DJ/producer Blake Robin aka Luxxury is having quite a moment, so when he graciously offered to make an exclusive new mix for KCRW.com/music, we jumped at the chance!
I also had the chance to catch up with him over coffee right before he boarded a plane for his first European tour, which kicked off this past Friday in Berlin. If you’re reading this across the pond, you may still have a chance to catch his live set. Based on how he described it during our chat – pulling from hundreds of options of beats, vocal, and instrumental samples on the fly to create real time edits and originals – it’s not to be missed.
Our conversation revealed an individual that is perpetually excited by the prospect of not just playing music, but playing with already existing music (as any great remixer/editor should be). He admitted to having rudimentary skills with a variety of instruments, and made the point that things really came together for him once he realized that the “instrument” he most excels at is production. Still, the live music background comes across in his approach to both the songs he chooses to edit, and the way he approaches his originals. Of the former, his preference for putting his stamp on beloved (or should-be beloved) disco and soft rock tracks is abundantly clear (though he did show up to our meeting wearing a Throbbing Gristle shirt which makes me wonder what surprises he might have up his sleeve for us in the future). Also talking of the future, we’re both hoping that an appreciation for full albums makes a comeback soon. He spoke wistfully of “track 8,” the type of song that might give you a glimpse towards an artist’s next phase in growth and development.
Luxxury is offering us plenty as of now though – he’s dropped several new singles recently (with more on the horizon), received a few spins on Morning Becomes Eclectic, and has many more shows in exotic locales beyond this current European tour. We’re lucky to have caught him in the midst of all of this excitement, so put your dancing shoes on and get into the mix!
(all photos c/o: Øystein Grutle Haara)