Native Instruments was only the tip of the iceberg. Private equity is pervasive in the music production industry, tied up with hardware, software and music distribution companies. How is this affecting the music you make? Unless you’re big into finance, the first time you heard a…

As the sun sets on another CRSSD Festival, enjoy the best photos from a weekend of house and techno. Photo: @itskinderella Photo: @imkeiki Photo: @fixationphotography Photo: @itskinderella Photo: @philtaniphoto Photo: @itskinderella Photo: @itskinderella Photo: @imkeiki Photo: @i…

With System Collapse out now on Dax J’s Monnom Black, Berlin’s Lars Huismann shows us around the attic studio where it was made. The eight-track release follows his 2024 Monnom Black debut, Mechanized, and the Sounds From The Past trilogy on Mutual Rytm. A trained drummer who has…

Inspired by the swung grooves that have travelled from home studios and pirate radio to global festivals, let’s see how to make tight, timeless 2-step beats. UK garage has seen a big resurgence, with names like Sammy Virji playing Coachella. But UKG is a broad umbrella, spanning…

Vibe-coded plugins are everywhere but does that mean that they’re actually taking over the market? We look at the trend and speak with two developers working with AI as part of their process. The age of vibe-coded plugins is undeniably upon us. They’re everywhere: blocky, dark an…

The data-driven suite arrives as a cross-platform plug-in bundle with AU/CLAP/VST3 formats, plus an Ableton Live Extension. Manifest Audio has released Sonification Tools v3 for $199, on sale for $169 until 1 November, 2026. A ground-up rebuild of their data-driven Max for Live s…

Ben Turner on why promoters have no excuse left, and why nurturing new talent is a long-term investment. Debates about representation in electronic music tend to get heated fast. Comment threads and panel soundbites distort arguments that deserve more space, whether that's about…

Active Systems plays live with no laptop in sight: a Cirklon sequencer at the centre, four Intellijel Atlantix modules on bass duty and a 909 keeping time. After sets at Lost and Houghton and the release of The Red EP, we talk pattern-based performance, backup rigs, forced improv…

Beatport has launched indie tech, a standalone genre category with its own Top 100 chart, separating it from indie dance. Beatport has added indie tech to its store as a standalone genre, giving the heavier, club-focused strand of contemporary indie dance its own page and chart.…

VocAlign 7 is the latest version of the popular and long-running vocal alignment software. It’s as good as you expect, but does version seven bring enough new features to the table to make it worth the upgrade? Since 1995, Synchro Arts have been making vocal alignment a little ea…

Keleigh Batchelor on why balanced lineups start years before the poster, and why "fewer women DJs" doesn't hold up. Debates about representation in electronic music tend to get heated fast. Comment threads and panel soundbites distort arguments that deserve more space, whether th…

Antares has released AutoTune Advanced, a new flagship real-time pitch correction plugin built around a vibrato-preserving engine called DVA. Antares Audio Technologies has added a new top tier to its AutoTune range. AutoTune Advanced is a real-time vocal tuning plugin built on a…

Steven Braines on why balanced lineups start years before the poster, and why "fewer women DJs" doesn't hold up. Debates about representation in electronic music tend to get heated fast. Comment threads and panel soundbites distort arguments that deserve more space, whether that'…

Mike Taylor's vocals and creative ideas have shaped some of dance music's biggest records. With "LOVE.", he puts his own artistry back at the centre. We sat him down for our regular round of questions, some about the music, some not. Mike Taylor made his name behind other artists…

Build a sound inpired by the pumping harmonic drone from LCD Soundsystem's Someone Great with u-he's Diva, then put it to work across several genres. If you’ve followed some of the recent Synth Secrets you’ll know that we love versatile patches. In other words, sounds that – with…

NOT BAD FOR A GIRL founder Martha Bolton on why balanced lineups start years before the poster, and why "fewer women DJs" doesn't hold up. Debates about representation in electronic music tend to get heated fast. Comment threads and panel soundbites distort arguments that deserve…

CRSSD Festival's afterparty series returns to San Diego from 25 to 27 September with sets across multiple venues. CRSSD Festival has confirmed the return of CRSSD After Dark, its official afterparty series, for three nights in San Diego between 25 and 27 September 2026. The serie…

A hands-on sampler and sequencer built with Richie Hawtin, the Bullfrog Drums wears "educational" lightly and delivers serious performance power. I've spent thirty-odd years now making noise with devices for a living, mostly in rooms with too many cables and not enough natural li…

GOGDOG's new browser tool lets groups build tracks together in real time, with no downloads, accounts or saving required. Developer GOGDOG has released Normal by Proxy, a free, browser-based space for making electronic music together in real time. Up to eight people can join a se…

The Grenoble-based developer's latest release recreates the architecture of a landmark early-1980s polyphonic analogue synthesiser, adding modern features including MPE support and 16-voice polyphony. XILS-lab has released MemoryTone, a software synthesiser modelled on the Memory…

