Interview: Laidback Luke on the dangers of doing it live

Interview: Laidback Luke on the dangers of doing it live

2 December, 2008 | 3.37PM

• Written by: Sarah O
• Filed under: Music News: stealth

Recording a DJ mix compilation is a scary prospect, but recording one live in a club with actual clubbers on the dancefloor is an altogether more difficult challenge. 

Dutch DJ and producer Laidback Luke, who’s had a very successful year thanks to his standout hits ‘Be’, ‘Show’ and remixes for Steve Angello and Martin Solveig, took the live club mix challenge offered by Stealth’s lead man Roger Sanchez, and the result is the first part of a new ‘Stealth Live!’ mix series.

We caught up with risk-taker/guinea pig Laidback Luke to find out about the dangers of ‘doing it live’. 

Your most recent release ‘Stealth LIVE!’ recorded in Amsterdam just came out on Beatport. Can you tell us more about this series?

The Stealth Live compilations are an extension of the Stealth Live events that Roger Sanchez’s label is throwing, all over the world.

It’s a new concept, as they are trying to catch the vibe of a night and put it on a CD.

For this compilation I mixed it in one take in a club and in front of a crowd. It’s really live!

That must have been a lot of pressure. While you’re known for your fancy handiwork behind the decks, were you at all nervous to perform under the gun like that?

To be honest, it was quite nerve wracking!

I can handle pressure, but I had never done something like this before.

Think about it: Every touch is recorded and put out on the CD.

Luckily I had one hour to get used to the booth, the environment and the crowd before we actually pressed the record button

So, did you prep your set completely beforehand?

No, what we did was license 50 tracks, and I could pick them out in the moment itself.

It’s really the best thing to do in front of a crowd as you want to keep the vibe going in the moment, and there was lots of room for spontaneity.

I think it’s important to have that kind of edge in a compilation like this.

What was your DJ set up for this production? Did it vary at all from what you usually use?

Yes, it did actually vary to what I would normally choose to use.

This was because the big boss (Roger Sanchez) was playing right after me and he has a different setup than me.

I had to mix it on a Pioneer DJM1000 mixer with the external EFX 1000 and 3 MKIII CD players.

I’m really a DJM 800 man so I was kind of bummed having to mix the compilation on Roger’s setup.

Then again, I can get really crazy on a DJM800, whereas I mix safer on a DJM1000, so I guess it was better for the compilation in the end.

What was the setup in the venue like?

They had mics hanging in the club and had them coming in on separate channels.

We did have to fade the crowd in and out in the mix though, because it can sound kind of reverby when the club’s sounds blends with the whole audio.

Why was Amsterdam the city of choice to kick it off with?

Amsterdam was the chosen starting point because I’m Dutch. This first compilation is linked to me so it’s a logical choice to make it an Amsterdam kick off!

So now with this album under your belt, are you planning on busting out some remixes?  You have a pretty well established reputation on that front.

Thank you!  Well bad news then, as I’ve stopped remixing completely for now.

What made you decide to do that?

I’m focusing on new own material at the moment.

And at the rate I’m going with my new demos, I’m thinking of doing an album actually.

We’ll keep an eye out for that. So, as the year comes to an end, can you tell us what were some standout moments/gigs for you in 2008?

2008 was such an amazing year for me! It was one big standout really.

Doing the Essential Mix in February was amazing. Geez, I had so many cool gigs.

Like, Sensation White Amsterdam on prime time, Mysteryland mainstage, and the UK festivals were awesome.

All the Ibiza gigs I did, I had never been to the island that much like this summer.

Doing this well in the DJ top 100 was a big surprise to me as well.

I know there’s been rumours of an Ibiza residency – any word on that?

Nah, I can’t tell you anything about that I’m sorry. Let’s say it’s looking really good.

And finally, any other information you’d like the readers to know?

I just would like to thank all of you for the amazing support.

You are the real superheroes! Let’s keep making more music and enjoy music!

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Laidback Luke Stealth Live! Top Ten Nov 2008

01. Tony Senghore & Baron Bane ‘Love Cure All (Full Vocal)’ [Anonym]

02. Roger Sanchez feat. Terri B. ‘Bang That Box (Laidback Luke Remix)’ [Stealth]

03. Johnson Junior - In The Air (Alex Salvador & Sebastien Lintz Remix) [Chega]

04. Diplo ‘Blow Your Head’ [Mad Decent]

05. DJ Rockid - Girls - We Are All Kidz

06. Mr. Oizo ‘Positif’ [Ed Banger]

07. Mischa Daniels feat.Crown ‘Another Place’ [Armada Music]

08. Laidback Luke & Roman Salzger - Generation Noise (Afrojack Remix) Mixmash

09. Weird Science ‘Haus Of Cards (Laidback Luke Remix)’ [Dim Mak]

10. Franky Rizardo ‘Voodoo’ [Samsobeats]

On another note:

Last Saturday Stealth kicked off a holiday competition that will run through the new year, and Luke, as the ‘newborn Santa’, will be throwing ‘Stealth Live!’ t-shirts into the crowd. The fun part is that if you wear a Stealth Live! or Stealth Records t-shirt to any club and take a picture of it, send it to info@stealth-records.com and your picture might appear on Stealth websites at random as well as give you a chance to win loads of Stealth gear and music.  Check out their website for more information.  Competition will run till the 15th January.

Laidback Luke tour dates:

Nov 28 Kiss Da Funk – Leeds – England
Nov 29 Sankeys – Manchester – England
Nov 30 Largars – Porto – Portugal
Dec 5 Maassilo - Rotterdam – The Netherlands
Dec 6 Passage - Vienna - Austria
Dec 12 X Club - Herford - Germany
Dec 13 Ministry Of Sound – London - England
Dec 19 Villa Bivona - La Seyne Sur Mer - France
Dec 20 Lush – Portrush – Northern Ireland
Dec 24 Nope is Dope – Amsterdam – The Netherlands
Dec 26 Cream – Liverpool - England
Dec 27 Le Planches – Deauville - France
Dec 31 Zeelandhallen - Goes & Matrixx – Nijmegen – The Netherlands
Jan 1 Sankeys – Manchester – The Netherlands
Jan 10 Boothaus – Cologne - Germany

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• Get Laidback Luke's 'Stealth Live!' on Beatport