Taylor Thomson and the Hardware Revival

Taylor Thomson and the Hardware Revival

For nearly twenty years, laptop-based DJing defined electronic music culture. Digital systems offered endless music libraries, sync functions, and effects that transformed live performance. Yet a hardware revival is sweeping through clubs and studios as DJs return to tactile instruments and analog gear.

Taylor Thomson, an LA-based producer and DJ, is among those leading the shift. His hybrid setup combines Pioneer’s XDJ-RX3 with instruments like the Arturia MicroFreak and Roland TR-8S. For him, the physical connection is the point. “There’s something about turning a knob that you just can’t replicate with a mouse,” he says. “The audience feels the energy when they see you working the gear in real time.”

This tactile engagement isn’t just about visuals — it reshapes creativity. Limited parameters on hardware often spark ideas that infinite software presets cannot. Thomson notes that his Korg Minilogue XD pushes him to discover sounds through constraint rather than endless choice.

Crowds are responding to these hands-on performances with renewed enthusiasm. In underground venues across Los Angeles, audiences are drawn to the transparency of seeing music created before their eyes. The connection recalls a broader cultural turn toward authenticity, where craft and process matter as much as results.

In the studio, hardware offers similar rewards. Taylor Thomson integrates analog gear into his productions, embracing imperfections like timing drift or unexpected resonances. These “happy accidents,” he says, give tracks character and make them feel alive.

Challenges remain — hardware is expensive, heavy, and demanding to master — but hybrid workflows balance analog warmth with digital efficiency. For Thomson, this balance captures the best of both worlds and underscores why hardware is finding a new place in electronic music’s future.

Taylor Thomson and the Hardware Revival For nearly twenty years, laptop-based DJing defined electronic music culture. Digital systems offered endless music libraries, sync functions, and effects that transformed live performance. Yet a hardware revival is sweeping through clubs and studios as DJs return to tactile instruments and analog gear. Taylor Thomson, an LA-based producer and…