The new four-channel standalone system introduces pressure-sensitive MPCe pads, onboard Stems rendering and built-in DMX output, aimed at mobile, club and festival DJs. Denon DJ has announced PRIME 4 G2, a four-channel, four-deck standalone DJ system aimed at performance-driven D…

Step into another world with the weirdest drum machines on the market in 2026. We’re talking an all-passive rhythm box, one that blurs the line between analog and sampling, one for kids, and more craziness. We love our drum machines here at Attack. We recently ran two stories cov…

Dreamtonics completes its trilogy with Instrument X, a neural acoustic modelling platform for orchestral instruments Dreamtonics, the Tokyo based developer behind vocal synthesis tools Synthesizer V and Vocoflex, has unveiled Instrument X, a new platform that moves the company fr…

Officially launched in beta at SXSW back in March, Yamaha's first real play in software caught us off guard. This is a company that's spent the best part of a century building the physical side of music: the DX7, the Montage, generations of pianos, PA systems, mixing consoles. No…

Arturia’s Pre SUB was designed for 808s and Reeses, making it now easier than ever to dial in massive bass. It’s surprisingly affordable too. The specification of plugins continues. For some reason now, we’re all really busy and don’t have the time to design our synth patches. (Y…

CRSSD Festival returns to San Diego's Waterfront Park at the end of September, bringing another sprawling lineup across its waterfront stages. With so much on offer over the weekend, narrowing down a schedule is no small task. Here are five sets worth building your CRSSD around.…

CRSSD Festival has confirmed its complete lineup for its Fall 2026 edition, returning to Waterfront Park in San Diego on 26 and 27 September. Headlining the two-day event are Chris Lake b2b Disclosure (DJ set) and Mochakk, alongside a bill stacked with electronic music heavyweigh…

Grabbing vocal samples from the internet or vinyl? Here’s how to clean up voice rips with LALAL.AI and its new algorithm, Lynx, and use them in tracks. There’s nothing like a vocal sample to spice up a track. Whether that be an acapella, a stem, or a bit of dialog from an old mov…

Off the back of new single "Show Me", Kashovski takes on our Q&A, covering everything from Zidane to his greatest fear. What's your greatest fear? God's judgement. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Sometimes I'm a bit too reserved. If you weren't making or playing m…

It’s not often an instrument tells you what it is so blatantly. And perhaps there’s a reason for that, as SuperStarSaw is far more than the one-trick pony its name suggests. It’s not uncommon for me to start a review with a disclaimer or controversial statement, so here goes: I r…

New plugin combines resonator‑based acoustic emulation with subtractive synthesis, launching at an introductory price of $99. reFX has released Rippler, a new plugin that combines physical modelling with subtractive synthesis across two independent layers. The plugin is available…

With so many kick drum samples available, it’s easy to overlook the benefits of programming your own. It only takes seconds. Kick drums, eh? You can’t live with ‘em, but you can’t live without programming ‘em. Except, of course, you can – there are bloody millions of kick samples…

If you make a genre like jungle, IDM or breakcore, you need a tracker. These are the five best trackers available, plus how to bring one into your workflow. We’re all familiar with the traditional DAW sequencer, which scrolls along a timeline from left to right. Most major DAWs u…

The new soft synth adapts A. G. Cook’s layered supersaw production techniques for a dedicated plug-in. Super*Saw combines dual oscillator banks, patch morphing, harmonic tools, effects and Native Instruments hardware integration. Native Instruments has released Super*Saw, a soft…

Telepathic Instruments’ Orchid is a fantastic chord generator from Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, but can it appeal to dance music producers too? Telepathic Instruments describe their synthesizer Orchid as an ideas machine. The Orchid ORC-1 (to use its full name) sprung from the min…

Image-Line’s latest FL Studio update rebuilds FLEX, adds encrypted project backup through FL Cloud and expands Gopher, its built-in workflow assistant. The free 2026 release also introduces Transmitter, expands Loop Starter content and adds several smaller changes aimed at day-to…

zplane has released PEEL STEMS 2, a major update to its powerful real-time stem separation plugin. Lower Latency And Updated Separation Engine PEEL STEMS 2 runs on the latest version of zplane’s proprietary real-time stem separation technology. According to the company, processin…

Menura Audio has launched two MDFX units on Kickstarter, bringing tempo-synced delay and reverb to DJ mixers, studio setups and live performance rigs. Berlin-based hardware company Menura Audio has introduced the MDFX Delay and MDFX Reverb, two compact digital effects units desig…

South African Producer Kyle Watson has spent years carving his own path within House Music, building an international career outside of the traditional electronic music centres, from performing at festivals like Ultra South Africa and Coachella to developing a distinctive body of…

