In today’s interview, we’re joined by one of the biggest names in the hard techno scene. Lukas is a pioneer and a key reference in a genre that’s currently thriving. We talked with him about his present and near future, his beginnings, his perspective on the new scene, and much more.
Hey Lukas, first of all, how are you doing both personally and professionally?
I’ve been doing very well. Professionally I am in a good moment. I have been feeling very inspired, motivated and ambitious. I am very thankful to see that all the dedication and hard work is paying off and this really drives me to keep pushing and pushing on a daily basis.
Personally I am also good. Taking care of my health both physically and mentally. This is the foundation for everything else and a must do for those who do this for so long like I do.
Let’s talk about your beginnings. What were your first experiences with electronic music? Who were your main inspirations to pursue a professional career in this industry?
I started listening to electronic music from an early age. My house was very diverse musically and vinyls from artists like Kraftwerk, Geotgio Murderer or Jean-Michel Jarre were often being played. After this early and first contact and later in my life, I started to listen to a lot of different things. Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, Apollo 440, Early Euro Trance, Disco, among others. I really fell in love with this music and that’s when I started digging more about it and I started going to my first “Underground” parties and also to listen to more specific styles. I was and am very open minded for different genres but I was always connecting a lot more to Techno and its subgenres. Especially the harder and more energetic ones like Hard or Acid Techno. The decision to start working with this took me some time as I knew this was a difficult and also expensive path to jump into. Records were extremely expensive in Brazil as our country has a 60% tax over imported goods and on top of that there was the shipping costs. And not to talk about DJ gear which was and still is very expensive. I didn’t really have anyone specifically inspiring me to become a DJ. Of course there were several names catching my attention and that I Admired but the inspiration to start with all this was pure from the music itself!
You were one of the first artists to embrace hard techno. How would you describe the scene when you first got into it? Is there anything from that time that you miss or would like to see return?
Things were very different than now. The style was not as specific as now. Being a Hard Techno DJ was much more about knowing how to select the right music in order that together they would form a Hard Set. We had a lot more room to experiment and adapt. Mixing Hard Techno with other subgenres of Techno was very normal and even necessary in most cases. Slowly, producers, DJs, labels and even promoters started to work to highlight Hard Techno so the style created a scene on its own. Of course I miss things from the past. I think it is natural to be nostalgic when you lived great things and I am very lucky to have experienced an amazing moment in the history of electronic music.
And now, what are the most significant changes you’ve noticed over the years?
The most significant change for sure was going from a Scene to an Industry. It’s great to see the style growing and being so much more professional than before. But it’s not so great to see that the music which should be THE MOST important as we are in the music industry lost a lot of its importance.
Hard techno has evolved, and you’ve managed to adapt while staying true to your roots. A great example of that is your EP celebrating 25 years in the game — “Blood Moon”. What can you tell us about this release?
This record really came from my heart. I didn’t start the tracks thinking that this would be an EP to celebrate and define this 25 years of love and dedication to Hard Techno. I just like in any studio session I do, just wanted to express myself in the studio and make some cool tunes. In the end the tracks describe a bit of how I feel about this music. Hard Techno can be really diverse and I did try to show that on this EP.
Looking ahead, you have a packed schedule with gigs and projects. What does your summer look like?
It’s looking good so far. Some great festivals and parties are coming during this period. I am also going to countries that I have never played before and being able to say that after 25 years on this job is amazing. And of course I will also save some time to enjoy with family and friends as this is very necessary in order to balance the crazy and hectic lifestyle that this job makes us have.
Finally, reflecting on how much the hard techno scene has changed in recent years, where do you see the genre heading, and how do you plan to evolve with it?
It’s amazing to see the music that I love growing so much and resonating with so many people all over the world. No growth is endless so I think that soon we will see a shift happening. In my opinion all the people (artists, promoters, agents, managers, party people, etc) that are on the style now because its trendy, big, popular, and not because they really feel this music as part of their lives will move on to the next trend and we will have a cleaner but very strong foundation so the style can keep on developing more and more.
LUKAS Instagram | Spotify | SoundCloud | YouTube | beepdMusic
