Two of dance music's elder statesmen will square off in the City of Angels next month. Richie Hawtin will take top billing at the launch party for Pete Tong's new Essential Mix Live series, to take place at Exchange in Downtown LA.It's the American debut for Tong's Essential Mix brand, a taste-making institution that's been ruling the airwaves since it launched on BBC Radio 1 in 1993. The announcement follows the release of Hawtin's new album, From My Mind To Yours, which dropped via his own Plus 8 label last week."The Essential Mix has always been about championing what's new and next," said Pete Tong, who is also on the bill for the party. "So much has happened to electronic music in America in the last five years, and much of that change has been born out of LA, and the community of artists and industry professionals that live here. We're incredibly lucky to kick start this American series with Richie, who has been such an influential artist in the story of American techno music."It all goes down on January 22. More info and tickets via Insomniac.