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Jul 03, 2026
Input / Output: Galcher Lustwerk
Input / Output is a semi-regular series where artists show how they make music using Ableton Live, Push, Move, or Note, and share easy-to-follow tips and a free download.
Galcher Lustwerk is a Cleveland-born, New York–based producer, DJ, and vocalist whose fusion of deep house, hip-house, and atmospheric rap has made him a distinctive voice in contemporary underground electronic music. He first gained widespread acclaim in 2013 with 100% GALCHER, an all-original mix that introduced his signature sound: hazy, mid-tempo house grooves layered with laid-back, conversational vocals that blur the line between rapping and murmuring. With a number of acclaimed releases over the years Galcher Lustwerk returned recently with the Vestibule EP and its companion remix EP, featuring Ricard Villalobos and Skee Mask.
“Shorty Out” from Galcher Lustwerk’s Vestibule EP
It seems like you've hit a prolific streak over the past five or so years, with many albums especially coming out. Has anything changed about your studio process to help inspire that shift?
I’ve been using Ableton since Version 2.0! So the clip-based session workflow has always been part of my process. The more I use Ableton the less features I use, actually. I spend most of my time just listening to projects on loop all day.
But I’m just keeping up with the accelerating industry. There *was* a big backlog for me which took some time to clear out. While there were fewer Galcher releases in the past, I was still putting out albums every year as Road Hog for 6 years, since 2014.
“I hate chord generators and fixed key signatures. That can deaden things real quickly. So be sure to play it live with your fingers.”
The Road Hog material sits alongside your Galcher Lustwerk output - how does that project differ in terms of approach and intention?
The music is the same, but I relegate the more cruisey, less dancey stuff for Road Hog. If it makes more sense in a car than in a club, I’m happy to save the track for that concept, and I can take the concept further. The first release, ‘DWB’ is about racial profiling, ‘Tour de Hog’ is inspired by roads and locations around Cleveland’s east side, ‘Spares’ is about waste and sprawl, ‘Home for the Holidays’ is about winter driving, so on and so forth.
“East Overlook” by Road Hog, one of Galcher Lustwerk’s alter egos
Deep, dubby atmospheric tones and melodic elements are central to a lot of your work - what are some of your preferred tools / methods to create those sounds?
I hate chord generators and fixed key signatures. That can deaden things real quickly. So be sure to play it live with your fingers. As far as sound making tools go, any synth or sampler that has amplitude and filter envelopes can go a long way. It’s that simple for me.
When it comes to pairing tracks with your vocals, do you tend to approach it as an MC flowing over the top of an existing track, or do you write the words and then compose / build the song around them?
I’m not too disciplined when it comes to tracking vocals. I’ve never done punch-ins. It usually starts with an instrumental, if it needs vocals in the first place. I’ll record a take or two, not too many. Once recorded, maybe trash 90% of the verse and loop a portion, or bounce the track to a new instrumental, or elaborate with that initial freestyle with a chorus and second verse. That’s how “Shorty Out” was finished, I re-recorded older lyrics onto a newer beat.
Download Galcher Lustwerk’s free Live Set template
*Requires Live 12 Suite
What is the download you are sharing with us today?
My essential live set template. Think of it as an “en plein air” easel for your live musical canvas.
How did this material come to be? Was there a particular situation or moment that spawned it?
It’s a copy (sans MIDI mapping and 3rd party Max for Live devices) of my live set up, developed and optimized over dozens of shows in all types of scenarios. With each iteration I’ve actually removed more controls, so this is the latest distillation.
How do you use this material yourself? Is there a track where we can hear it in context? Does it answer a specific need you have in your music-making practice?
I use it with an Elgato Stream Deck XL. With this combo I can play live without looking at the laptop screen. Sort of like holding a programmable remote control with infinite pages. I create my own icons and graphics for the buttons. Below is a screen grab of how I got things set up now. Each button is a MIDI command, trigger or macro, and Mackie automation lets me control channel levels.
What do you particularly like about this material?
Zero latency! For vocals it’s very important. And CPU usage is around 1% on my M3 MacBook Air which is insane. Just that speed is important because you never know. I’m always doing live shows in booths in between DJs and often don’t have time to sound check, or even plug my laptop in. With this set I can rebuild, remap, reroute, and do any troubleshooting in a matter of minutes, which comes in handy in a dark or foggy club.
Any notes / instructions / quirks / anecdotes you’d like to share?
Check your buffer rate in your sound card, it should be as low as you can handle. And be sure to hover over any plugins you add to check they don’t add more latency.