REGISTER BEFORE TUESDAY 8TH JANUARY 2013 FOR PRIORITY ACCESS TO DISCOUNTED PRE-SALE TICKETS AND YOU WILL BE SENT A FREE AND EXCLUSIVE LAIDBACK LUKE MIX: www.superyouandmelondon.com
This is an exciting day in Deejay News' life! The inspiration behind me starting this blog came from a chance meeting back in March 2011, at my favourite club in the world, Cream Liverpool. I had been told of the amazing talent of this Dutch DJ by my good friend Diego Levatto, and upon researching his music instantly fell in love with his dynamic style! Meeting Luke was such a massive impact on me that my love of music evolved and grew into this outlet for me to share outstanding talent like this, with the rest of the world... Lucas Cornelis van Scheppingen, born 22 October 1976 is a Dutch Electro House/House/Dance DJ/Producer better known to the world as Laidback Luke. Since his first single release back in 1998, Luke has exploded onto the dance scene with smash hits such as Turbulence, Timebomb, Natural Disaster and my fave Rockin with the best. Luke has also performed under the name of Nouveau Yorican with fellow DJ, and now wife...the beautiful Gina Turner, producing tracks with a super sexy Latino vibe, such as Chiuso and Boriqua. With his own record label, Mixmash Records and his signature club nights, Super You & Me, Luke is a (Super) force to be reckoned with!
First of all Luke, I just want to thank you for taking time to do this for me, and also thank you for inspiring me to start this blog up after I met you in Cream in 2011. Who has been your biggest inspiration through your life?
LBL:My pleasure, I'm glad I can be of help and thanks so much for your support throughout the years! Inspiration always comes in different ways and through various people. Anyone can be an inspiration to me as long as the passion radiates through and triggers something in me. At one point for instance, I saw the baker at the market selling his bread as if he invented making bread. Such passion and love for what he does, it was like me being in the crowd and watching him perform. It's those moments I realize how precious that is. Throughout the years I've been musically inspired by people like Chocolate Puma, Stonebridge, Carl Craig, DJ Pierre, DJ Sneak, Daft Punk, Swedish House Mafia, Timbaland and NERD. DJ-wise I'm a big big fan of Gaslamp Killer and a lot of my DJ inspiration comes from people like Jeff Mills, Bad Boy Bill, Frankie Bones, DJ AM and Dave Clarke.
I love that you take time to communicate with your fans via social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook. How much do these sites mean to you both musically and personally? And do you think they help spread music from artist to fan and vice-versa?
LBL: I've always been about being in touch with the people that support me. That's one of the reasons my forum became such a breeding ground for talent. Coming up and bumping into big and ugly DJ egos, I made a promise to myself to always be approachable.No matter how big I would become. I still live by that, although it moved away a bit from my forum more onto Twitter and Facebook. I just think it's really important to be in touch with the people that make me do what I do, and that pay my rent! It surprises me every day that fellow artists take their 'fans' (I hate that word, it sounds very degrading to me) for granted. We are the lucky ones being appreciated so much for doing what we love.
Your music always seems to evolve with the ever changing genres, incorporating new styles such as Dubstep. How important as an artist is it for you to do this, and do you think it brings with it a whole new following of fans?
LBL: If you know anything about marketing some people would even suggest to stay safe and just keep on doing the same for years and years. As an artist, I really can't pigeonhole myself like that. I've always been about growing and discovering new things and challenges. I'll always try to be that. The moment I'm bored, I'll be unhappy with what I do. My passion will stay alive by constantly evolving and coming across new challenges. And yes, in every 2 or 3 years that means I gain a new following. While the old following complains they miss my old sound. It has happened multiple times and it's something I can't worry about. My own happiness is my number 1 concern. For me, no happiness means no music, I've been there before and it's a horrible experience to not be able to make any music anymore.This is what Techno did to me when I started out. I started putting out records in 1995 and hadto break with doing techno in 1999. As it wasn't making me happy and put me in sucha writer's block that I wanted to quit producing and DJing altogether!The moment I chose for my own happiness, the creativity started flowing again!
Super You & Me has been a great success for you, and a fun way for people to dress up as their favourite Superhero. One of my favourite films this year was Avengers Assemble ( lol'd so much at Hulk & Loki scene!) If you could have one Super power what would it be and why?
LBL: I very much feel like a superhero whenever I'm behind the decks. My dad sometimes calls me a conductor, by the way I work the crowd and take them with me in the energy of a night. With Super You & Me I want people to feel that epic feeling with me but very much in a fun way. As I think the fun gels people together and brings good times to all of us. My favorite superheroes all time are Spiderman and Wolverine.I always imagined me being a crossbreed of them if I would want to have superpowers.
