Who is this Luis Ake guy? Does anyone know? Does he even know himself? And does it even matter at all? Is it not already fully satisfactory to fall under the spell of this mysterious man and his melodic dream world? A world he creates somewhere between bass and falsetto, with pathos and no fear of being vulnerable, of expressing new forms of masculinity, whatever they may be.
A world where major feels are absolutely fine, where the inner world is welcome to crawl towards the sun and show itself. Or is all of this possibly not true at all? Or perhaps even – completely irrelevant?
Ever since Ake’s 2019 debut “Bitte Lass Mich Frei” recalibrated what German pop music could be, nothing has been the same. He moves through the imagined boundaries between genres, crossing them and connecting the unexpected as if it was an easy thing to do. When Ake sings, it sounds strangely familiar, but at the same time outrageously new and futuristic. Synth Pop and Dark Wave meet Italo Disco and NDW, Pet Shop Boys dance with Enigma, German working class legend Herbert Grönemeyer shakes hands with OMD, and H. P. Baxxter towers above it all and fires up a trance storm.
One thing is certain: with this guy, you are not ever in danger of possibly getting bored. There is no method, no approach, no avenue Ake uses twice. It is rather part of the DNA of this idea of Luis Ake, this creation of his likeness to challenge himself again and again, to create himself anew, to leave the boundaries of one’s own imagination. Luis Ake is not an artist; Luis Ake is an ongoing and always re-emerging new work of art. A slick cis man who seems almost like a caricature of toxic masculinity yet shattering this very caricature into pieces again and again.
What is your favourite song to perform live?
I guess “Sommer”. It’s just so trancy and uplifting. Already when we recorded the song, we imagined how it will be when its performed live. People just go wild, its crazy. Also, the lyrics are easy to pick up on the go, so in terms of audience participation there is no other song close to that!
You give off an air of intrigue as an artist, what would you say about your music is rebellious, unconventional, or unusual?
I just find it pretty boring the way artists treat their musical carers nowadays. It’s no fun recreating the same sound over and over. If you want to develop as a person, so should your music (and your performance). Thats why I try to make everything I do unlike the thing I did before. Not to be rebellious, but to safe myself from getting a boring old fart. I guess people find that unusual.
You’ve just released your new album LIEBE can you give us a short summary of what it means to you?
The whole album is an exploration of every part of what romantic love is. Not just happiness, not just break ups, but every stage of that “circle” covered. In itself that was a huge challenge. I wanted to dig deeper into the different stages I would write a song and understand how that interconnect with the next song I do.
Are there anymore music videos the horizon for LIEBE?
No, but there is still a lot of stuff to come. For example, the machine I built. It’s a machine that can answer questions about love. Every song plays a dedicated role in its complex pata-physical mechanism. It’s the album basically, but just in a physical form.
Or perhaps a tour? Where/when can our readers next see you play live?
I’m playing a few shows here and there. Vienna, Berlin, Kiew. Stuff like that. We are planning a bigger tour for spring. Until then Im sure I will pass by your area!!
Do you have any advice for would-be artists or songwriters wanting to follow in your footsteps?
Do what you like, what you enjoy but also stuff that challenges you, that forces you to overcome your fears. Stuff that where people would say: Nah, thats too much man haha
If you could be a superhero, what would your superpower be and your superhero name?
I would love to be able to repair cars. I’m ok at it, but it could be better. Engine-man?
What would you consider the greatest invention has been?
My Porsche.
If you had to describe yourself as a flavour, what would it be?
Walnut.
If you were captain of a ship, what would you call it?
Ship of Engine-Man.
Finally, if we were all going to a picnic together what would you bring as your speciality dish?
That’s really hard. Everything being said, I’d bring some Walnuts.