Based between Glasgow and Berlin, Luca Eck brings emotion into everything they touch — whether backed by pop beats, techno sonics, or a mesh of the two. The artist started writing and producing music at only 11 years old, and has since evolved into an absolute force to be reckoned with. Vulnerability contrasts with hard soundscapes to create a dynamic complexity in their work, and lucky for us, they have revealed a new offering of such.
Luca Eck is exploding into the queer techno scene with “Whenever I Open My Eyes It’s You That I Want To See”. Part of their forthcoming EP, Quantum State, it serves as the artist’s first single on their new label, 2626 Group, and sets the scene for the techno-pop medley that is to come. A coming-of-age track, it details a journey of self-discovery, an evolution from one version of yourself to the next, and embarking on a new chapter. Both lyrically and sonically, the song evokes these themes of metamorphosis and grand transformation. As Luca sings about navigating their relationship with their partner, the soundscape ebbs and flows, builds and falls. Uplifting synths and heavy percussion take over your body as you listen, bringing you into the world of the song and prompting you to feel the full weight of love.
We are excited to premiere “Whenever I Open My Eyes It’s You That I Want To See”, a track that is just the beginning for the 21-year-old artist. Their album will be out on June 30 and will continue exploring Luca’s coming-of-age story, as they embrace their non-binary identity through music.
We heard from Luca Eck about starting their own label, carving a new sound that’s equally pop and techno, and of course, the new single and upcoming EP.
Watch the visuals…
And now for the interview…
When did your love for music start and how has your sound progressed since then?
I’ve been drawn to music for as long as I can remember, but my journey through different sounds has been quite the rollercoaster. My earliest memory in relation to music was a local Berlin initiative called “Instrument Carousel” where pre-schoolers learn 12 instruments for one month each. I fell in love with playing the double bass and in the years that followed I was classically trained and played in various orchestras. In my early teenage years, I started listening to electronic music and became driven by a curiosity for how these new and exciting sounds were made. At the time I was DJing techno, but I was strictly producing pop music. This discrepancy hindered myself from fully forming my personal sound. One day, when I was 17, I asked myself – “What would happen if I were to combine these two worlds?” and that is the core concept behind the music I make today.
How would you describe your sound?
In its essence, I would describe my sound as an emotional mixture between industrial techno and experimental pop music. I try to be as eclectic as possible. For me, the most exciting things happen when combining sounds that contrast each other. I like to think of my music as a continuation of my non-binary identity, existing outside regular norms and boundaries, combining a multitude of experiences.
Do you have any key artist inspirations that have helped you refine your sound?
The biggest inspiration for me has been the queer experimental pop bubble – Arca, Sega Bodega, Eartheater – to name a few. It’s my dream to exist within that same sonic universe but in a more techno setting.
What has your experience been like so far navigating the music industry?
It can be difficult to find your place in the industry, especially when combining drastically different sounds in your music. I often feel as though I am too pop for one side of the scene and too techno for the other. However, this makes me even more grateful for the people who help me realise my vision and navigate this complex industry with me. With the amazing team from MACORMA Artist Management I have found the right people to take the next steps with.
Congratulations on the new label, 2626 Group! What made you want to start your own label?
Thank you so much! It’s been a very rewarding experience and a huge leap forward both on a personal and a professional level. I think one of the biggest motivations behind starting my own label has been to stop compromising. I often experience labels wanting to tweak my sound into a certain direction and I wanted to create a space in which my music could exist in its purest form. This feeling of not quite fitting in is something that has been consistent throughout my life. Therefore, starting this label has been an extremely healing process on a personal level as well. It has allowed me to see myself and my art in its entirety and to accept it as whole.
What does the future look like for 2626 Group?
Starting 2626 Group is not only about my own artistic freedom, but also about creating a home for other genre-defying musicians to showcase their tracks without compromise. For the moment, the focus will be on my own work but there are some exciting collaborations in the making.
We’re loving “Whenever I Open My Eyes It’s You That I Want To See”, what does this single mean to you?
With this first track, I had the title in mind before I even started working on the EP. I wanted the instrumental to be the soundtrack of what the title means to me. At its core, the track is a moody love song about navigating the beautiful relationship with my partner. I wanted the production to centre around an uplifting trance-like lead synth but then embed it in heavier percussive sounds and a grand organ-style pad to showcase the weight that an emotion like love carries. It’s so blissful but it takes over your whole body; a force that can be scary at times. Like the other tracks of my upcoming EP Quantum State, it also represents an evolution, a metamorphosis. It’s a story of outgrowing past selves, rediscovering other sides of yourself and arriving in a new state. This metamorphosis is also what we aimed to visualise in the stunning music video created by Paris and Detroit of Vessel Video.
What can we expect from the upcoming work, “Bloodstone”?
I’ve rarely been this excited about a release. Working with Izzy Camina has been an absolute pleasure. She is a musical and lyrical genius. I discovered her music about a year ago, contacted her on Instagram and she gladly agreed to work together. “Bloodstone” is the first track I am releasing that is a proper stand-alone techno-pop song rather than a techno production with pop influences. The sonic scape is very otherworldly, and we tried to convey the overwhelming emotions of confronting yourself to heal. To quote Izzy on this: “Bloodstones are mineral heliotropes, deep red and green. Roman soldiers believed they had the ability to stop bleeding, so I use the “bloodstone” as a metaphor for wisdom and truth. Peering deep into the core of the self and digging deep into the “dirt”, reluctantly confronting the heart, the nucleus, the bloodstone – in order to heal.”
What was the creative process of the EP?
To me, this EP has been about two things: Accepting the contradictions within myself and embracing collaboration with visionary artists. From my co-writer and producer Jan Wagner to my mastering engineer Enyang Urbiks and the insanely talented hair & makeup team MV Brown and Ponyboy, this project lives due to their contributions.
Who is on your dream collaboration list and why?
I discovered Sega Bodega in 2020 when I moved from Berlin to Glasgow and have been dreaming of working with him ever since. Similarly, Art School Girlfriend has had a huge influence on my music for years now and would absolutely be a dream collaborator. Who knows, maybe there is something in the making…
What change do you want to see within the industry?
I often wish that the industry would become a more political space again and reject some of the commercialisation that has been imposed on the techno scene in recent years. Since techno has reached the mainstream, it has become mainly about maximising pleasure and profit, which has stifled a lot of the difficult conversations we need to have in the scene. I understand that club music is a way for people to escape their lives for a little while and they don’t necessarily want to deal with heavy topics in those moments. Nevertheless, clubs don’t exist in a vacuum, they remain spaces where injustice is produced and reproduced. I would love to see more DIY party concepts and clubs, like Mensch Meier, that function as a site of enjoyment but also as a political space. I think having an awareness team and FLINTA safe spaces at every party would be a good starting point to make clubbing more inclusive.
Anything exciting in the pipeline?
Besides the release of the full EP at the end of June, a second EP with my close friend Nur Jaber is in the making. Nur and I are a perfect match, musically and personally so we also want to start touring together more. We are kicking things off next month with a b2b in Gent that I am immensely excited for.