How TOURING Make Electronic Music Feel Human
Photography via @touring.wav
Electronic music has been synonymous with technological advancements since its emergence in the 1950s. The genre pioneered the use of synthesisers and sequencers, and laid the groundwork for techno to become one of Berlin’s most significant cultural exports. As such, innovation has been at the forefront of the genre’s artistic expression, longevity and global impact. The Munich and Berlin-based band, TOURING, are contributing to the modern evolution of the machine-led genre. The trio of film directors utilise their cinematic background to shape their electronic, house and techno music, while leveraging technological advancements to bring audiences closer to their own emotional experience.
For TOURING, technology isn’t a music accessory, but a collaborator. The trio, made up of Matthias Hauck, Nepomunk Heller and Marko Roth, are part of the growing movement redefining live performances. Their artistry sits within a growing movement where digital systems and technology don’t distance the audience, but rather draw them deeper into an immersive and emotional experience.
TOURING sits at the intersection of human presence and technology, balancing precision with a sense of freedom and boundless possibility. Their approach to electronic music is rooted in immersion, where sound, narrative and technology blur into an experience that can never be exactly replicated. As a result, their music is as much about space as it is about the sound. Marko explains to Groove that the electronic dimension of TOURING stems from a desire to “create a safe space to let out your emotions, to think about life and explore what’s possible when you create a space for people to connect with themselves.” While Marko shapes the emotional and conceptual vision, Matthias and Nepomunk drive the instrumental architecture, “the club parts, melancholic parts and spheric parts,” says Matthias.
Growing up, their musical education was “grounded in the techno festival scene, such as Melt Festival”, explains Nepomunk, alongside the bustling club scene in their twenties. Yet Nepomunk’s first real spark and encounter with the UK music scene started at the age of 14 during an internship in London, which left a strong lasting impression. The highlight of his month-long internship in the capital was his battery powered radio where he tuned into RINSE FM at any given moment. He became hooked, passionately sharing how he tuned into “the really early drum and bass, liquid drum and bass and the grime scene.” Nepomunk’s exposure to the early development of some of the most significant genres in the UK were not only influential during his teenage years but also for TOURING and their growing connection to their UK audience. “I think our combination of storytelling, more score approach with more electronic, drum-heavy beat elements, [...] is part of the DNA of our sound,” describes Matthias.
Photography via @touring.wav
At the core of TOURING is the trio’s background as film directors, allowing the band to explore the intersections of electronic music and cinematic layering. Most notable is the use of large-scale imagery, thermal projections and digital installations. During their show at The Philharmonic in Munich, TOURING created a multi-sensory experience, utilising the 360-degree dome, 8-channel surround sound and thermal cameras to capture infrared energy from the audience and generate live visual output. The impressive setup created a harmonic fusion between the sound and moving images to capture a complex yet profound human connection.
Marko explains to Groove that TOURING provides “the freedom to experiment in different layers, which I don’t get to do when I direct film. This can be through visuals [and] interactive elements like thermal cameras.” The infrared energy from the thermal cameras made “human emotions more visible.” As Marko puts it: “We wanted to play with [the] excitement, the sadness, the melancholy, whatever comes up when they hear our music.” This is how TOURING are redefining live performances and capturing human emotion through technological precision. Their philosophy, in both their music and their set design, is grounded in the ability to give back to the audience, to reflect and to resonate. “Electronic music is about the energy on stage, how to create it and direct it to the people.”
For TOURING, venues are not just a backdrop but the foundation upon which they build their narrative and design their set with the intention of creating an immersive and deeply resonant experience. The structure, energy and architecture of each space become the starting point for a key question: “How can we work with this room and how can we [shape] the music [around it] and incorporate the architecture?” explains Marko. Alongside the Philharmonic show, TOURING has performed in a range of impressive architectural spaces, from traditional venues with advanced spatial acoustics, to museums featuring modern installations that enhance the sound, visuals, intimacy and overall experience. These spaces amplify the room’s resonance, intentionally translating emotion into movement and deepening the bond between sound and image.
At another show, TOURING brought the stage into the middle of the venue to become level with the audience, letting them experience the music from every angle. Marko shares that “for audiences it creates something special, but it can sometimes be restrictive for the band as it crosses out other options.” Not only do venues present creative challenges, but TOURING are pushing the boundaries of conventional stage setups and performance spaces. As a result, each live show becomes a memorable moment, like a film that leaves a lasting impression.
The live, reciprocal energy between the band and the audience is rooted in the present, making every performance unique and unforgettable. While the show cannot be exactly repeated, the power of these experiences lingers forever. The idea of capturing a living moment, a living memory and a living experiment creates a meaningful and intangible connection between human emotion, technology and the music. It is enriched by architecture that allows TOURING to embody and experience the human pulse.
Photography via @touring.wav
TOURING are creating a new way of merging technological advancements with human experience and genuine connection in the world of electronic music. There’s a boundless sense of possibility and experimentation across all aspects of their artistry. Not only are they pushing the boundaries of electronic music, but it’s the technological enhancements, cinematic layering and focus on audience energy that elevate human connection in a machine-led genre. Immersion, being present, and freedom are at the forefront of the band that is creating an ineffable connection between human emotion, technology and electronic music.