Your musical debut came in 1989 under the name Translucent with “Momentary Vision”. This was followed by the years of aliases 4 Slots to Bill (1990), Llyod Owes Me a Packet (1990), Krispy Krouton (1992), Offset (1993), Deputy Dawg (1996), and Clementine. All these works share a new direction for English techno, leaning towards ambient and experimental music with minimalistic texts and rhythms. In 1997, you gave birth to the monumental Planetary Assault System, reversing the direction: you left experimentation to embrace raw techno. Looking back on that nearly ten-year span, would you describe the change as slow or immediate? Was there someone or something that accelerated or condensed it?

DJax records in Holland was probably the first established label to work with me on a project, that being Clementine series, that was about 1992 I think. Alan Oldham did the art for those records, his art still blows my mind. Planetary Assault systems started in 1993. The first series the Planetary Funk Series, I created specifically to make records to play out in my DJ sets and that has been an underpinning even today. I think everything I released before PAS from 1990-1993 was a kind of pre-cursor to planetary. Actually we did one live show as Planetary Assault systems in 1994 I think in London With a huge amount of gear to see if technology wise it was possible to move the studio to a stage. Too early but right intentions! Planetary became a main project early on as it tied in my DJing with the releases and people really took to it in a big way all over the world. I always though had a leash on how far I would take Planetary musically away from its roots and values as I do now. I could have sold it out numerous times but it was never an option.

Scrolling through your Instagram profile, I was struck by a video of your 2021 performance. You were performing under the name The 7th Plain at the iconic venue Paard in L’Aia. People came to explore the deepest spaces of your ambient imagination. They were there, sitting still and listening. On the stage in front of you two excellent dancers perfectly aligning with your music. Immediately, I think of Nietzsche’s famous phrase: “And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” Was this the first (and last) time you experienced something like this? Only those who “feel” with their bodies and the energy around them, and express what they feel through their bodies, have any chance of “seeing” something?

That period, in the middle of lock down when I did some The 7th Plain shows was really very special, actually the first time I had played under The 7th Plain, and the dancers were not only amazing and experienced but they felt deep deep vibes on the translation between body and music, we even did the Muzikabow in Amsterdam we hung out a few times after and before the shows for a cheers. I really admired them, and when you get talking, past the first level, you get to that area, the sort of unexplained area where no one can explain why music, sound and dance has this huge effect on all us humans, there’s no real logic in it, you can’t explain it away, it’s a gift from somewhere music but can never really be understood or explained.

You will agree with me that your biggest fan has always been by your side: your beautiful daughter Tallulah. No matter where in the world you are, she is always there with you. This is even more gratifying considering that parents often tend to associate electronic music, specifically techno, with excess, substance abuse, and, in extreme cases, their own downfall. Now, as in the past, genres like acid or hardcore and places like the club or festival still appear to some parents as negative models their children should not consider. Since this is not your case, what do you think about it? Has the fact that you’ve always been a DJ somehow influenced the musical education you wanted to impart to your daughter?

I’ve been playing and releasing records for a long time, its what I do and along the way the roads not a straight one. Wrong turns, deep divides, uphill downhill, extreme highs and lows. I’ve lived them all quite honestly and have zero regrets. Being a performer on the road, playing in all these places, to all these great people is my world, music is my world. You can’t just pretend that suddenly doesn’t exist when you get home, or just say you’ve been to work because you have not, you have not been to work. It’s your life, so when Tallulah was old enough both me and Heidy kind of made a decision that she would not be cut off from the world that me and Heidy were and are living in. When she grabbed the mic (unplanned ) at Awakenings it was like “Welcome to the show!” An emotional moment for sure. Aside from the drug topic, we wanted to bring her into my world so she could understand exactly what I do, and what we do as a family. Studio to actual performances.