AlphaTheta’s new CDJ-1500X brings CDJ-3000X-style touchscreen workflow, built-in Wi-Fi, streaming access and CoBeat audience requests to smaller booths and mobile setups. AlphaTheta has announced the CDJ-1500X, a new DJ multi-player designed for bars, small clubs, home studios an…

With more than 250 names confirmed, the 30 Years ADE edition will take place across Amsterdam from 21 – 25 October 2026. Amsterdam Dance Event has shared the first artist announcement for its 30th anniversary edition, confirming more than 250 acts for ADE 2026. The event will ret…

The update follows a public beta launched at SXSW and adds access to Cubase 15 AI, Ableton Live 12 Lite and a $9.99 monthly Starter plan. Yamaha Music Innovations has updated Yamaha Creator Pass, its subscription platform for music creators, with expanded DAW access, educational…

We talk to Tom Cosm, the technical director of Kevin Parker’s Telepathic Instruments, about how they made their uber-popular Orchid synthesizer. Few recent synthesizers have had the success of Orchid, the debut release from Telepathic Instruments. It probably doesn’t hurt that th…

The updated popular bass drum synth combines synthesis, samples, wavetable generation, internal effects and multi-output routing. PunchBox 2 is built around four sound generators. Three of these are universal sample-based layers, designed to add transients, body, noise or support…

With its multi-stage envelopes, deep modulation system and capacity for long-form sound design, Absynth by Native Instruments has always offered far more than evolving pads and cinematic textures. Using a single gong sample, we explore how the newly revived instrument can generat…

Electronic Music Report 2025–2026 from Elevate Artists explores electronic music industry growth, streaming revenue, touring challenges, emerging markets and artist development trends shaping the sector. Elevate Artists has released The Electronic Music Report 2025–2026, a new in…

UVI suits up for the bass wars with Rumble, a low-end focused synthesizer that ingeniously splits every sound into three component bands. Is this enough to compete with established instruments like Massive? UVI is known for a lot of things, chiefly sophisticated instruments like…

Perfectly recreating your favourite patches is a great way to learn how to program synths. But it’s not the only way, so this month we’re taking a different approach. The plan is: we have no plan… There are two ways to approach music-making. First, go in with an idea… a goal… eve…

Chris Lake and Disclosure, Mochakk, Skepta Mas Tiempo and VTSS are among the artists set to perform at Waterfront Park this September. CRSSD Festival has announced the lineup for its Fall 2026 edition, which will take place again at Waterfront Park in San Diego on 26–27 September…

New JavaScript-based toolkit allows developers to build custom tools that interact directly with Ableton Live projects, with community feedback set to shape its future development. Ableton has announced the public beta release of its new Extensions Software Development Kit (SDK),…

LabelWorx has introduced Elevate, a new programme that combines upfront funding, strategic planning, and promotional support for independent electronic music labels. The initiative is positioned as a response to ongoing cash flow challenges faced by independent labels, particular…

With a new album on the horizon, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith brought the London Contemporary Orchestra to the Barbican for a performance that balanced retrospective and reinvention. We were there to witness Smith push her sound from intimate electronics into rhythm-driven new territory…

It’s been 13 years since Boards of Canada’s last album. Can Inferno compete with the best of the brothers’ work? We were at the first listening event in Tokyo to find out. Boards of Canada (BOC) emerged in the 1990s with a sound so utterly unique and captivating that it took deca…

SystemOne has introduced a major overhaul of its artist booking platform, adding Peppol-compliant invoicing, rebuilt touring tools and AI-assisted scheduling features, alongside a redesigned interface centred around its “The One System for every artist booking agency” positioning…

Attack Editor Eric Brünjes catches up with Juliet Fox for a conversation exploring the realities of building a long-term career in techno while balancing creativity, touring, business and family life. Known for her driving productions, hypnotic DJ sets and work as the founder of…

New platform, SyncPlacement, aims to help independent artists, labels and managers identify sync opportunities and research music supervisors. Innovation Syndicate LLC has launched SyncPlacement, a new software platform focused on music sync research and outreach for independent…

New name. New products. New owners! Is Komplete 26 the most significant Komplete update yet? Don’t you love it when a huge announcement tramples on your big announcement? Well, just as we were putting the finishing touches on this review, inMusic announced the acquisition of Nati…

Research conducted at Drumsheds suggests guided movement sessions paired with electronic music may support nervous system regulation and post-exercise recovery. A new study supported by AlphaTheta and developed by Music and Movement is Medicine (MIM) has explored how structured m…

Explore how to bridge the gap between sound and sight using the powerful connection of Ableton Live and TouchDesigner. From visual processing to MIDI mapping, we break down a custom performance setup where harmonised vocals drive immersive, responsive visuals. Immersive and respo…

Kiviak Instruments has announced WoFi LE, a compact and lower-cost version of its sampling instrument featuring live sampling tools, Wi-Fi integration and expanded storage support. The original WoFi also receives a permanent price reduction. Kiviak Instruments has announced WoFi…