The Opener: Luca Eck is an international workaholic

The Opener is The FADER’s short-form profile series of casual conversations with exciting new artists.

Luca Eck doesn’t mind working behind the scenes. The Berlin 24-year-old plays a number of roles (DJ, producer, booker, party promoter) that require baseline humility, a willingness to put others’ desires before your own. And they seem to enjoy semi-anonymity, not so famous as to suffer the ills of celebrity, just known enough to have the occasional fan from Barcelona to Buenos Aires run up and say how much they love Eck’s music.

Still, an appreciation for the shadows shouldn’t be mistaken for an aversion to the spotlight. Eck’s production for others is frequently poppy and rave-ready, but their solo work is distinctly stranger and more ominous: on last year’s FLESH EP, you get the sense Eck is tired of EDM that’s too clean, too obvious. Even if collaborators like Six Sex and Miss Bashful are lyrically sex-forward and readily marketable, Eck never defaults to the lowest common denominator, imbuing hands-up bangers with a touch of the unusual.

I’m especially keen on Eck’s production work alongside RADA, Cannelle, Endevour, and Warpstr on last summer’s “Hypnotic,” which Cannelle told me was recorded in a spur-of-the-moment session after a show in Berlin. Eck’s also been working on a new collaborative EP with Miss Bashful, Glamour Snobby, due out May 1. The first single from that project just dropped last week: check out the video for “HUNKA HUNKA” above.

The FADER caught up with Luca Eck to chat about the Six Sex lyrics everyone gets wrong, some incredibly questionable advice, and finally working with the iconic artist behind the first album they bought as a child.

Best advice you’ve gotten.
Do undeniably cool shit and opportunities will come to you.

Worst advice you’ve gotten.
Jump of a cliff with your arms spread out like wings they said. It will be fun they said.

Describe the best concert you’ve attended.
Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN. tour with James Blake as support at the Uber Arena in Berlin. I was a huge fan of both at the time, and seeing them on the same bill was beautiful. Kendrick had a whole live band on the side of the stage playing all the instrumentals. The cherry on top was when security opened up the barricade between regular standing and the front-row pit. I spent half the concert in the absolute front row of a 20,000-cap venue. The energy was unmatched.

What’s the ideal level of fame and why?
The range between 10k to 250k followers gives you a lot of the advantages while still letting you retain some privacy and a normal-ish life. Personally, I really enjoy being a producer/DJ who works in tandem with other artists. I get to work with people I admire and play amazing venues and festivals, but I'm still in control of how much I want to be in the spotlight. Also, having an international fanbase rather than a super concentrated local one is very chill - you get the occasional selfie request on the street, but you can still walk around with a degree of anonymity in most places.

What’s the coolest thing to do in your hometown?
Luca Eck: Going clubbing would be the obvious answer, but I think I love Berlin the most on a summer day sitting in a park or by the canal with my friends and drinking a cool beer or white wine.

What was the last movie you watched, and give a short review.
Takashi Miike’s Audition. I used to be obsessed with horror movies as a teenager, took a long break, and this was my first reconnection with the genre. I’d give it a 7/10. The pacing and cinematography were incredible, and it really got under my skin - which apparently isn't as thick as it was when I was a teen, lol.

What’s a song you’d want to remix and why?
I think a 2026 Luca Eck rendition of David Guetta - Sexy Bitch would go so hard.

When you’re not making music, how do you spend your free time?
I am a severe workaholic, but when I do have the occasional day off, I love to host and cook dinner for my friends, go to the spa, or just have a cozy movie night to decompress.

Explain a lyric of yours that people misunderstand.
“My boyfriend is gay, my baby is shit.” This is from my collaboration with Six Sex, “U&ME.” There’s a lyric that sounds like "my baby is shit," but from my recollection of that studio session, we actually wrote "my baby eats shit." I think this will forever be debated.

What’s a motto you think everyone should live by?

"You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take." It’s a cliché for a reason. At least in a career context, I totally stand behind it.

Show us the last meme you saved to your phone.

Tell us about your favorite accessory.
My absolute favourite accessory is this chain from Alisa Cayoo which has the most random but incredibly beautiful selection of objects woven into it.

What’s the best thing you’ve bought for $100 or less?
A silk sleeping mask. When you are touring, you have to be able to get your beauty sleep at the most random places and times, so a good sleeping mask is really a game changer.

Tell us about the first album you bought and why.
Cascada’s Evacuate the Dancefloor. It was my first real exposure to electronic music. I grew up listening to my parents' Eurodance compilations and just became totally obsessed with Cascada. Fast forward 14 years, I actually had the honor of working on a song with her. It feels like the biggest full-circle moment of my life.

What’s the last thing you wrote in your notes app?
My order at this amazing Szechuan Restaurant in Charlottenburg called 0086: H4 T3 T5 D3 S4 H7 V5