The value of performing, writing, creating, and all the hard work and madness that goes on around it all, in general its a lot of fun, and alot of work. In that way, and very different to my upbringing, you’re constantly sharing your real life, but educating at the same time by default. She might not turn out to be in this industry but she will know how it works, how to mix on a desk, what Traktor is, how records were mixed, how to use an OP-1 to loop sounds, and understand the business. It helps she’s particularly outgoing and fun, smart. I love her to bits. I don’t expect her to follow in my footsteps, but it’s there if she wants. I totally believe and have always, that the idea that pubs and alcohol are somehow ok in a social upbringing. Yet clubs, techno, festivals, raves are somehow the devil incarnate to be one of the biggest falsehoods ever cemented into social thinking of good and bad. But actually I think that is changing now for the better. Techno clubs and festivals, are in general, greatly world encompassing diverse places to be. Positive. The same can’t be said for a load of blokes sitting in a pub swilling beer and putting the world to rights. Or a swanky wine bar for the elite.
Family is very important. Techno family and un-techno family. Nature is important.

Just as it’s evident that Tallulah is proud of you, you can certainly say the same about her. This is confirmed by the poetry “This is Me” she wrote at 7 years old. It was published in a book that collected poetries by young people from across the UK, in acrostic form about their diverse heritage. The last line reads, “Real things come true when you believe in yourself.” Is this one of your teachings? If so, would the Luke of yesterday be satisfied with the Luke of today?

She has actually done some amazing things in terms of “publishing” herself and a lot that comes from Heidy’s encouragement, it opened my eyes to the idea that young people, what ever age should have that voice, I did it though music and still do. Music, for my childhood was poetry, my way of getting it out there, not everyone was so lucky. Young people, kids, need to be heard, there’s a lot of truths in it for the present and future. The wisdom of youth should never be ignored but I think there’s currently a lack of young people finding music the true medium of change, hopefully that will change.

Probably “Only the Good Times” is the most emotional and nostalgic track on the album; even more so is the magnificent remix by Burial. Behind it, in fact, is the story of the legendary street character of Eindhoven Arnol Kox, whose philosophical proclamations had become a local legend. You managed to record Kox shouting the Dutch equivalent of the track’s title. Kox died in 2020, and so “Only The Good Times” became a heartfelt tribute to someone who embodied the misfit individuality that you feel most at home with, not least in the club. If in the other tracks you have your back to the past and your eyes to the future, in this one it’s the exact opposite. Does time really heal wounds? What made you realize that Burial would be the most suitable artist to remix the track?

I think “Only the Good Times” ended up an accidental life affirming lesson, so heartfelt. From my side that it bought me to tears shockingly. Its life isn’t it. Perceived control and giving into the fact we have none really. We are all on the roller coaster. The track feels like a bible of life away from religion completely bearing its soul. It’s raw, exposed, therapy. Burial being a friend, and it was really not even a decision, it was obviously meant to be.
But we both took our time with this one, it had to be handled with care. When people tell me how much that track reached them it’s very, very special.

For the first time since its current creation, you have opened Spacestation Ø Studio to the world, offering some classic and creative services. Over the years, you have accumulated an enormous collection of classic, modern, and boutique high-end equipment that you have used in every record you have released. From digital mastering to mixing to esoteric creative signal processing. Along with renowned mixing engineer and producer Sie Medway Smith, you have created a menu of services guaranteed to be of interest to modern electronic artists and people in the creative industry. To date, how has this initiative been received? Have you noticed similarities and differences between your old guard and the emerging new scene of today’s music?

During the lock down me and Sie got together as he was living pretty close to me and really just tried to think of ways of utilising the studio and reaching out. It was fun, eye opening and turned out helpful to others. Now, being back on the road and Sie doing other things I stopped doing that in the studio but have great memories. I think one of the things I learnt from it was people were really hungry to know how the tracks are and were made, and although there was and is and always been a technical side to this, I tried to pass on different creative thinking ideas to free the mind an embrace confidence from doubt. There so much online information nowadays this can totally overload the creative process if that is what you’re looking for. Simple is always better.

With you, there is certainly never a dull moment. A musical project is always around the corner waiting for you. I’m talking about the duo Roog Unit with Ø[Phase] and the trio LSD with Steve Bicknell and Function. How did both come about?

I’m very much into collaborating with others, it seems very natural at the moment and I really enjoy it. You’re right, I don’t like let time pass unproductively, time always is the master. As messy and chaotic and random my life has been so far travelling around the world since 1993, I’ve never regretted the path, in fact really I got what I wished for so you gotta embrace it. You know practice what you preach. But as Tony Allen said, don’t mistake my kindness for weakness.