LUCIANO
In the beginning, DJs were faceless human jukeboxes that played at the whim of their audience. When dance culture boomed DJs became superstars, and fame and ego replaced love of the music.
Luciano represents a third way: he is both a single-minded artist completely devoted to music, and a performer whose charisma is an intrinsic part of his global appeal. Luciano fuses art and fame like no other DJ. As a result the humble, Swiss-Chilean DJ, producer and boss of Cadenza Records is one of the biggest stars of the global electronic music scene.
Born in Switzerland and raised in Santiago, Luciano fell under the spell of Detroit heroes like Juan Atkins and Model 500. Determined to share his passion for techno, he spun records in clubs where disgruntled rock fans stubbed out cigarettes on his vinyl. Undaunted, the teenage DJ continued, gradually winning a loyal following and pushing dance music to new heights in Chile.
At 21 he was playing to thousands at Santiago’s Love Parade. His love of music had brought him fame. Most DJs would stop there but Luciano’s outstanding characteristic is his refusal to rest on his laurels. “In life always you have an easy way and a complex way,” he says. “The complex way has more rewards.”
Luciano left Chile at 21 and moved to Europe, determined to push himself to new heights. He gradually invaded the inner reaches of electronic culture, thanks in part to South American asso
Subsequently he released the acclaimed ‘Fabric 41’ mix for London superclub Fabric, and added his twist to the illustrious Radio 1 ‘Essential Mix’. Luciano has never sought easy fame or fortune, though. He is fanatically dedicated to innovation – both in the studio and in live performance. His discography includes releases on revered labels such as Perlon, Peacefrog, Poker Flat, M_nus and Cocoon but his greatest achievement is founding Cadenza Records and its digital offshoot Cadenza Lab.
In the course of a few short years Cadenza has taken its place as one of the most respected electronic labels on the planet, with robust and creative group of artists led by Luciano’s example. As a DJ he has performed at virtually every major club and festival in the world, blazing a trail of music from Ibiza to Berlin, Peru to Tokyo, via London, Frankfurt, Sao Paulo and all points in between.
Always striving to bring new excitement to electronic music, he debuted multi-media show ‘AEther Live’ in 2009 – a futuristic synchronization of sound and music. However, Luciano never loses sight of the simple pleasures of dance.
In 2009, when DC10 was shut for the summer, Luciano determined to bring back the underground spirit of Ibiza with a free party at a beach bar called Ushuaia. From a one-off event it exploded into the biggest party of the summer, packed with a mix of party people and industry elite yearning to experience the good vibes that made Ibiza famous. Summer 2010 will be Luciano’s biggest ever.
He returns to Ushuaia for a Sunday afternoon residency, from 2PM till Midnight. Then he takes over Sunday night at Pacha, Ibiza’s most famous club. Following the success of Ushauia in 2009 all Ibiza’s clubs were clamouring for Luciano and he chose Pacha as the perfect destination to express his musical vision. As a result, the most-talked about debut on the island is Cadenza Vagabundos – which holds court every Sunday from 6 June till 26 September at Pacha, Ibiza.
Once again, Luciano simply followed his passion for music and it led him to the pinnacle of success. But his loyalty is to his art and his fans. Not to the fickle charms of fame. “I don’t do music to be recognised,” Luciano says. “I do it because it’s necessary for me. My only ambition is to stay close to what I love.”