Los Angeles-based producer and DJ Dennis White has used the Pioneer DJ TORAIZ AS-1 monophonic analog synthesizer in the making of his 2018 Grammy-winning track – a remix of “You Move” by Depeche Mode.
Dennis White, who goes by the artist name Latroit, won the award for Best Remixed Recording at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony, held in New York on 28 January 2018.
On choosing to use the TORAIZ AS-1 on the remix, White said: “I love this little TORAIZ synth from Pioneer DJ and Dave Smith. It’s a real secret assassin – a full-on analog synth with super-fat sounds tucked discreetly into this polite, sexy little box that fits on my desk and looks great. I usually just fiddle around with it live and unquantized to give tracks warmth and texture because it’s super performance and ‘knob tweaker’- friendly. It’s definitely one of my ‘go-tos’ for inspiration in the studio.”
Dave Smith, was pleased to hear about the contribution of the TORAIZ AS-1 to the success of the track: “All of us at Dave Smith Instruments were thrilled to hear the AS-1 on a Grammy-winning remix! It was great to collaborate with PDJ on the AS-1 project, and when our instruments are used by top musicians like Dennis White, we know it was a successful product.”
After hearing about White’s Grammy win, Pioneer DJ CEO and President, Akio Moriwaki, said, “Accomplishments like this keep pushing our team forward with passion and determination to bring happiness to all, beyond the music. We aim to continue with our efforts to support and contribute to the music industry.”
Looking Back on 2025: A Year of Controlled Chaos (Emphasis on “Controlled”)