Berlin likes its rules, even when nobody admits there are any. The right club, the right sound, the right amount of indifference. Music artist and producer Luca Eck knows how it all works better than most. Born and raised in the city, they have spent years navigating its nightlife while quietly doing the opposite of what is expected: taking the music seriously, but refusing to take the rules around it too seriously.

At 25, Luca has already played in most major clubs, DJed at anti-fascist fundraisers as a teenager and moved between techno, pop, Eurodance, industrial noise and hyperpop without much interest in choosing a lane. Their music, much like their identity, is fluid by nature – their sound, aesthetic and identity remain deliberately fluid, refusing to settle into a single category.

That irreverence is perhaps what makes Luca so compelling. In a scene where coolness can sometimes feel like a full-time job, they make room for humour, camp and excess. Their recent album with Miss Bashful, Glamour Snobby, is a perfect example, bringing club music closer to pop while keeping its rough edges intact.

Following a US tour with Miss Bashful and Six Sex, we spoke with Luca about Berlin’s changing nightlife, the freedom of fluidity and finding humour in club culture. With a new EP on the horizon and their long-awaited debut album in the works, we can only expect what comes next to land somewhere between the rave and the pop stage – and probably be a little less serious than Berlin would like.

You’re from Berlin, a city that has shaped countless artists and subcultures. What’s something about Berlin that outsiders rarely understand until they actually live there?

It’s a bit of a hot take, but I think that real Berliners are actually super kind, friendly and welcoming. I’ve lived in Wedding in Berlin, which is more in the north, and it’s an area that I think is still very non-gentrified, very OG Berlin. There you have such a strong sense of community.

So many people always complain about people in Berlin being so rude and competitive, and I can see that. But I feel like once you get to know people who grew up here and find your community, there’s way more of a looking-out-for-each-other kind of vibe that gets lost from the outside.

Growing up, what kind of music first captured your attention, and when did making music yourself become more than just a curiosity?

My very first exposure to music was actually classical music. I played double bass in the school orchestra and listened to classical music for the first 10 years of my life. Then I got into electronic music through my parents’ CDs, especially Cascada’s album featuring ‘Evacuate the Dancefloor.’ I was obsessed with it, and this year I got to work on a song with Cascada, which was the biggest full-circle moment ever. I could go back to my 11-year-old self and be like, “Hey, you made a song with her.”

I wasn’t really exposed to techno until I was 15. Before that, it was mostly EDM, Eurodance and some dubstep. Then a group of people two years above me at school introduced me to techno. I was already DJing at school events, and they were like, “You should play this.” I think they showed me Ben Klock’s ‘Subzero,’ and I was immediately hooked. I started DJing and producing a lot of techno, even though I’d previously been producing more pop and EDM. I wouldn’t describe my music as techno anymore, but it definitely played a big part in shaping my artistic vision in those early years.

Your relationship with music seems to have developed very gradually. Was there a specific moment when you realized that music could become your life, rather than simply a passion?

I always manifested it a little bit as a teenager. I would look at videos of different artists and envision myself playing on big festival stages. But it was more of a dream. Then, through that consistency, I realised that it was actually feasible, because it seemed highly unrealistic, you know? Almost delusional in a way.

When I started DJing, it was mostly at these anti-fascist fundraiser events here in Berlin. I had a few friends who were very active in that community, and they were always looking for DJs for those events. I was one of the first people in Berlin who kind of broke out from that very minimal techno and incorporated more vocals and faster BPMs, and maybe some of that early hyperpop sound as well. That really resonated with people.

More and more people started coming to these fundraisers to see my sets. When I was 17, I got to play a show at Tresor in Berlin, and I think that was the first pivotal moment where I was like, “Oh, crazy! I can’t believe I’m standing here.” At 18, when I graduated high school, I could already pay my living costs from DJ gigs, so that was pretty crazy.

Despite your age, you’ve been working in this for quite a while already

I guess I’m a boy and a veteran at the same time.

Berlin’s nightlife often gets romanticized. How has the city’s underground scene genuinely influenced your creative process?

One of the most significant things about growing up in Berlin and in this nightlife scene is how early you get into it. A lot of my friends and I started partying and sneaking into clubs when we were 15, so you’re exposed to that culture, the drugs and the music very early on. I think that kind of early exposure has a much stronger impact than when you experience it later in life, because as you get older, you see everything from more of a distance. When you’re younger, it becomes your whole life because it’s so new and fascinating.

