Handmade Electronic Music
Droids On Acid is a New York–based producer and live performer working in dub techno, acid techno, and ambient dub — hardware-driven, hypnotic, and built to be heard live.
Dub techno is a subgenre of electronic music that emerged in early-1990s Berlin, where the minimal, repetitive structures of techno met the echo, delay, and reverb-drenched production of Jamaican dub — pioneered by Basic Channel and their Chain Reaction label, and carried into a deeper, more atmospheric form by artists like Deepchord.
Droids On Acid works in that lineage and pushes it toward the ambient edge: long-form, slowly evolving sets where a single chord can decay for a full minute, basslines pulse beneath tape delay, and the mixing desk becomes an instrument. Some pieces are beat-driven and hypnotic; others drift beatless and cinematic.
Every set is performed live on hardware — no laptop DJ set, no pre-rendered tracks. This is handmade electronic music: composed in the moment, shaped by the room, different every night.
Based in the New York City metro area and Long Island, Droids On Acid performs in clubs, galleries, listening rooms, and beautifully designed spaces across the region.
What is dub techno?
Dub techno is a subgenre of electronic music that originated in early-1990s Berlin, combining the minimal, repetitive structure of techno with the echo, delay, and reverb techniques of Jamaican dub. It's known for deep atmospheric soundscapes, sparse evolving chords, and using the mixing desk as a live instrument. Basic Channel and their Chain Reaction label defined the sound; Deepchord later shaped its more ambient, American form.
What is ambient dub techno?
Ambient dub techno is the meeting point of ambient music and dub techno. It keeps dub techno's deep chords and tape-delay textures but slows the tempo, softens or removes the beat, and widens the stereo field for long-form, immersive listening rather than dancefloor propulsion.
What's the difference between dub techno and ambient dub?
Dub techno is beat-driven and rooted in a 4/4 pulse; ambient dub leans on texture, space, and atmosphere, often with little or no beat. Many artists — Droids On Acid included — move between both across a single set.
Where can I hear live dub techno in New York?
Dub techno surfaces across the NYC metro area in clubs, listening rooms, and galleries, from dedicated nights to genre-spanning electronic events. Droids On Acid performs the style live throughout New York City and Long Island.
Is Droids On Acid a DJ?
No. Droids On Acid is a live performer and producer who plays original music on hardware — not a DJ set of other artists' records.