Hiya Lumirex, thanks for joining us in the virtual RGM lounge today. Grab a brew and take a seat.
Thanks for joining us today. Tell us a bit about where you are from and how you got into music?
I’m Italian but have been living in Munich for almost seven years. My first musical experiences date back to my school days, with a local band where I played the bass, which is still my main instrument. Just over a year ago, I began exploring synthesisers and electronic music, launching the Lumirex project, through which I aim to bring together all my diverse musical passions while trying to forge my own original and distinctive style. Rather than a specific genre, I prefer to think of my music as a house: each room is furnished differently, but the underlying essence shared by them all is my sound and my artistic sensibility.
What’s the live music scene like in Munich right now?
I’d say the music scene here in Munich is quite lively, although, given the size of the city, there aren’t that many venues for live performances, especially for up-and-coming artists. On the plus side, loads of people play their own original music, and there’s a real drive and enthusiasm for songwriting. This is certainly different from Italy, where people tend to prefer playing covers and tribute bands are encouraged.
Anyone we should be looking out for, bar you of course?
Feh are certainly a band brimming with talent, featuring a fantastic singer whose voice is reminiscent of the finest in trip-hop. It is both a pleasure and a duty to mention Ghazaleh E as well, the singer with whom I began a collaboration on my latest single, ‘Hurts’ — a true artist who plays and sings by stepping outside the comfort zone of the mainstream audience.
Do you think it’s easy to become a victim of your surroundings sometimes?
If you become a victim of your surroundings, or let yourself be swayed by them, you’ve lost. Both in life and in music. It’s not that being outside the mainstream is cool; rather, the question is, ‘What can I bring to a formula that has already been milked dry a thousand times?’ The intelligent answer is: nothing. So brace yourself for plenty of knocks and doors slammed in your face, bide your time, and be happy if even a stranger can appreciate what you do. That is the true gift; that is the driving force behind it all.
What’s your view on the music industry today?
The situation was certainly more intriguing a few years ago, when indie was indie and the mainstream often ‘played’ at being indie, having recognised its potential. Today, the opposite is true: the mainstream is mainstream and indie wants to be mainstream. The result is that, despite there being an avalanche of music about, it’s difficult to spot a truly interesting trend that might leave its mark. On the other hand, there is plenty of good music to discover, but artists today are a bit like small islands in an archipelago, all distant from one another and also distant from an audience that is unaware of their existence. It’s like a treasure hunt without the map to lead you to the treasure.
What’s currently in your ears and on rotation at the moment?
In recent months, I’ve mainly been listening to music I don’t like, so that before I figure out who I want to be, I’m sure I know who I don’t want to be. It’s a very useful reverse exercise; it saves you a lot of time.
What are your thoughts on AI-generated music?
Personally, I’ve never used AI in my own music, but I don’t intend to demonise it either. It’s a reality that exists, and as such, it cannot be ignored. It’s simply foolish to sweep it under the carpet. I think rejecting it out of hand is nonsense; it needs to be understood, harnessed and used in a way that can aid the creative process.
I hear you have new music. What can you tell us about it?
‘Hurts’ is my first song with vocals; up until now, I’d only tackled instrumental pieces. It came about through a collaboration with Ghazaleh E, an artist whom, as I mentioned earlier, I hold in the highest regard and with whom I hope to continue writing new tracks. The song was built around tension, atmosphere and contrast. I wanted to create something dark and physical, where the bass, the industrial textures and the electronic elements would not simply support the voice, but actually interact with it. Ghazaleh’s performance became the emotional and dramatic centre of the track: intense, expressive and almost like another instrument inside the arrangement.
What was the recording and mixing process like?
It was quite organic. I first built the instrumental side in my home studio, starting from the bass movement, the rhythmic pulse and the darker electronic textures. The vocals were recorded separately, and I reworked the arrangement around them, trying to make the vocals and the instrumental elements interact with each other. I didn’t want the track to sound too polished or comfortable. It needed to keep a certain rawness and tension, because that is part of the emotional character of ‘Hurts’.
Would you change anything now it’s finished?
Not in any essential way. Of course, once a track is finished, you always hear small details you might adjust — maybe a balance here, a transition there. But with ‘Hurts’, I wouldn’t change the core of it. The intensity, the tension and the vocals all belong to the identity of the song. Emotionally and artistically, I stand by it. It’s physical, imperfect, tense and human. That is exactly why it works for me.
Is there anything else you would like to share with the world?
Yes. I would simply like to invite people to listen with openness. I know my music is not always easy or immediate, and I’m not interested in making something that simply fits a formula. With Lumirex, I try to create music that has its own identity — music built on atmosphere, tension, emotion and sound as a physical experience. ‘Hurts’ is a very important step in that direction. It is also a reminder that independent music can still be personal, imperfect, intense and deeply human. I’m grateful to everyone who takes the time to really listen. This is only the beginning of a path I want to keep exploring.
FOLLOW HIM HERE
🇩🇪 FOR MORE NEW MUSIC NEWS FROM GERMANY CHECK RGM GERMANY 🇩🇪