Hey Louk! How you doing today? Thanks for agreeing to talk to Core ;o)
I'm all good thanks mate.... It's a pleasure, the last time I spoke to you was a few years back so glad to say hello!
For those of us that don't know you, you're a DJ, producer, label owner and the man behind Compulzion. Can you give us an insight to the styles of music you play/produce?
I've always been into trance and techno (in its' broadest sense) and have found that this has become much broader as I have grown older as some of the more chilled out stuff is starting to make a huge impression. Techno is taking a dominance in the sound of which I am playing and has been for quite a while but I still love a decent hard trancer or two!
What drives your inspiration?
That's a tough one really, I get inspired when I hear an awesome track, or a sample on a sample CD I want to work with, or a new plug in I try the demo of, or if I have gone out one weekend and heard a set which blew my mind something of that style takes precedent the next week in the studio.
You've played all over the world - which have been your most memorable gigs and why?
I don't really have a favourite to be fair but the biggest crowd would have to be at Sydney Olympic Showground for HTID a few years ago. The most memorable was the first time Defqon 1, it was my first ever international booking and fell on the day of my birthday as well so that was timing and a half! The atmosphere in Holland is always rocking. It was nice to debut in America this year too and I hope to return, also it was nice to play some techno for a bit in Slovenia too! There have been a few bad international experiences too though but I've gone on about those enough before and definitely lived and learnt.
At uni, you set up Compulzion Music Group - can you give us a bit more info?
We had to do a module which involved working with others. There were so many tracks out there that hadn't been signed. I had learnt a lot about the runnings of a label through releases for others the few years before that and it sounded like the right time. The only criteria with the label is I sign tracks that I will play out in my sets and If I won't play it I won't sign it.
You've recently expanded to include advising/consultancy work, who for and doing what exactly?
I've actually been doing this since I started the label and sending out tracks on behalf of clients worldwide, but lately have advised on everything from new labels setting up, devising contracts, promotion and even sourcing remixers and passing on demos I have turned down (cause they were good tracks but didn't fit my style) to other labels who have immediately snapped them up.
Where can we see you play next?
My next set isn't for a while due to work commitments (music isn't my only job at the moment) but it's at one of my favourite places to play in the UK. The legendary Uprising in Sheffield. That's in December.
What's in the pipeline, release wise?
Got some wicked tracks coming out on the label including a collab between Joe-E and Busho, some remixes of my Signal Loss, some as yet untitled hard trancers and some techno from Phil Denton, G8, Esh and a few other names. We are hard at work on the second PWP vinyl too which will have a collab with Mach One. One of my last singles as Louk (yeah that's right I'm stepping back off the production) is coming out on Filth Infatuated (a local label who I just love what they do) and I have 3 more to do but I did just give away a remix of Visa - Let Me See Ya Move which is available online!
A music teacher once told you that you'd never get anywhere in music - what would you say to them now?
Ah this was the disadvantage of going to an 11+ grammar school, elitism. He actually said I'd never get anywhere in music unless I was a Grade 8 Piano player playing in an orchestra.... it was quite disheartening and partially motivating as to make me succeed in doing what I do.
Thanks Louk, wicked to chat!
AND…..Louk has decided to give some tunes away, vinyls no less and trust me…they are ones you'll want!! All you have to do is leave a comment below, with your email address and we'll pick a random winner ;o)
Here are the vinyls that you could get your grubby mitts on! YIKES!
CMZ002 - Wragg + Log One - Neonate
CMZ004 - Louk + Busho - 15 Volts / Believe
HST004 - Nick The Kid + Louk - Darkness
CMZADE - Compulzion ADE 2011 Sampler
Grab your free download of this banging track too!
