Luxe

Luxe was formed in 1998 by Steve Luxe alone, as the core member of the act. Initially, Luxe was envisioned by its creator to be an edgier, darker, more industrial-tinged style of music. However, as the final years of the 1990s came to an end, and the early 2000s approached, Steve found himself fascinated with, and drawn in by the budding electroclash movement. As a result, Steve both found new musical inspiration and direction, as well as realizing that his entire artistic vision for Luxe had metamorphosized into a more up-tempo, less dark, and more dance-able sound, with pronounced pop song structures, and an emphasis on powerful, groove-laden, hook-infested, and hard-hitting electronica. As the years progressed, he continued writing music, and honing his recording engineer skills, and learning new production tricks. In 2007, Steve met former band-mate, Ray. Luxe finished production on the debut album “Mirrorball”, as Steve and Ray shopped around, searching for record labels who may be interested in promoting / publishing / signing Luxe. Eventually Steve met Curtis Urbina, the President of the famous New York City house music label Quark Records, and the two very quickly established a great business relationship, as well as a personal friendship. Luxe was signed to Quark Records in 2009, and in 2010, the debut album, entitled Mirrorball, was released to the world. Luxe quickly became known for their over-the-top live performances, their quirky sense of style, and their tight musicianship. Luxe quickly went from performing for tens of people, to performing for an excess of 10,000 people. In 2013, a follow-up album to 2010’s “Mirrorball” was being recorded and produced, tentatively titled “River of Orchids”. However, this album was not meant to be, as Steve was unhappy with the direction the music had taken, and felt as though maybe it would be a good time to hang up the Luxe moniker, after the failure of the one single that was released entitled, “Youthful” that was to be included on the sophomore album. The second album was shelved, with no plans to complete it. However, Steve and Zyan continued to work together on Zyan’s solo material. Realizing that making music that people could dance to was still fun, Steve and Zyan decided to re-form Luxe in secret, with a new sound, and a more focused approach to their craft. This time, deciding to work as a duo, the act has taken on a much different persona than as a four-piece. Steve and Zyan perform the live shows completely as a duo, with no additional members in the live act. The two are currently working on a handful of live dates that will bring with them the possibility of a tour, as well as the promise of a second full-length release. Luxe’s music has been heavily featured in movies such as the Japanese release of the documentary, “Michael Jackson: Commemorated”. Steve and Zyan have been twice-nominated as Independent Music Awards artists / producers. Steve has remixed an extensive roster of artists, in addition to doing production, engineering, mixing, and mastering work. They have performed with artists such as Deborah Cox. Their releases consistently receive numerous accolades from all over the world, as well as having DJ support by heavyweights such as Jellybean Benitez, Randy Bettis, Jerome Farley, and Nick Fiorucci. Zyan has also become a powerful solo performer in his own right, with multiple IMA nominations under his belt. Zyan is also a member of LARA (LGBT Academy of Recording Arts). Steve and Zyan both embrace the latest that technology has to offer to push their art to the furthest extent possible. Steve comes from an analogue recording studio background, having cut his teeth on a Studer A800 24-track 2″ tape machine. He doesn’t miss doing razor edits one bit. Steve is a self-taught multi-instrumentalist, as well as a classically trained vocalist, trained in the “Bel Canto” operatic technique. He plays guitar, keys, drums, bass, and many other various stringed instruments. Zyan is a classically-trained pianist, who is fluent in music theory, and generally tends to function as the brains of the operation, while Steve tends to get involved with the tech aspects, the production, and the engineering of their music. Steve and Zyan are both studio rats, and feel at home in their studio (The Aja Loft), but also enjoy performing for audiences of all sizes. Both Steve and Zyan are long-time vegans, and both support animal rights, in addition to many human rights causes. Steve is an outspoken advocate for social justice. Luxe is currently working on a follow-up full-length album to 2010’s “Mirrorball”. Writing and recording have commenced on the new yet-to-be-titled album, which will hopefully see a release before early 2017. The album "Mirrorball" by Luxe is available at all fine internet retailers. The single "Youthful" is also available on Amazon, iTunes, and Google Play.