentials

    • Industrial Techno: Best Practices

    • How to use your sound source: Pure and simple (e.g. sine, saw, square wave) vs. designed oscillators (e.g. DPO or Odessa)

    • Non-conform workflow: Using Sequencing & Filter in a creative way and find your own logic in your system

    • How to transfer the above knowledge into producing a Deep Techno track

    • How to program and produce EBM Synthlines

    • Breaking Out of the Techno Loop: Harnessing variations to keep your patterns exciting and dynamic

    • Preparing and performing a Techno Live Set

    • How to work on a new Post Industrial track with Modular (and Ableton) and how to play the same track in a Live situation with Modular (and Ableton)

    • Producing Industrial Techno with a Modular Synthesizer - Focus on Mixing and Recording

    • Industrial Techno: Live Performance Preparation

    • The concept of Improvisation and Patching for Live Performances

    • Build your own Module: Soldering Session

    • Semi-Modular Synthesis

    • Lyra 8 in-depth

    • How to record Analogue Synthesizers

    Individual lessons can be taken as required if these are needed due to learning and comprehension difficulties.

THE MENTORS

  • LINN ELISABET

    ABLETON LIVE MENTOR

    Advanced Mixing ‎‎‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎

    Advanced Mastering

  • LESSER OF

    ABLETON LIVE MENTOR

    How to produce distorted Kick Drums and glitchy Percussions

    How to produce evolving Ambiences & Drones

    Send and Return Channel in-depth

  • ASEC

    MODULAR SYNTH MENTOR

    Breaking Out of the Loop: Harnessing variations to keep your patterns exciting and dynamic

    Preparing and performing a Techno Live Set

  • IREEN AMNES

    ABLETON LIVE MENTOR

    Experimental practice: Design Drums and Textures with a focus on randomisation techniques, Audio Manipulation and Effects

  • ISABASSI

    ABLETON LIVE MENTOR

    Electro-Acoustics Sound Lab

    Recycling: Collaborative Creation Lab

  • Valentino Mora

    MODULAR SYNTH MENTOR

    How to use your sound source: Pure and simple (e.g. sine, saw, square wave) vs. designed oscillators (e.g. DPO or Odessa)

    Non-conform workflow: Using Sequencing & Filter in a creative way and find your own logic in your system

    How to transfer the above knowledge into producing a Deep Techno Track

  • Jacqnoise

    MODULAR SYNTH MENTOR

    Introduction to Modular Synthesis: How to get started with Eurorack and the Basics of Patching

    The concept of Improvisation and Patching for Live Performances

    Build your own Module: Soldering Session

  • ŌTONE

    ABLETON LIVE MENTOR

    Field Recording & Found Objects for Sound Design and Production

  • SWARM INTELLIGENCE

    ABLETON LIVE MENTOR

    Performing with Ableton Live and Hardware

  • HARTBRAND

    MODULAR SYNTH MENTOR

    Industrial Techno: Modular Case Essentials

    Industrial Techno: Best Practices

    Producing with a Modular Synthesizer - Focus on Mixing and Recording

    Industrial Techno: Live Performance Preparation

  • TOSB

    ABLETON LIVE & MODULAR SYNTH MENTOR

    How to program and produce EBM Synthlines

    How to: Sound Effects for Film and Video

  • Raf Alero

    MODULAR SYNTH MENTOR

    Semi-Modular Synthesis

    Lyra 8 in-depth

    Recording Analogue Synthesizers

  • HÅLBA

    MODULAR SYNTH MENTOR

    How to work on a new Ambient track with Modular (and Ableton) and how to play the same track in a Live situation with Modular (and Ableton)

  • CTSD

    MODULAR SYNTH MENTOR

    How a small modular setup can be used to make complex sounds by recording an original sound, cutting it up in ableton and reprocessing through the modular

  • Cocktail Party Effect

    ABLETON LIVE MENTOR

    Advanced Sound Synthesis: Wavetable

    Advanced Sound Synthesis: FM

    Advanced Sound Synthesis: Granular

THE PROGRAM IS FOR YOU, IF SOME OF THE FOLLOWING POINTS APPLY TO YOU:

  • YOU ARE A QUEER, TRANS, NON-BINARY, AGENDER OR FEMALE IDENTIFYING PERSON

  • YOU ARE BIPOC

  • IN AN ECONOMICALLY PRECARIOUS SITUATION

  • YOU HAVE LEARNING AND COMPREHENSION DIFFICULTIES

  • YOU HAVE INTERMEDIATE - ADVANCED SKILLS IN ABLETON LIVE

  • YOU ARE A BEGINNER WITH MODULAR SYNTHESIS

  • YOU WANT TO DEEPEN YOUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ELECTRONIC MUSIC PRODUCTION IN A SAFER SPACE WITH LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE

  • YOU PRODUCE TECHNO / INDUSTRIAL / EBM / HARD TECHNO / AMBIENT / NOISE / HYPNOTIC TECHNO / AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT’S DARK AND ATMOSPHERIC

  • YOU UNDERSTAND AND SPEAK ENGLISH

  • ABLETON:

    Beginning of August - End of September, 2023

    Thursday’s and Friday’s afternoon

    MODULAR:

    Beginning of October - End of November, 2023

    Thursday’s and Friday’s afternoon

  • Thanks to MUSICBOARD, the program is FREE of charge

  • All workshops will take place in BERLIN BASED STUDIOS

    Exception: 3 modules of the ABLETON LIVE PROGRAM will take place online

  • English

  • No!

    You can only apply for the whole program(s)

  • ABLETON LIVE

    intermediate - advanced

    which means you should be familiar with the basic user interface of Ableton Live. Ideally, you already released some tracks

    MODULAR

    beginner - intermediate

    which means you are familiar with sound synthesis in general and want to take the next step with a Modular System OR you already started to learn the basics of Modular Synthesis and now want to solidify and deepen your knowledge

  • ABLETON

    A Laptop with Ableton Live installed

    Headphones

    MODULAR

    Nothing really

    It’s not necessary, that you own/ bring your own Modular Synthesizer

  • Yes there is!

    If your application got approved, please reach out to us so we can coordinate the extra lessons

  • Not only are queer and BIPOC producers still underrepresented in the (industrial) techno scene, but due to structural discrimination, it’s also more likely that they don’t have access to expensive and time-consuming private music schools.

    The aim of the mentoring program is to not only create the fundament of a more diverse scene but also to offer free and easy access to knowledge about electronic music production for music producers affected by (structural) intersectional discrimination, so that they can deepen their production skills in a non-hierarchical and non-judgemental space where participants can explore and express their identity and distinct creativity.. The long-term goal is a sustainable structural change, diversification and subversion of the white cis male dominated techno scene. Before FINTA+/ LGBTIQA+/ BIPOC can become more visible in line-ups, a qualitative technical foundation and (education) in music production is needed. This also includes networking & (knowledge) exchange of marginalised music producers, their empowerment as well as mutual support and learning. Queer, trans, non-binary and BIPOC should feel addressed specifically, as these people still have very little visibility in the electronic music scene and therefore need to be supported and empowered the most.

    Discovering and nurturing new talent is at the very essence of SUBVERTED. We already feature a lot of trans, queer and non-binary producers, but it’s still lacking of BIPOC industrial techno producers. With this program, we want to start a change.

  • You can, but you don’t have to!

    You can either apply for only one course program or for both of them

APPLY NOW

APPLY NOW

APPLICATION PERIOD IS CLOSED.

FUNDED BY