Laidback Luke

From his origins in the house and techno underground to his current more eclectic style, Laidback Luke has always been a leading light in music of the present day as well as the future. The Dutch hero continues to enjoy a hugely varied and consistently noteworthy career in the game. With a reputation as a serious talent scout and for being one of the nicest guys around, he has built himself a mightily impressive musical empire that has touched the highest reaches of the music industry.

Within his first year of producing music in the mid-'90s, he was remixing dance legends like Green Velvet and Moodymann and having his tracks licensed by Carl Cox for his compilations, laying down the base as an artist to watch. A prolific output saw him conquer the underground and by 2003 he was remixing the likes of Daft Punk. As the noughties progressed, he laid the foundations for the distinctive Dutch house sound that would provide one of the building blocks of the EDM sound and help bridge the gap between dance and pop / urban music.

With chart crossover hits and remixes for the likes of Mariah Carey, Robin Thicke, Madonna and Nicki Minaj plus three albums under his belt — not to mention hundreds of dancefloor hits — he is a hugely accomplished producer. In November 2015, he released his eclectic third album 'Focus,' which proved him once again to be an artist with wide ambitions and a very skillful spectrum of styles, while his steady run of singles continues to keep him at the forefront of dance floors across the world.

His scouting skills have served up an impressive array of big hitters on their way up including Avicii, A-Trak, Bingo Players, Knife Party, Afrojack and Steve Angello among others, all while pushing the commitment to discover and support new talent which is at the heart of what he's all about. He has emulated that role in his capacity as founder and A&R of his own Mixmash Records, renowned for presenting music trends of the past, present and future.

His wealth of experience and ear for talent have seen him undertake the role of a mentor for the dance scene, while his dedication to personally replying to every tweet he receives confirms how much he values his huge, loyal fanbase.

As a DJ, he's a continual fixture on all the biggest dance stages in the world, with regular dates at the clubs and festivals like Sensation India, Ultra Music Festival, Tomorrowland Brasil, Cream Ibiza, Ministry of Sound, Daylight in Las Vegas and Creamfields to name just a few. His Super You&Me club nights gave early bookings to the likes of Skrillex, Snake, Dada Life, Zedd, Diplo, Hardwell. Avicii even made his worldwide DJ debut on one of the infamous Miami editions of this all-inclusive event, again establishing his track record of supporting big names ahead of the curve. His events continue to swell in size with regular parties in Miami, Ibiza and beyond.

Recent times have seen him continue his dancefloor domination by producing a slew of killer tracks with both the world's biggest names and newcomers alike, including Afrojack, KURA, Will Sparks, twoloud, Mike Cervello, GTA and Aruna. His commitment to discovering and nurturing new talent is key to his ethos, with his reputation as a mentor proceeding him. For him, it's only natural to share his wisdom and support in the same way his peers did when he was coming up.

His popular weekly vlog 'The Real World: DJ Edition' gives an insight into his intense life and maintains a direct connection with fans, while his healthy lifestyle sees him extol the virtues of tai chi, yoga, healthy food and his beloved kung-fu (in which he's participating in the World Championship in Hong Kong) over hedonism and excessive partying. On top of it all he is also a regular contributor to Billboard where he spills his thoughts and wisdom on the scene in his acclaimed column. All this combined makes him a truly unique and inspirational figure in the dance music industry, and one who will contain to play a vital part in it for years to come.

With residencies at Light and Wynn in Las Vegas, a stack of new releases and his fourth album soon to come, things are only going to get bigger and brighter for this true legend.