In this episode of Signal with Trovarsi, Belgian producer and educator Torc (known to many as Oscar from Underdog Electronic Music School) dives deep into the art of live techno performance. He explains that his sets are “improvised, not a sequence of prepared songs,” instead built from “ingredients and workflows to see where the sound takes me on the day itself.” His rig combines an Analog Rytm groovebox with a modular system that adds what he calls “a bunch of freaky sounds to the techno basis,” blending spontaneity and control in equal measure.

Torc shares how his journey began as a teenager in Brussels, when a copy of Reason and an Aphex Twin album set him on a path from bedroom experimentation to full-time artistry and teaching. “When I started teaching complete newbies,” he recalls, “I realized how satisfying it was to help them get it, and when they got it, they’d say, ‘I’ll never listen to music the same way again.’” That passion evolved into Underdog, a global online music school and YouTube channel where he breaks down electronic production for a new generation of creators.

The interview also touches on Torc’s label X/Y/Secret, his enduring love for modular synthesis, and the philosophy behind his minimal yet powerful live setup. He talks about using the Animal Factory God Eater pedal, his “favorite thing in the whole world,” to shape drum energy, and how he prefers knobs and sliders over digital screens for a more tactile connection to sound. “It’s more steampunk,” he says with a laugh, “levers and dials instead of a computer.” As he looks ahead, Torc plans to spend more time jamming and collaborating, turning those improvised moments into future releases that capture the raw energy of his live performances.