Luciano has built a long-standing career across underground scenes and international stages, establishing himself as a key figure in electronic music through a sustained dedication to his craft.
Photo credit: Luciano – Official
The Swiss-Chilean artist now returns to Miami Music Week with a renewed focus on both sound and visual expression, balancing his time between studio work and performances across the city.
Alongside his DJ sets, Luciano is presenting his ‘Micro Worlds In Glass and Light’ exhibition while continuing to develop his live concept ALIVE and explore new production techniques using Dolby Atmos.
In this conversation, Luciano opens up about creativity, performance, and the ideas shaping his current projects.
Electronic Groove: Hi Luciano, it’s been almost 10 years since we last spoke ahead of Miami Music Week 2017. It’s great to have you back. How does Miami Music Week feel this year compared to previous years?
Luciano: It feels different! Back in the day, we were exploring and bringing a new sound to the city. Now that sound is everywhere, across all platforms and clubs, so it feels really present. I love Miami. It’s a city I’ve embraced since 2000, and it always feels great to be here. It’s a place to connect, full of great people, great clubs and an incredible musical culture. There’s a strong cultural heritage there, a city that is alive.
EG: Miami Music Week is a busy one with multiple shows happening across the city. How do you balance performing with finding moments of creativity?
Luciano: For me, performing is part of the job; it’s what allows me to do what I really love, which is composing and mixing music. Without the concerts, the travel, the connection with people, none of that would exist. I love the link between these two worlds. One world is isolated, quiet and more intellectual. The other is completely social and more interactive. Each one allows the other to exist, and it’s a nice balance, actually. I also always try to stay respectful and grateful. At the end of the day, everything is possible because there are people in front of me. That’s what allows me to live, to create and to support my family. So I always try to give my best.
EG: Where will you be playing during this edition of Miami Music Week?
Luciano: I’m playing with Miguelle & Tonnes at Surfcomber on the 25th, and I’ll also be at The National Hotel and Factory Town on the 28th. I have a few gigs here and there, and I’m always excited to play in different places. Aside from this, we’re doing an exhibition of photos that I’ve been working on, which I’m really excited about, at Casa Mia.
EG: The exhibition is called ‘Micro Worlds In Glass and Light’, and it sounds really cool – what can people expect?
Luciano: At Cadenza, we always felt a connection between the music and this kind of micro, organic world. DNA, textures, energy. That’s where the visual identity originally came from in our release covers. Over time, I developed a passion for images. I wasn’t very good at graphic design, but I discovered macro photography while diving. I started taking close-up pictures underwater and realised I was actually quite good at it! Then I finally took it out of the water, shooting details of objects and textures.
It was just for pleasure at first, but my team pushed me and said, “We have to use this, it’s really good!” That helped push me forward to the point we’re I’m fully into it, creating an exhibition around it. I’m already working on the next one, going even further into what’s called “super macro.” I’m using specialised lenses and shooting extreme close-ups of insects; it’s like science, and the results are even more fascinating. For me, it’s all art. Whether it’s music or images, it’s about generating feelings and emotion, exploring something deeper.
“I love Miami. It’s a city I’ve embraced since 2000, and it always feels great to be here”
EG: You’ll be playing mostly outdoor and daytime events across the week. Why do you prefer that setting?
Luciano: I always try to play daytime, outdoor sets if I can. I believe the music sounds better in the daylight, when there’s light, and you can see people’s faces. The energy is different. People behave differently in the day; it’s more open, more positive. At night, it’s another atmosphere. For me, daytime is more “me.” If I go out to dance, I would choose a daytime setting. Something more colourful, more percussive, more joyful. That’s how I like music to feel.
EG: You premiered your new live show ALIVE in Miami last year. How did it go, and what’s next for the project?
Luciano: Honestly, it was a mixture of emotions. From our side, everything was perfect; we delivered exactly what we promised. The music, the team, the technical side. It was all 10 out of 10, and I was truly grateful. But there were issues with the venue permissions, which meant they opened late, so a few thousand people couldn’t get in on time. We also had some technical limitations, missing elements that create the full visual experience. So it was this mix of excitement and frustration, but it’s left us even more determined for the next shows. ALIVE is already confirmed this year in Italy, ADE and more, so we’ll present the full experience properly, the way it’s meant to be. When everything is in place, it’s a really beautiful and powerful project. The team behind it is fantastic.
EG: We saw your new Dolby Atmos studio is finished, congratulations. How are you settling in, and how is having a new creative space influencing your workflow?
Luciano: Right now, I’m almost becoming more of a sound engineer. I’m taking my music catalogue and stripping it into 14 speakers, it’s incredible! It gives me the same feeling I had when I first discovered a drum machine. That excitement of discovering something new, I feel like I’m 20 or 30 years younger again. It’s the future, 100%. You’re no longer just hearing music; you’re inside it. Sounds shower from here, they come from there, it’s everywhere, and you’re floating within it. Dolby Atmos is a completely different experience. I call it the tunnel. Once you enter that tunnel, you can never get out!
“Whether it’s music or images, it’s about generating feelings and emotion, exploring something deeper”
EG: Are there any artists or tracks standing out to you right now?
Luciano: There’s so much music out there right now, it’s almost too much to keep on top of! I can receive 1,000 tracks a week and then another 1,000 the next week. It’s incredible, but I’m really impressed. There are many young artists making amazing music, people I haven’t even met yet. The level is very high. One artist who really impressed me in recent years is Holchin. He’s reached a unique, organic sound that I really like, and nobody else has it.
EG: Is there anything upcoming you’re particularly excited about?
Luciano: I’ve been working on a project with the explorer Mike Horn. I recorded an album, about 80 minutes, featuring sounds I recorded during an expedition to the Arctic, layered with an orchestra. And it’s all done in Atmos. It’s more ambient, like a trip, something you really have to experience. That’s something I’m very excited about.
Luciano is set to perform at Surfcomber, The National Hotel, and Factory Town during Miami Music Week. Grab your tickets here.
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