You have played numerous times at my hometown club Cream, in Liverpool. I spent my youth there being influenced by DJ legends such as Paul Oakenfold and Carl Cox. To me it will always be my favourite club. What is it about the club and the crowd that make you keep coming back for more?
LBL: I feel Liverpool adopted me as a Scouser. Somehow what I do, pushes all the rightbuttons to Scousers. Whenever I play anywhere in the neighborhood, or not even, I have busloads of people from Liverpool traveling down to see me play. I'm very honored about this, I do connect well with people from Liverpool. Obviously Cream is the epicenterof where I need to be. I know that it's going to be absolutely mental already. And in a club with such a rich history, it's very easy for me to tap into that energy and pick up the amazing vibe that has resonated there for decades. I'm back at Boxing Night and I'm absolutely buzzing!
Describe in 3 words how music makes you feel:-
LBL: Alive, Energized and Invincible.
On your days off away from music, what is your favourite thing to do to relax?
LBL: My other big passions in life are Kung Fu and Cooking. I have a dream of opening a Kung Fu school later in life. I've been practicing it for 11 years now and I'm at that level I could be an instructor. This year I've competed in the British Kung Fu Championships and won a few medals. And I've been invited to compete at the World Championships in Hong Kong coming year! Kung Fu helps me to keep grounded and energized in this crazy DJ life I lead. Cooking helps me with that too. It's a similar type of mixing I do, but not having the pressure of the whole world watching me when I do so. Plus the food is amazing!
What can we expect to hear from LBL in 2013?
LBL: I have loads of new tracks on the way. We're about ready to go with collaborations withHardwell, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike and Shermanology for instance. I have a big new track coming with Majestic on the vocal too which is named 'Pogo'. A very fun new track!
And finally what best advice would you give to a newcomer to guide them in the right direction?
LBL: It depends on what they want. I will always tell beginning DJs to start producing tracksas it will be the quickest and easiest way to get your name globally known. Then again, I always recommend people that want to get into DJing to try the cheeky PC program called 'Virtual DJ' first. Just to see if you like mixing and playing your music at all.Advice always comes in different stages, and I've been through it all in my 20 years of producer experience and 15 years of DJing. So I often direct people in various ways.Anyone can always ask me for advice and I'll do my best to answer!
Editors note: As always a pleasure when it involves you, such a genuine guy. Thank goodness you gave up Techno and are still around giving pleasure to our ears years later, and years to come. As for coming to Liverpool, you are an honorary Scouser and are welcome anytime....we love you!! Best of luck in everything you do, whether it be making music, cooking or kicking butt...I for one will be there every step of the way =)
To celebrate the release of his long-awaited single ft. Wynter Gordon "Speak Up", Laidback Luke is set to embark on his biggest adventure yet – a bus tour across North America.
This seven-week tour brings Laidback Luke and his Mixmash Records cohorts GTA and Oliver Twizt to cities of all sizes. “This is the first time ever that I am doing a bus tour. It’s mainly to promote and celebrate my latest release feat. Wynter Gordon called “Speak Up”. It’s so exciting to tap into this new college market and experience touring on a whole other level. The crowd has already showed me that they are up for some proper raging!”
Go on laidbackluke.com to stay up to date with the Speak Up Bus Tour!
LAIDBACK LUKE FEAT. WYNTER GORDON – SPEAK UP(ORIGINAL MIX) OUT NOW!
Laidback Luke’s long awaited collaboration feat. Wynter Gordon "Speak Up", is now exclusively available via Beatport! In the first day the track landed on #18 for the Progressive Top 100 on Beatport! It is sure to get all the way to the top!
The Speak Up will be followed by the remixes from Chris Lake, Mark Knight, Oliver Twizt, Moska and Das Kapital who all put their own unique stamp on the track. Also get ready for the official music video which will be released very soon!
MIXMASH MIAMI POOL PARTY @ THE NATIONAL IS SOLD OUT! WHAT TO DO?!
With probably the most loud and massive line-up of MMW, Mixmash Pool Party was meant to sell-out in no time. Unfortunately, it happened. Now what can you do for a chance of seeing LAIDBACK LUKE, ANGGER DIMAS, AUSTIN LEEDS, DELIVIO REAVON & AARON GILL, DYRO & LOOPERS, FELIX CARTAL, JAZ VON D, LA FUENTE, SANDER VAN DOORN, SANDRO SILVA, SUNNERY JAMES & RYAN MARCIANO, SWANKY TUNES, TOMMY TRASH + SPECIAL GUEST?
Make sure you are at the door of The National early enough to get your tickets! Or simply take part in our free tickets give-away campaign. Good luck and see you there!
MIXMASH RECORDS HITS SXSW 2012!