Sometimes I miss that excitement I had when partying was still so new and also kind of illegal. But in general, nightlife has definitely inspired my sound a lot. I really reject this clean approach to sound. I like everything very dirty, distorted and kind of harsh. I enjoy pairing – or contrasting – that with my background in classical and pop music, bringing in vocals and melodies. But that dark, harsh and industrial sound design will always be a part of my music.

How has the nightlife scene changed since then?

In Berlin, techno isn’t cool anymore. The Berlin underground scene is more interested in experimental music and this whole electroclash, bloghouse revival. Artists who make this kind of music are very hyped right now, whereas techno in Berlin has kind of become this mainstream genre.

It’s been very interesting because I was recently on tour in the U.S., and there I feel like techno is the coolest thing ever because it’s still new, which is kind of ironic because it originated there. They have all these raves that try very hard to recreate the Berlin underground rave scene, while in Berlin, the real underground is listening to other music now.

Your work feels both playful and provocative. What role does humor play in your music and artistic persona?

It emerged as a little rebellion against the seriousness that raving in Berlin carries with it. There’s so much etiquette around it. You need to dress like this, you need to never smile at the bouncer, otherwise he won’t let you in. There’s this whole etiquette around raving where you’re expected to be so serious.

I remember during COVID, all these TikTok techno influencers started popping up and suddenly making dance-move tutorials. Then, at these parties, you would see everybody dancing in the same special way, and everybody would be wearing the same kind of outfits. So humour in my music started as a rejection of that, and a little bit of a rebellion against it. It was like, “Hey, let’s be funny and let’s have fun in the club. Stop being so serious.” Life is already serious. I don’t want my party to be serious too.

Is there a recurring theme or obsession that keeps finding its way into your work, whether you intend it to or not?

Something I’ve always found myself very drawn to and inspired by is fluidity and being non-binary. Not only as a gender identity, but as an overall concept of not wanting to be one thing or the other. I want to be my entirety. And I feel like the music industry really rewards people who have a very narrow identity, who are very specific about being one thing, with one specific style and sound.

I really struggle with reducing myself down to those kinds of artefacts to put a persona out there. I always want to create music that encompasses as many parts of me, my tastes and my identity as possible. That hasn’t always been the commercially smart decision, but at the end of the day, it’s my art. I want to be authentic, and I want to make music that isn’t just one genre or one sound.

You’ve recently released ‘HUNKA HUNKA’ and ‘Fake Designer Bitch.’ How have audiences responded so far, and has anything about that reaction surprised you?

The response has been very cool. It was my first time going on a proper concert tour with Miss Bashful together in the U.S. Before that, I was very much only playing club shows, and it was a really cool experience.

The timing of the tour was also very interesting because we had this collaborative album, Glamour Snobby, which came out at the very last show of the tour, while one of the first singles we did came out on the first show. So almost the entire rollout of the album happened while we were on tour. We had this really cool moment of introducing people to new songs, seeing their reactions, and then, once the songs were out, suddenly everybody knew the lyrics at the shows.

It’s crazy how fast people learn the lyrics of songs.

Yeah, it’s crazy. Sometimes it was the same day. You would always see in the Spotify analytics that the city we were playing in would be the top city in terms of streams because everybody was preparing for the concerts and learning all the lyrics to the new songs.

Both tracks feel unapologetically bold. What were you exploring creatively when making them?

We were very much leaning into early Lady Gaga kind of sounds. In general, I could really relate to Miss Bashful. We’re very good friends, and she had a similar experience of coming from more of a techno background, but now not really identifying with that scene anymore and wanting to move more into the pop world.

So finding a way to take those very pop, Lady Gaga influences and give them a spin that still works in a club was the overall challenge for the project. We wanted everything to feel a bit lo-fi, not too clean or polished, and also camp. My favourite songs are ‘Fake Designer Bitch’ with Christ Dillinger and ‘Girlz on Tour’ with Princess Superstar. “Girlz on Tour,” especially. The lyrics and the production – so camp, and I love it.

You recently collaborated with Six Sex and Miss Bashful. How did your creative relationship with Miss Bashful first come together?

We worked on it for a long time. We both share the same booking agent at Hyper Dreams here in Berlin, and he put us together like a year and a half ago. He was like, “Hey, Miss Bashful is looking for a new producer for her upcoming project because she wants to go in a bit more of a pop direction.” So we did one session. There was no intention of making an album or anything, but we became besties. We clicked so much creatively. Then we just kept making songs. We were like, “Okay, let’s make a single.” And then, “Oh no, let’s make an EP.” And then, “Oh, it’s an album. We have so many songs, we need to put them out.” It was all very organic.

