INTERVIEW: Luen
Luen is the music industry ‘It Girl’ we all need in our lives…
DJ, producer, writer, radio host, artist, teacher, feminist and horticulturalist: Luen wears many different hats in her day to day life. She has made quick work of gaining a following both locally and abroad, and her original productions are the product of her long-standing time spent working in the industry. Whether you’ve listened to her on Triple J, FBi Radio, Sloothboogie, NTS, Hope St Radio, Skylab, ear to ear, or Beats Of No Nation, her varied and eclectic taste in music comes across in spades. Luen is the one to reach for if you need a new soundtrack for your ride to work. Or your next gym workout. Or your late-night sessions with friends (with no more than five guests of course). Or a mix to show that new person you’re dating so they think you’re really cool and unique and have great taste. All in all, no matter what your sonic palette prefers, Luen has a dish for you.
SLOWING THINGS DOWN
For an artist always showcasing a steady output of high-energy, fast-paced content, her current repertoire is within a completely different realm of existence. Counteracting the hustle and bustle of life as a DJ on the road, Luen is currently maintaining a constant state of equilibrium with a wholesome outdoor lifestyle: ‘I’m volunteering on an off-grid organic permaculture farm in northern NSW. I was living in Sydney till recently, but with no DJ work due to Covid-19 there was nothing to keep me in the city’.
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Anyone who follows Luen on Instagram knows the kind of daily activities she's currently keeping herself busy with is a far cry from life in the city. 'I get up at sunrise, walk my puppy, and start work on the farm. I'm mostly planting seeds in the nursery and direct seeding the vegetable beds, and I use books and the internet to find out what is coming into season and plant that way, ' she explains. 'I also feed the chickens and alpacas.'
It all might sound like a lifestyle plucked right out of the 2007 film Into The Wild, but you can rest assured music is still a massive driving force in her life. And after her excellent 2019 Solar Bounce EP, you can expect a strong follow-up of releases: 'I brought a synth and some monitors to the farm and run these off solar in the tent I live in. I'm working on about 6 songs right now with 2 of them close to completion. Mostly I'm mixing and perfecting the little things, though I do start new songs once a week or so.'
Working with an abundance of stimulus to get her creative juices flowing, Luen credits a lack of restrictions (in a society seemingly overflowing with restrictions) to her current motivation. ‘I’ve been working on music so much! The extensive amounts of time we have now puts less pressure on actually finishing things I think. I just play with songs for ages because there’s no sense of time anymore.’
A ROLE MODEL FOR THE PEOPLE
Luen hosting a DJ Workshop class at The Gasometer
Whether you discovered Luen through her productions or her various other collaborative pursuits, many young creatives seemed to have stumbled upon her via her DJ workshops for women. She has taken these classes around Australia, and even offers one-on-one lessons which regularly sell out months in advance.
In an effort to minimise the gender gap within the music industry, the intimate classes hosted by Luen teach the basics of DJing, most recently taking over Melbourne’s The Gasometer. ‘I wanted to demystify djing and make it more accessible, especially to female-identifying people who are such a minority in DJing.’ Discussing the most rewarding part of the whole initiative, Luen explains ‘I’ve been seeing these women get DJ sets and start their careers. I’ve taught around 1000 female-identifying people to DJ now, and the emails about ‘first DJ gigs’ and ‘first mixes’ keep coming. They make me really happy and so proud!’. With plenty of experience up her sleeve, and an unending desire to spread the gift of music, we couldn’t help but ask her for a few tips on how to get started as a DJ:
1. Start collecting lots of music and categorising it. It doesn’t matter how you categorise as long as you understand your method.
2. Once you have plenty of music, buy a cheap all-in-one controller and start making live mixes within these moods. Use YouTube to teach yourself to DJ. Make a SoundCloud and upload the mixes, you can always take them down later and reupload better ones as you get more competent.
3. If we weren’t in isolation, I’d also recommend attending as many of the parties you would like to someday play. Become a member of the scene by supporting those already in it!
*Take note people, Luen knows her shit.
A BIG DEBUT
Dropping her self-titled and independently released debut EP late last year, she certainly made waves, despite unwanted input from her significant other. ‘My husband told me the songs could be better, but he’s much pickier than I am. If he had been more like my friends who all told me the songs were ‘great’ then my EP would have sounded much rougher. I learned a lot about EQing in the last month of producing that EP’.
Reflecting the dreamy surroundings she currently finds herself in daily, the video for ‘Obsessed With Cars’ paints a soft and luscious background for a track so heavy and laden with such grit. Featuring tightly woven percussion, and widespread samples, the 128bpm belter perfectly encapsulates the vibe of the entire EP, with the music video acting as a beautiful paradox.
Speaking of her creative process:‘I make drums in Ableton and then use synths for my main melodies. I also have a little field mic I use to record sounds in nature and traffic lights/ kitchen sounds etc, and then a vocal mic which I like to whistle into.’
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BEATS OF NO NATION
Growing up in Brisbane, Luen relocated to Sydney but not without maintaining the links she cultivated in her hometown. She is one-third of Brisbane's Beats Of No Nation label and radio show, offering a tri-weekly mix which often leans on the electro, techier side of the label's output. It's a project created by her co-hosts Dom Bird and Jad & The. 'I used to throw parties in Brisbane as a teenager, and Dom and Jad used to be in a band called 'Mitzi' who played at one of my events', she remembers. 'We all stayed friends, and eventually, they asked me to make an international women's day mix for Beats Of No Nation 3 years ago. This was my introduction to the podcast, and I've been presenting every 3rd episode since then.'
A dedicated giver of all things good music, she describes her favourite episode of Beats Of No Nation as the one she put the most effort into, ‘My South American music episode was really fun. I made it in the Amazon in Peru and it was really fun to research. I got song suggestions from cab drivers, local DJs and shop owners during the 4-month trip and compiled them together at the end.’
If you’re keen to soundtrack your day in a similar way to Luen, her listening repertoire certainly covers a variety of artists, both from Australia and abroad: ‘At the moment I’m listening to Andy Rantzen, Margaret Dygas, Luca Piermette, Ø, Fantastic Twins, Alien Records, Ewan Jansen, Justin Zerbst, Karen Gwyer. At the moment I’m really loving fast minimal music .’
WORDS TO LIVE BY
Always an advocate for the progression of women, Luen is driven to show people the pathway to a more diverse and inclusive music industry. From her DJ Workshops to her accomplishments as a multi-faceted artist, we’re beginning to see the gender divide within the industry lessening: ‘I think meeting up with other women in the music industry can really help give you perspective and support’.
With a multitude of factors and obstacles that can make the music industry seem like an extremely daunting place, Luen offers some advice that she lives by: ‘Always know that you have the right to be there. Remember that when people say things that are disrespectful, it is saying a lot more about who they are than who you are. And lastly, always be nice and respect others in the same way you would like to be respected.'
We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get some tips from Luen on how to cultivate a DIY veggie garden: ‘Seeds that you can plant in small places that I would recommend for this time of year are rocket, garlic chives, coriander, lettuce, kale, parsley, tatsoi -leafy stuff. To know when your plant needs to be watered stick your finger in the soil - if your finger comes out with wet soil don’t water, and if it comes out dry then you should water. And lastly, ensure your plants get lots of sun! 6 hours of direct sunlight is a good start, but more is good too.’
For more tips on gardening, or to discover new rave inspired electro beats, follow Luen on Facebook and Instagram. If not for the sick beats, then for photos of her beautiful dog, and an unending stream of girl-power inspiration.
Luen