If you lost any hope to get to the sold-out Mixmash Pool Party, here is a solution! Get ready for some daytime musical mayhem! Mixmash Records head honcho Laidback Luke invited the best of the best from his cutting edge label to off-the beaten-path location; the infamous Illmore. Expect nothing but electric, fresh sounds by your favorite artists in one intimate location.
RSVP at www.scoremoreshows.com
When: March 16th 2012
Location: The Illmore, Austin
Time: 12 PM to 6PM
Line-up: A-Trak vs Craze, Diplo, Gina Turner, JWLS, Laidback Luke, Oliver Twizt
UPDATE: SUPER YOU&ME AT LIV,MIAMI!
Time to dress up! Time to dance! Time to party! Time for Super You&ME @ LIV-Miami!
Once again Laidback Luke’s Super You&Me Party found its way back to Miami. LIV is preparing for the ultimate Superhero gathering! Luke brought massive back-up namely MADEON, ZEDD and OLIVER TWIZT!
It has now been announced that the show is SOLD OUT!
Superhero dress code is a must, so get those villains and superhero dresses out of your closets, set your time, get a shine on those latex boots and gloves, call your super friends and get ready to party till dawn! Are you up for the challenge?
Being produced by Laidback Luke, Arno Cost and Norman Doray, "Trilogy" had no other option but destroy the charts. In a couple of days it jumped to #4 on the Beatport Progressive House Top100 and takes #11 on the overall chart. Now, Norman Doray made an epic Trilogy Guestmix for your FREE download...
Just like in 2011, this time the most crazy party of the year will take place at The National on the 22nd of March! And finally the long awaited Line-up is complete:
LAIDBACK LUKE, ANGGER DIMAS, AUSTIN LEEDS, DELIVIO REAVON & AARON GILL, DYRO & LOOPERS, FELIX CARTAL, JAZ VON D, LA FUENTE, SANDER VAN DOORN, SANDRO SILVA, SUNNERY JAMES & RYAN MARCIANO, SWANKY TUNES, TOMMY TRASH + SPECIAL GUEST!
BECOME FAMOUS & WIN FREE TICKETS TO SUPER YOU&ME AT AIR, AMSTERDAM!
Laidback Luke gives you a chance to turn into superhero and win 2 free tickets for Super You&Me at AIR Amsterdam on the 3 March! What you have to do is go to Amstelstraat 24 (next to Rembrandtplein) in Amsterdam. Outside of the club AIR find the Super You&Me window and take a picture of yourself in front of a batman banner. Load your picture on your Facebook Wall and tag Laidback Luke!
"The Ones To Watch" EP is all about the brand new trend-setting, extremely hot and talented names to watch out for! This volume is a hardcore doze of the smashing progressive sounds of bright electro entries!
Expect nothing but the "Slap" of the heavy-weight electro base from the French mixing virtuoso Sebastien Benett. The EP continues with the Laidback Luke inspired progressive track rich on the impressive baseline and vocoder namely "Meteorite"...
(OUT 12.03) LAIDBACK LUKE FT. WYNTER GORDON - "SPEAK UP"!
Laidback Luke is ready to release his long-awaited single "Speak Up", this time teaming up with NYC vocalist Wynter Gordon who gives the track chart topping credentials.
Never one to shy away from an edgier sound, Laidback Luke injects a high dose of energy to Speak Up with a stomping build-up throughout the first half of the track that leads to a softer, suspenseful melody, supported by Wynter Gordon’s vocals. Luke then goes full steam ahead and launches into another intense, aggressive build up...
OK how many of you admit to playing the same song over & over again?! Well I do it...can't help it! Some songs just demand replay coz of the genius production that has gone into making them! Whether they are originals, or a remix where someone has put their own stamp on it ( prime example Binary Finary 1998 ( Matt Darey remix ) ), I lurrrve these choooons!
This one has got me BIG TIME!! May have worn out the MP3 actually lol! Big up to Tom Buster for this AMAZING remix of an already AMAZING song......
This next one is by, in my opinion, the best DJ/Producer in the world ( OK I'm biased! So fkin sue me ;PP ) Fedde Le Grand has been an unstoppable force this year with hit after hit, but this latest track has got me very excited......
I am just gonna steer away from the Dutchies for a moment ( coz there's still a few to come! ) and introduce you to 3 young talents from Down Under : Chris Sterges, Mitch Thomas & Jeremy Bunawan, collectively known as S.M.J, who have (unofficially) remixed this lil beauty.......
OK back to those Dutchies, who seem to be taking over the world! This superb remix is from my lovely friend Johnny Deekay.......
My latest interviewee R3hab has just remixed another favourite song of mine by mamma monster Lady Gaga........
And lastly, but by no means leastly, a true gentleman & all round nice guy ( oh & did I mention a fkin amazing DJ/Producer!) Laidback Luke here in collab with Lady Bee......
Herford (Germany)
