Uploaded May 2024 | Updated September 2026, 4 hours ago

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A version of this performance is available with the full EP on bandcamp: tomhuk.bandcamp.com/album/down-here-and-out-there

The EP is also on Spotify, Apple Music, etc - just search 'tomhUK'

Adding another pair of disembodied hands to the music tech space, here's a video of the live set I put together for my EP "Down Here and Out There". I'm using a Launch Control XL and a Launchpad Pro MK3 to control Ableton Live 12.

I'd really enjoyed this selection of tracks and wanted to do more with it, so I set about combining it all into one live set. I've played instruments in bands a lot growing up, so stepping out of the privacy and control producing music by playing by myself live has been an interesting and enjoyable challenge. I've included footage from the music videos I'd made for these tracks as they set the scene nicely and because the footage from my phone didn't look amazing - I'm an audio guy not a video guy.

Turning this into a live set has been about two years of off and on work. I got to perform it live at my place of work which prompted me to put together a version to share online. It's not the perfect take, and I'm sure this will change, but it does show off what I really like about live music
- it's always changing
- every take different
- there's freedom to make mistakes but also do better, you have to make the most of both!

You'll hear a lot of differences between these tracks and the published versions on streaming services, that's partly to make it more interesting for the audience - we all like beats to dance to - but also to keep my hands busy. One of the challenges I didn't expect with this was my inability to stand there and do nothing. I was always coming up with new ideas for me to do stuff, and I've got more to go, but I didn't want to overdo it. There's plenty of music to breathe on its own. This version contains samples from Evil at Play and the film Arrival.

Next for me is to try this with other material I'm working on (which makes some sneaky appearances here) and see how this setup might be used to help in a composition context. I'm also keen to keep developing this and take it out on the road. Feedback welcome!