For what it’s worth, and never mind what any politician may have you believe, America has a strong sense of internationalism – in music, anyhow. From Coldplay to Rihanna, Adele to Madonna (wait, that’s a fake accent), music lovers here take pride in their knowledge of what’s new overseas, regardless of genre, if there is any matter of talent present. In club dance and electronic music, the most respected and influential heads of the game come from outside of Border Patrol’s reach, as DJ’s and producers including David Guetta and Daft Punk continue to churn out Billboard hits, along with many whose work is considered underground. Hailing from The Netherlands, Laidback Luke is a shooting star passing – for the first time – through the 50 states on tour for his latest single, “Speak Up.”
Born in the Philippines, Luke started his career in tandem with his master graffiti artist skills, until an arrest at 17 for the latter made him decide to change paths permanently. Since the release of his first studio album in the late 90’s, he has been travelling nonstop, mixing popular songs, and working the full scope of international dance music. He’s also an activist against “substandard sounds”, waging war against fake, phony, and just plain bad music. He hosts regular “Super You&Me” parties around the world, through The Netherlands, Germany, Spain, and the U.S. to raise awareness of this rampant epidemic, where partygoers dress up as superheroes and party to what we would like to call super-standard mixes from Luke and guest DJs. He has worked with such dance heavyweights as David Guetta and Diplo, among others. His single “Turbulence,” with the King of Crunk Lil’ Jon, has been a hit on radios worldwide, and he has mixed tracks from a variety of artists throughout his career.
This spring, Laidback Luke has teamed up with New York native Wynter Gordon for the single “Speak Up,” a high-powered anthem for the DJ’s upcoming U.S. tour. The song comes as part of a package, which is set to include mixes and mash-ups with such artists as Das Kapital, Oliver Twizt and Chris Lake, to be released in April. In the meantime, the Dutch DJ will pass through our hometown via The Lizard Lounge this Thursday, March 15th.
Listen: “Speak Up” (featuring Wynter Gordon); “Turbulence” (ft. Lil’ Jon and Steve Aoki); “Natural Disaster” (ft. Example)