Before his performance at Tomorrowland Belgium, we sat down with Laidback Luke, one of the most respected and beloved DJs and producers on the global scene. In this exclusive interview, Luke shares his favorite Tomorrowland memories, the return of his “Super You & Me” concept as special b2b2b2b2b on the Planaxis stage with artists friends, his approach to balancing family life and touring, how music discovery has evolved in the age of social media, and his thoughts on the growing role of AI in musical creativity.
Born Lucas Cornelis van Scheppingen, is a Dutch DJ and music producer. He appeared in DJ Mag’s renowned Top 100 DJs ranking for nine consecutive years, achieving his highest position at number 17 in 2010.
Matteo: Hello everyone, Matteo from AID here at Tomorrowland Belgium with Laidback Luke. So happy to see you again — we already met in Miami and now here we are chatting.
I love your outfit!
Laidback Luke: Gotta be a superhero today!
Matteo: Exactly — because today is a special set! You’re presenting your “Super You & Me” concept at the Plonaxis stage, right after your solo performance.
You’re one of the most loved and frequently booked artists here over the years. You’ve seen the festival grow and evolve. What are your best memories, and how do you feel about being at Tomorrowland today?
Laidback Luke: Well, the memories… I was actually here from the very beginning — I played the second edition of Tomorrowland.
Being Dutch, we were always familiar with Mysteryland, which is kind of the mother festival of Tomorrowland. At first, I thought it was cute that Belgium had its own little new festival. But over the years, thanks to the incredible quality and creativity, Tomorrowland just kept growing and getting better.
I remember playing the main stage and thinking, “This is amazing!” Then came Super You & Me, where I got to host my own lineup and everyone was dressed like superheroes — it was great.
For the past three years, I opened the main stage with my Wayback Luke daybreak sets. But this year it was time for a switch — and now we’ve brought back Super You & Me in version 2.0. We’re leveling it up!
Matteo: Let’s focus for a moment on your name — “Laidback” suggests a calm and relaxed character. You’re also a family man. What are your personal habits or secrets for maintaining balance amid the demanding pace of touring and releasing music? What’s your “laidback” secret?
Laidback Luke: I love this question. You actually said it yourself: it’s all about balance.
To be honest, I’ve always struggled with balancing family life and the DJ life — it’s the hardest thing in the world. But it’s essential to invest time equally in both.
My wife is probably watching this right now and thinking, “Equal time?” — because I’m actually a bit of a workaholic! What helps me personally is sticking to routines. Even when I’m on tour, I try to follow the same habits. It reduces stress and keeps me grounded.
Matteo: You’ve discovered so many artists — one of my favorites is Avicii. You also paid tribute to him through your forum. How do you see music discovery changing nowadays, especially with how fast and short the public’s attention span has become?
Laidback Luke: It’s a really interesting shift. Nowadays, we all have to deal with the beast that is social media. Personally, I’ve come to embrace it — I see it for what it is. We’ve seen how young talent can go viral overnight. But the real challenge is longevity. I’ve been in this industry for decades, and the real question is: after you get discovered, how do you sustain it?
That’s something many artists struggle with today. You’re expected to be a producer, a DJ, and a full-time content creator.
Most of your time isn’t spent on music anymore — it’s on making social media content. My advice is to embrace that. Understand that it’s part of your artistic journey and your promotion. But above all — keep enjoying making music. That’s what matters.
Matteo: Speaking of tools, let’s talk about AI. You’re one of the technical goats — you’ve shared and you share masterclasses and tips for years through your channels?
What do you think about the impact of AI on creativity, especially for young producers who are just starting out?
Laidback Luke: AI is here. It’s going to keep growing and improving. I see AI as a tool. It can handle the boring, repetitive stuff we don’t want to do. But then the question becomes: what’s left for humans if AI does all that?
Well — AI can’t do this. (hang out Matteo’s hand)
The human touch. Talking, laughing, connecting. Coming together as a community. That’s what AI can’t replicate — at least not for now.
If AI can make the music and play the sets, what’s left is the soul. The inspiration. The fun. It’s important to keep people creative, to keep inspiring others. AI is just a tool — the heart has to come from us.
Matteo: Thank you so much for your time, Luke. We’ll see you later at your Superheroes set!
Laidback Luke: Yes sir! Thank you. Bye-bye!
[Thanks to Laidback Luke and Tomorrowland teams for the opportunity!]
30y passionate guy about music, social media, digital marketing and infographics!
I founded youBEAT in 2012 as manifesto of my passion for electronic music, with the aim of promoting artists and events.
Graduated in Media Languages at UCSC in Milan (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore) with a thesis on the revolution of daily life with the streaming in entertainment and information.
Everyday more passionate and keen about data, tools and music insights and their connection in this everyday faster social connected world.
From 2017-2023 A&R, Marketing and International Manager at EGO Music (www.egomusic.net).
In 2024 I founded MAVIL, my artists&labels mgmt and promotion solo company!