LuckIsOn: On Time, Trust, and the Slovenian Scene

LuckIsOn, the Ljubljana-based collective reminding us what a club weekend used to be, sat down to talk extended lineups, forward-thinking selectors, and why Slovenia's music scene has something special cooking. We touch on marathon sets that lets the music breathe, and a booking philosophy that puts emerging artists shoulder to shoulder with established names. This is a conversation about community, curiosity, and the labor of love that built something homegrown.

Q: There’s something powerful about the way time is forgotten during your extended gatherings… dancers settle in, DJs take risks. How does duration influence the musical journey you’re trying to create?

A: Club events are just the introduction to a full weekend of music that runs almost 24/7. The extended format allows us to create a real storytelling lineup. We can carefully place each DJ into a specific time frame where they can explore different shades of their sound and take unexpected musical turns.

When artists are given longer sets and the right moment in the journey, they feel free to experiment. The crowd is fully committed — most people come knowing they’ll stay for the afters, and they trust our selection. Even if someone goes home for a quick refresh or a power nap, they often return because the community that builds during those extended hours is incredibly powerful. There’s a shared energy that grows deeper as time passes, and people want to be part of it for as long as possible.

Duration allows the music to breathe — and when music breathes, something magical happens.

Q: The lineup combined international names like Markus Sommer and Camion Bazar with inspiring local and regional talent from Italy, Slovenia, Germany, and Austria. How important is it for you to platform emerging artists alongside established selectors?

A: For us, lineup selection always starts with the music. If we hear something special, we pay attention. But just as important as the sound is the person behind it. Very often, the artists we book become our close friends over time.

When you combine purity of character with a genius musical mind and soul, the lineup almost writes itself. We don’t see hierarchy in terms of “big” or “small” artists — for us, everyone stands on the same level when it comes to music.

It’s very important to mix younger artists into the lineup and place them shoulder to shoulder with more established names. That exchange creates inspiration on both sides and gives emerging artists the opportunity to grow in a strong context. It keeps the scene evolving naturally.

Q: For me, the experience felt reminiscent of discovering Sunwaves for the first time because everything felt new, forward thinking, and slightly unfamiliar in the best way. From a musical perspective, what ties all these artists together?

A: What ties them together is a shared mindset rather than a specific genre. It’s a forward-thinking approach to music — artists who are not afraid to dig deep, experiment, and push subtle boundaries.

There’s a certain hypnotic quality, groove-driven storytelling, and emotional intelligence in their sets. Even if their styles differ, they all understand space, patience, and tension. They play with feeling rather than formula.

That sense of unfamiliarity you describe is something we value deeply. It means the music isn’t predictable — it invites you to listen more carefully and stay curious.

Q: Pulling influences from around the world, as some of you tour, and others relocated to Berlin, how has this enriched the experience you bring back home to Ljubljana?

A: Slovenia will always define us. Everything we are comes from here — our knowledge, our energy, our story. We shaped our taste and our community here.

Traveling and living abroad simply expands that foundation. It allows us to discover new artists, new perspectives, and new ways of thinking about events and sound. What we bring back home is not imitation — it’s enrichment.

We can invite more artists and people from around the world to experience what has been built here, and to feel how special the Slovenian crowd truly is. There is a sincerity and openness here that makes everything stronger.

Q: If someone were to experience Luck Is On for the first time, what do you hope they walk away feeling?

A: Happy. Inspired. And filled with love.

We hope they leave feeling connected — to the music, to the people around them, and to themselves. If they walk away feeling lighter, more open, and creatively charged, then we’ve done our job.