Loz Seka Discusses Cuccú, Flamenca Records, and BBC Radio 1

I sent some music to my good friend Danny Rhys from Toolroom just for some feedback. He listened and said he thought the track would actually suit FLAMENCA really well.

Not long after he did me a massive solid and sent it over to them for me, and they ended up signing it, so I’m massively grateful to him for that.

I was honestly blown away when they signed it. When you look at the level of artists on the roster, what STBAN and the team have created, and artists I love like Jesus Fernandez being involved, it’s a huge honour to be welcomed onto the label.

Working with the team since has also been a great experience. Super professional, really friendly and just genuinely nice people, which makes the whole process even better.

The main thing is just the vibe. Every time I play out, people react to it straight away. There’s something about the vibe and rhythms that just makes people move.

I’m a big sucker for Jazz, Latin and Blues, and generally I’m just mad for percussion. Before making house music I was actually producing drum and bass, and even earlier than that I was in bands playing blues, jazz, ska and metal, so rhythm and drums have always been the thing that grabs me first when it comes to music. Because of that my music has always been quite percussion led so when I started leaning into Latin influences, it just felt really natural.

I also wasn’t massively connecting with some of the more mainstream tech house sounds at the time, but the Latin Tech side of things really reminds me of old school tech house. Dusty drums, rolling bass, cool vocals, maybe a synth or two, and that groove that you can lock into for ages.

Annie Mac is honestly an idol of mine. I grew up listening to her shows and they played a huge part in shaping my musical identity in dance music, alongside Mary Anne Hobbs. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Annie twice now and she has always been really inspiring and warm to talk to, so seeing her drop one of my tracks at Warehouse Project genuinely blew my mind. I cannot thank her enough for the support.

Arielle Free, it’s hard to put into words what she’s done for my career. She’s easily been the biggest supporter of my music over the last couple of years. I can’t thank her enough and I absolutely love her to bits. I’m so fortunate for how hard she backs my records.

I signed to her label and she booked me to play UNVRS, which are things I genuinely would not have thought possible a couple of years ago.

And of course getting the nod from Danny Howard, Jaguar and Jeremiah Asiamah as well is such a great feeling. When people at that level support your music it really does mean the world. Just Pete and Sarah left now for the full house!

Honestly I would not be here right now if it wasn’t for the Toolroom Academy team and the people I’ve met through that network.

The first big record I released through Toolroom came from a collaboration with fellow Academy students. We organised our own writing camp before a big Toolroom night at Studio 338, and that track ended up getting signed to Trax, which really shows the power of the Academy.

Big up to my boys Harrt, Altere, Alex Lauthals and Keffi!

What started as doing the course has turned into some really important friendships. Danny Rhys, who manages the Trax label, has been a massive mentor to me and someone I’ve ended up making music with and signing to Trax!

Cal, who now runs the Academy, is also a really good friend of mine. We were actually on the same course together, so seeing him now managing the Academy is pretty incredible and something I’m massively proud of him for.

Also a big shout to Pete, Miles and the wider Toolroom team who have all been hugely supportive. The Academy has been a big part of my journey over the last few years.

Playing UNVRS was not even on my bingo card for this decade, let alone last year, so I can’t thank Arielle enough for that opportunity. She has been instrumental in so much of my trajectory over the last few years.

The club itself is something else, and The Wild Comet where I was playing was just incredible. Warming up and seeing people coming in and instantly vibing with the music was such a great feeling.

The sound system, the visuals and the whole spectacle of the place was pretty awe inspiring. Getting to spend the night there with friends, few bevs and watching Arielle and Edd smash their sets made it a really special night.

Growing up in the UK, my first real introductions to dance music were Fatboy Slim, Chemical Brothers and The Prodigy, so to get the nod and the call up from Norm is something I really don’t take lightly.

All Back To Minehead was honestly a dream. To have the backing of someone as influential as Fatboy Slim is incredible. It’s such an honour to be asked to come and play at his event. Big shout to Lizzie Curious as well who booked me for her stage.

It was also the first time I’ve ever had people coming up asking for photos after a set, which was a bit surreal. I was honestly a bag of nerves beforehand but it ended up being one of the best sets I’ve ever played.

Yes, I won Best Producer at the Northampton Music Awards, which is pretty mind-blowing and I’m super grateful to the teams and everyone that voted for me!

The funny thing is, I was actually in Thailand on holiday at the time. I didn’t even know I had been nominated until the day before, so I had no time to promote it or anything like that.

I then woke up the next day to messages saying I had won and I honestly couldn’t believe it, so a huge thank you to everyone who voted for me! I celebrated with a few daiquiris by the pool that day, of course. Standard…

I’ve done a couple of BBC Introducing mixes now and it’s always such a pleasure.

My local BBC Introducing team, Kerrie & Connor, have been massively supportive and have really helped push my music and sound out across the Midlands. That support eventually led to me headlining their BBC Introducing event last year.

Playing my music to a packed room in my hometown, where there isn’t the biggest Latin tech scene, and seeing everyone properly vibing to it was a really special moment.

What top tier artists inspire you and whose career would you love to emulate?

Marco Lys for me is the king of groove. I would honestly love to just sit and watch him build his drums in the studio. He is also someone whose career I really respect.

He has been consistently releasing quality music for years and built a really solid reputation in the scene while still staying true to his sound. That kind of longevity is something I would love to achieve.

Also Iglesias and Jesus Fernandez. Again it’s that drum programming and groove that I would love to learn from them, they are the best in the biz!

And last but certainly not least I would absolutely love to make a track with Arielle Free at some point. She has been so instrumental in helping me get to where I am today and she’s such a great producer and a bundle of energy, so I think it would be a really fun studio session.

Thanks again for having me on to chat!

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