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Laidback Luke

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Dutch producer and DJ who helped define the big-room electro house sound of the late 2000s — a technical mixer with a long-running mentorship streak.

Laidback Luke, born Lucas van Scheppingen, was born in Manila to a Dutch father and Filipino mother before the family relocated to Hoofddorp, Netherlands. As a teenager he was drawn to graffiti, martial arts and electronic music, and a friend's Amiga computer introduced him to sampling, pushing him toward production.

He began releasing music in 1992, with Dutch producer Gaston Steenkist mentoring him and helping him land his first record deal at 18. His debut album, Psyched Up, came out in 1998, followed by Electronic Satisfaction in 2002 and the mix album Windmill Skill in 2003, the same year he contributed a remix to Daft Punk's Daft Club.

By the late 2000s he had become a central figure in electro house and bloghouse, rising from number 46 to number 27 on DJ Mag's Top 100 DJs poll between 2008 and 2009. His 2009 rework of "Show Me Love" with Steve Angello reached number 11 on the UK singles chart, part of a run of collaborations with Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso and Axwell before the trio formed Swedish House Mafia.

Among DJs he is known for an unusually hands-on approach to mixing, favouring quick cuts and layering over long blends, and for the time he spends teaching, mentoring younger producers through online forums, feedback sessions and masterclasses. He also has a long-standing background in martial arts.

He founded Mixmash Records and has remixed recordings by Madonna, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, Daft Punk and Depeche Mode.

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