Collaboration can be incredibly rewarding, but it can also be challenging. Was it easy for you to decide which songs would make the final cut?

I think so. We put almost everything we created into the final piece, actually. There was one song that didn’t make the cut that I’m a bit sad about because I really liked it. Maybe it will see the light of day sometime. But in general, I feel like there was a lot of mutual trust, agreement and alignment on what the vision for the project was.

What has been the highlight of the tour so far?

It was overall extremely exhausting, but also a really great experience. I loved the U.S. crowds. They brought so much energy, and a lot of people told me it was the first time they’d heard a sound like mine, since I was also playing a solo set before Miss Bashful. It was really encouraging to see their enthusiasm.

But the best thing was probably the friendship with Miss Bashful and being on the road together. You really have to like each other to not go crazy after travelling together for two months. But I think we managed pretty well. We still love each other, and we had a really cute time.

For aspiring producers who are just getting started, what advice would you give them? What have you learned that you think you can pass on?

Try to always focus on what sets you apart, what makes you unique, because that will be your biggest asset. The more you fill a unique niche, the more work there will be for you. People who are able to bridge genres and bridge pop culture and subculture are the most in-demand producers right now, because it’s like being a mediator between worlds.

And it’s always helpful to dream big and pull crazy moves. I always use this very cheesy saying, “Shoot for the moon, reach for the stars,” because it’s been true for me so many times. If you don’t shoot your shot, you’re never going to hit the target. You need to be vulnerable, put yourself out there, and things will come to you.

Plus, you shouldn’t become an artist or musician just for fame or money. If it’s not what you love doing, it’s going to wear you out so much and send you into a dark place. It’s extremely demanding and exhausting; your sleep schedule is going to be fucked, and you’re going to be working crazy hours. You also have very little financial security.

Queer artists are often expected to represent entire communities. Is that a responsibility you embrace, resist, or simply ignore?

I definitely like to be open about it and to bring some representation. I still remember the first time I posted a photo on Instagram wearing makeup. I lost around 2,000 followers because I was still very much part of the techno community, which, especially in Germany, is very straight-male-oriented. Even though it was really hurtful, it also showed me how important representation can be. I think it’s key not to shy away from the hate and not to take the easy route.

My mom never fully understood what it meant to be non-binary, but she read a book by the Swiss non-binary author Kim de l’Horizon, and it completely changed her perspective. So when I see these powerful examples of how art can change people’s attitudes, I definitely don’t want to resist representation. I want to embrace it. But at the same time, I also think queer artists shouldn’t be reduced to their queerness. You don’t always have to focus on the fact that I’m queer to appreciate my art.

Yeah, it’s part of it, but it’s not the main thing.

Exactly. And it’s similar with movies. I feel like so many queer characters in films have their entire story arc revolve around being queer. Maybe I just want to see an action thriller where the characters happen to be queer, but that’s not the centre of the story.

What excites you most about where your music is heading next?

I’m very excited about my next steps. I just signed with new management when I was in the U.S. – Hannah Hicks, shout-out, she’s amazing. She represents MargoXS too, for example. I work with so many straight men in my life that I’m really excited about working with a queer woman. And she’s also perfectly positioned as this mediator between subculture and pop culture, which is very much where I see myself. We’ve been discussing some plans, and I think we’re going to release one more EP this year, and then next year I’ll probably release my debut album. So, you have to stay tuned!

Do you feel any pressure around making your debut album?

I feel a lot of pressure. I’ve honestly been postponing it a bit because I’ve been active for seven years now, but I still haven’t released an album. I have such high expectations of what a debut album should be, although I’m trying to lower those expectations a bit, because at the end of the day, you can always just release another album.

Finally, if someone is discovering Luca Eck for the very first time through this interview, which song should they listen to first, and why?

Can I say two songs? They should listen to ‘U&ME’ with Six Sex, and ‘FLESH’ with Naomi Namasenda. I think these two songs really capture the two main styles that I like to explore. “U&ME” is the very fun, provocative side, while “FLESH” represents the more theatrical, cinematic and emotional side that I also have inside of me.

PHOTO CREDITS
Photography: Marina Mónaco @marinaamonaco
Photo Assistant: Johanna Weilert @johannaweilert
Styling: Ekaterina samorukova @ekaterina_samorukova_
Hair: Henriette Aue @fr.aue
Location: Phantom Bar @fabio.Venezia @silvio.Venezia
Cat owner: Melanie Andresini
Management: @against_all_evil
BRANDS: William Fan, Diesel, Kidsuper, John Lawrence Sullivan, Levi’s, Falke, SF10G, Natasha Zinko.