LUXE RELEASES FINAL SINGLE OF HER ‘TIDES’ SERIES: ‘AETHER’
London-based producer, composer and DJ LUXE has embarked on the next chapter of her artistic journey, kicking off a trilogy of singles, entitled ‘tides’, that signals her deepening foray into the world of hybrid-composition, where club sensibilities continue to blur with modern classical instrumentation. With these releases and her new live show, she continues to make a name for herself as a purveyor of thoughtfully multifaceted music that finds life on and beyond the dancefloor.
Following the first two instalments ‘rites‘ and ‘solstice,’ the closing chapter ‘aether’ features two tracks, ‘orbit’ and ‘charmed,’ which incorporate her approach as a multi-instrumentalist into the thrill of her club productions. This final chapter leans more into the trippy dance music LUXE is known for, building upon her distinctive sonic narrative that draws influence from nature and focuses on a captivating musical journey while keeping the excitement of her dance material. With her debut album in the works and live sets that delve deeper into ambient and electro-acoustic influences, LUXE continues to push boundaries and carve out a singular and unique path in the world of electronic music.
This continued pull toward traditional instrumentation is by no means purely aesthetic, but a genuine exploration of themes that have captivated LUXE since childhood: a deep-rooted nostalgia for natural spaces, the lived-in past lives of ancient woodland or coastal walks, the energies of lives, lived and gone. Through use of harp, flute and string instruments and her own vocals, a tangible connection to the folk traditions of these spaces is forged, grasping at an unknown past.
This spring/summer has seen the debut of a full live show ‘Reverie,’ perhaps the most complete form of LUXE’s creative world-building. Showcasing this fresh approach into the classical, ambient and electro-acoustic influences that are being explored on the trilogy, welcoming talented musicians into the fray, and being to build a platform for these talented individuals to present their deep understanding of their instruments. She has presented this live show in London at Plantroom and Saatchi Yates, and as support on Jon Hopkins’ UK dates last summer, as well as festival premiere at Draaimolen while continuing with the club appearances for special DJ sets, for instance, a busy schedule at ADE this year. LUXE is also working on scoring work for directors and producers. Having worked on fashion campaigns and larger feature films, this avenue allows her to explore sound outside of the remits of the music world, and work on building narratives throughout her sonic explorations.
We sat down with LUXE for a Q&A and tackled questions about the inspiration, creative process, and mystical themes behind the ‘Tides’ trilogy.
Congratulations on your ‘Tides’ trilogy! What inspired your shift towards hybrid composition and traditional instrumentation in this body of work?
Thank you! With ‘Tides,’ I wanted to explore the notion of time and how music can carry the essence of our past, present, and future, while leaning into my affinity with nature, spirituality, and the divine feminine. The shift towards hybrid composition felt natural because it allowed me to merge my electronic roots with organic, traditional instruments like the harp, flute, strings, and my own vocals. Writing in this way feels natural and allows me to capture that fluid sense of time – how everything is interconnected and constantly shifting, much like tides themselves.
You draw inspiration from nature and the mystical. Can you elaborate on your interest in these concepts and how they influence your music?
I’ve always been fascinated by how the past influences the present and how we project into the future. For me, music is a way to tap into that—not just capturing physical landscapes but emotional ones, where these time-based currents flow beneath the surface. Since I was a child, I’ve always felt deeply connected to the energies of spaces and the stories they hold. The history, the feeling of legacy, the weight of time, and spirits that touch the outer edges of our consciousness. I guess I felt drawn to explore what energies and stories are intertwined with natural spaces and places that I love, that exist within my memory or imagination. I’ve always asked myself these questions, but with this release, I was able to make them feel tangible through my writing.
Can you describe the creative process behind the first single ‘Rites’ and its lead track ‘Green Golden’?
‘Rites’ is very much about tapping into a feeling of reverence, being connected to our ancestors, traditions, and cycles that have shaped us. I wanted it to feel epic and ancient, like we are stepping into a mystical version of ourselves from over a millennium ago. With ‘Green Golden,’ I wanted to evoke the feeling of entering a sacred space; there’s a yearning in the melody, a sense of bittersweet. That came first, with its rather chant-like lyrics and line, and I wrote instrumentation around it so it could be performed entirely acoustically, then intertwined the electronics around it.
And how about ‘Solstice’, the second chapter of the trilogy?
‘Solstice’ is about the present; the moment of pause between the light and dark, where time seems to stand still. I wanted to capture that tension musically, with moments of electronic intensity balanced out with more introspective sections led by classical instrumentation – the feeling of being suspended in the moment, aware of both where we’ve been and where we’re heading – leaning into the notion that the present moment is both fleeting and everlasting.
With ‘Aether’ being the final instalment of ‘Tides,’ how does it represent the culmination of your musical journey so far?
‘Aether’ looks towards the future; it’s about what lies beyond the physical world, touching on the ethereal and the unknown. This chapter is the culmination of my exploration of time throughout the trilogy, and it feels right to end further into the club end of the spectrum. While ‘Rites’ was rooted in the past and ‘Solstice’ grounded in the present, ‘Aether’ feels like a step into the vast, open future. For me, it feels expansive—a personal statement of growth and evolution, especially as it’s more club-focused but in this hybrid context, which feels like the most authentic expression of club music for me to date.
What was it like debuting your full live show ‘Reverie’ and how does it reflect your evolution as an artist?
It was probably the most special, emotional, and present performance of my life to date. Everything was curated down to the finest details, and it felt like the biggest privilege to create a world and bring it from my head into reality, collaborating with some wonderful creatives and artists to help us get there—not to mention my ensemble of players on stage with me. ‘Reverie’ is an immersive show and an exploration of time for me as an artist. It's an artistic representation of my journey and everything that’s shaped me, including hints of where I see things going. I’m so excited for what’s to come and where I can take this experience.
As both a DJ and a composer, how do you balance the excitement of club performances with the intricate detail of your compositions, blending classical elements like harp and flute with club-forward beats?
That’s a big question! Overall, my aim is to try to make the listener feel as though these different elements are dancing together, not just existing together or laying on top of one another—like making a synth sound alive like an instrument or making a flute sound synthetic and part of the electronic texture. For me, it’s largely about balance, finding symbiosis between the two. I think bringing these worlds together can be such a powerful tool to embody visceral emotional responses from the audience and the performer, and I hope that I can continue to marry this not only through the music but by intertwining different demographics and audiences from different scenes under one roof as well.
Looking ahead, what can we expect from your upcoming performances at Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) and your debut album?
ADE was a busy one this year! I spoke as the mentor of the ADE Labs performing artist course, played a solo live show, and did five DJ gigs. I’m so excited to enter a period of studio time and writing for my debut album. I feel ready to embark on the journey of translating what’s in my head into a body of work, and I would say that themes from the ‘Tides’ trilogy will feel familiar within my LP. There will be a continuation of leaning into all things hybrid, neoclassical, and experimental electronic, with flourishes of club euphoria.
photography CALLUM INSKIP
creative direction SASHA HANDLEY