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The second installment of DAW to Decks, presented by Plugin Boutique, Matrix Sessions, and DJ City, brought an electric crowd together for an evening of production insights, creative experimentation, and inspiration from one of dance music’s most dynamic and influential voices, Henry Fong.

Based in Los Angeles, but born in Florida, Henry Fong has earned over 2 billion streams, collaborated with top DJs like Hardwell and Deorro, and worked alongside global icons including Sean Paul and Elvis Crespo. Fong continues to dominate club and festival circuits worldwide. Beyond touring all seven continents and lighting up events like EDC and Ultra, he’s also passionate about giving back - mentoring the next generation of DJs and producers through his Artist Mentorship and Development program.

From the start, the room buzzed with energy and anticipation. Laptops were open, notepads and pens ready, and the attendees leaned in as Brian Matrix set the tone for the evening. A Los Angeles based producer with an impactful career spanning over a decade, he kicked things off by breaking down the importance of going beyond the basics—showing how producers can push past just kicks and snares by weaving in diverse samples to unlock new creative directions. 

Using Loopcloud inside an Ableton session, Brian emphasised a powerful philosophy: get ideas down first, worry about perfection later. Rather than endlessly auditioning samples in search of perfection, he pushed the audience to focus on speed and flow. To get something down quickly, even if rough, and to save refinement for later. He encouraged producers to capture their flow states by sketching out 20 ideas quickly, then fine-tuning them later—reminding the audience that momentum often sparks the best music, sidestepping creative blocks and tapping into raw inspiration.

From there, Brian dove deeper, integrating Excite Audio's Motion:Fractal plugin to demonstrate how subtle movement and evolving textures can elevate a track and inject emotional impact. The room followed along as he built a club-ready groove in real time, proving how accessible it can be to shape professional, expressive productions on the fly. He built up the track piece by piece, in front of the audience, and within minutes illustrated how, with the right tools and mindset, professional-sounding results are within reach for anyone.

The night’s momentum carried into a special Q&A with Henry Fong, who opened up about his own creative workflows. He spoke at length about his approach to sampling and how he builds tracks designed to resonate deeply with listeners. For 30 minutes, the attendees had the chance to ask their burning questions - an opportunity to gain rare insight into the mindset of a seasoned artist who has been shaping electronic dance music for over 15 years.

As the evening wound down, conversations around the room spilled into networking and community-building, with participants connecting over shared passion and new ideas. The mix of hands-on learning, live demonstration, and personal wisdom from Henry Fong made this second chapter of DAW to Decks a night to remember—and an important reminder of why these workshops are quickly becoming a must-attend series for producers ready to take their music from the studio to the dancefloor.

FAQs

Who is Henry Fong?
For more than 15 years, Henry Fong has been shaking up dance music with his explosive, genre-blending sound. From his Florida roots to Los Angeles, he’s racked up 2 billion+ streams, collaborated with giants like Hardwell and Deorro, and worked with icons such as Sean Paul and Elvis Crespo. With remixes for Rihanna, Calvin Harris, and DJ Snake, plus hits like “Rave Tool” and “What’s the Move”, Fong’s music continues to dominate global stages. When he’s not touring the world or playing EDC and Ultra, he’s mentoring the next generation through his Artist Mentorship and Development program.

What is Plugin Boutique?
Brought to you by the team behind Loopmasters, Plugin Boutique is the place where the world's leading software brands come to sell their outstanding range of products. Customers can download free VST plugins, demos, and trial versions before purchasing the best rated products. 

Who are Matrix Sessions?
Matrix Sessions is a collective of top mentors in music production and audio engineering. With three locations in California and one in the U.K, they offer personalized 1-on-1 training in Ableton Live, mixing, mastering, workflow, and more to help producers of all levels break creative blocks and elevate their sound. Every session is designed to transform your skills and take your music to the next level.

What is DJ City?
The world’s leading subscription based digital record pool for DJs that delivers new music to thousands of members every day. Started in 2000, Dj City has become the most trusted site for DJs to discover new music.