Blue Hour
DJ | Producer | Record Label Manager
There is golden hour and then there is blue hour. It’s the time of day similar to dawn, dusk and the three stages of twilight. It doesn’t have one definition, and its colour is neutral, not blue. Blue hour is an anomaly.
The same could be said for the sound of producer, DJ and record label owner Luke Standing aka Blue Hour. The Berlin-based artist blurs the lines between acid techno, old school rave, breakbeat, jungle and leftfield to create a mirage of hazy euphoria and much more into his DJ sets and productions.
Hailing from the UK, Luke has been immersed in electronic music since his teens. Sneaking into raves across Brighton and London as a teenager, it was here where he discovered the ferocious notes of hardcore, jungle, DnB and everything in between while soaking up a full bill of artists quintessential with this time; Metalheadz, Ed Rush & Optical, LTJ Bukem, Randall, Andy C and local talent who plied their crowds with defiant DnB all night. Having spent a large chunk of his youth at raves, it was inevitable that Luke started to use his brother’s belt drives, collect vinyl and mix from time to time. But it wasn’t until his student days in Bristol when DJing and promoting parties came into the 2007 equation. Producing under Furesshu, a few releases went out under this name, marking the beginning of Luke’s trajectory as a producer.
Like a can of Devils Bit warming up under the sun, Luke’s tape and record collection evolved in something more pungent over time. Techno crept in and trickled into his productions and alias as Blue Hour which Luke began to produce and play under back in 2013, coinciding with the launch of the Blue Hour label.
Releases from Dold, Alpha Tracks and a duo side project as Tracing Xircles followed suit, plus remixes from Hector Oaks, Pangaea, Steffi and an upcoming collaboration with Norwegian trance collective UTE is due out next month. Bookings at KHIDI, Tresor, Säule and more across Europe, Asia and North America were the norm until the pandemic arrived and put a stop to most of Luke’s touring schedule but hasn't had quite the same effect on his production plans.
Going back to a balmy moment from Fusion Festival two years ago, Luke recalls it in more detail below, and also shares how his day-to-day life hasn’t hugely changed at the moment…
Where was this photo taken and why did you choose it? What was the music vibe at the time?
This photo was taken at Fusion Festival 2018 as I was leaving - I was booked to play a UK Hardcore/Jungle/Rave set, this was a unique opportunity to express myself with music that inspired me in my late teens, since then it became more refined but was always quite detached from how I usually approached my gigs.
The show marked a bit of a turning point (along with low key Berlin gigs as Tracing Xircles) where I started being more open to playing a wider range of music and bring forward my personality, roots and influences more instead. Rather than being purest about specific styles of Techno which didn’t really feel natural to me as I like many forms of dance music.
How have you been over the last few months and what's life currently like in Berlin?
Things have been ok and I feel very fortunate for this. I’m adapting a bit so things are manageable just about but it’s a very different year to what was originally planned with the busy schedule my agent and I arranged. I’m not alone there though, that goes for everyone in different ways. I was actually “stuck” in the UK for a bit after my Asia/Australia tour in January/Februay so I’m only just settling back at home really as I got back here at the beginning of June.
I’m generally not someone who feels the need to be going to all the new spots and being highly social constantly so things feel pretty similar to my usual day to day, but being more aware of taking care, wearing masks being the latest trend and of course no parties.
You’ve been releasing music throughout the pandemic and taken care of releases over on the Blue Hour label. What has kept you creatively motivated despite the upheaval of the year so far?
Pandemic or not, this is likely what I would be doing anyway so there seems no reason to slow down or put things on pause. If anything it has let me focus more and get involved with interesting projects, be more open to opportunities and support good causes for change.
What about your own connection to music when it comes to enjoying and listening to certain sounds in your day-to-day life - has it wavered at all since the majority of clubs closed earlier this year or are you feeling the love for electronic music now more than ever?
Again, it’s more or less the same. I notice that other labels are maybe a bit less active with solo records and albums, probably they are unsure how to move right now and would like the releases to translate into bookings which is obviously not possible mostly. My love for music hasn’t really changed, even if something is peak club music I can appreciate the result even without hearing it in the club context.
Like usual I’m focused on my own output, label activity and my search for new music continues as there are always podcast requests. I’d really like to see the clubs open again once safe or we adapt and find a way to still have spaces open with respectful guests who understand and respect the safety guidelines. Nightlife venues are a vital and important part in the chain of underground music and the gateway for how I got into this, we need it to support our culture.
At this moment in time, how do you feel about the future?
Things are uncertain. Patience is needed. We will get through this though and whatever is lost in this period will be a chance to rebuild and that can lead to some really positive things happening. I’m cautiously optimistic. 😊
What has been a constant source of comfort for you throughout this time?
I think continuing to keep busy writing and working on the label has helped me feel connected still but getting out for walks in nature and enjoying the good weather has made coping with the pandemic much easier. The biggest challenge is still to come, getting through the winter period but let’s not forget that it will pass and hopefully better times await us.
Listen to Blue Hour’s latest mix for POSSESSION here and follow him below: