Techno's booking landscape shifted this week: Richie Hawtin has left WME after more than 15 years and joined TS Agency, the independent booking company founded by Innervisions' Dixon and Âme. He announced the move on Instagram on October 15.
Hawtin framed it as a career adjustment. He wrote that after three decades it felt like the moment to change who handles the planning and scheduling of his creative ideas and opportunities, and he thanked his WME team for the 15-plus years of bookings. He said the next chapter will be "exciting".
The move takes one of electronic music's best-known names from one of the world's largest talent agencies to a smaller agency founded by artists. It also deepens his link with Dixon. The two are set to share an eight-hour Primavera Bits closing party at Primavera Sound 2027 on June 6, alongside Four Tet. Earlier this year Hawtin was billed for his DEX EFX X0X show at Kappa FuturFestival.
For producers and DJs who book or release through the underground scene, the story shows how artist-led companies are drawing established talent. If you want to make or release music in that world, see the exclusive Techno tracks for sale.