INTERVIEWS
The state of Australian Drum & Bass, According to Luude
Ahead of his first Australian tour in three years, we sat down with Australian DnB’s most modern success story.
This article was written in partnership with Untitled Group.
You could be forgiven for thinking that hard house is the only thing getting played right now, thanks to the enduring impact of 90s nostalgia.
In reality, drum and bass continues to have its own huge moment, too. Though has it ever really stopped?
There are few modern producers as crucial to the fabric of Australian drum & bass as Tasmanian-originating Luude.
Real name Christian Benson, Luude has amassed countless accomplishments in a decade of producing music. Known by many for his 2021 remix of Men At Work's 'Down Under', which won him countless awards and success, his own label 'No Instruction', and soaring popularity both at home and overseas, the producer is Australia’s most prominent modern DnB success story.
Last week, Luude announced a massive Australia-wide tour, appearing in five cities this June, set to immediately follow his tour across the EU & UK.
To celebrate the milestone, we asked Luude for his take on the state of Australian DnB culture.
Q: Christian, thanks so much for making the time to chat. You’ve just announced an Australia-wide tour. How does it feel to be stopping off all around the country?
LUUDE: It’s honestly the best part of the job. I spend a lot of the year overseas now, so getting to come home and play across Australia is always special. The crowds here have supported me since the very beginning, so doing a proper lap around the country feels like reconnecting with everyone who helped build this whole thing.
Q: What do you think you’re bringing to this tour since you last toured nationally with Chase & Status in 2024?
LUUDE: A lot more music, for one. The last couple of years, I’ve been touring constantly and making records on the road, so the set’s evolved a fair bit. There’s more unreleased material, more edits, and the show has evolved a lot overall. The Chase & Status tour was insane, but this one feels more like my own world.
Q: You’re a Tasmania-originating boy, I’d love to know whether you save anything for the occasions where you do play back home?
LUUDE: Yeah, definitely. Tassie shows always feel like a hometown party — there are friends, family, people I grew up with. I usually try to play a few special bits or edits that I wouldn’t play anywhere else. It’s where it all started for me, so it always feels a bit different.
Q: Drum & bass has held an insanely tight grip on fans for decades, but it seems to be having a whole new resurgence right now, at least in more popular circles. Why do you think we’re seeing that kind of popularity right now?
LUUDE: Drum & bass has always had a really loyal culture around it. I think what’s happening now is that it’s just crossing into new spaces — social media, festivals, different scenes. The energy of the music is so immediate that it translates really well online and in big crowds. It never really went away; it’s just getting exposed to a wider audience now.
Q: What do you think are some of the most enduring misconceptions about the genre and its fanbase?
LUUDE: Probably that it’s just aggressive or super niche. When you actually go to a drum & bass show, it’s one of the most positive crowds you’ll find. People are there to dance and have fun. There’s also way more variety in the genre than people think — from soulful stuff to heavier records.
Q: The last year has seen you perform overseas seemingly more regularly than ever before. What has it been like transitioning into even more global tours?
LUUDE: It’s been pretty surreal, to be honest. I used to watch videos of shows in the UK or Europe, and think it would be crazy just to play there once. Now it’s a regular part of the year. Every country has its own flavour of drum & bass culture, which is really cool to see.
Q: There’s a widespread belief among many Australians that artists need to move overseas to make it. What do you make of that trope?
LUUDE: I don’t think it’s as true anymore. Obviously, the UK and Europe have huge scenes for dance music, but with the internet and streaming, you can build something from anywhere now. I’ve always been based in Australia and still feel really connected to the scene here.
Q: ‘Down Under’ was a huge break for you, and since then, we’ve seen even more artists rework classic hits into dance edits. Why does that scratch such an itch, do you think?
LUUDE: There’s something really fun about taking a song everyone already has a connection to and flipping it into something new. It creates this instant moment on the dancefloor where people recognise it but experience it differently. For me, it has always just been about adding to the story of songs people love, not replacing them.
Q: Your label, ‘No Instruction’, launched almost two years ago but has already seen 14 releases to its name. As a label head, what are you looking for in 2026?
LUUDE: Mostly personality. I’m not really looking for one specific sound — it’s more about artists who are doing something interesting and have their own identity. The goal with the label has always been to give people a platform and connect what we’re doing in Australia with artists and people from around the world.
Q: Do you think we’ve gotten to a point where dance music has become too popular?
LUUDE: I don’t think so. Dance music has always moved in cycles, hitting the mainstream and then going back underground a bit. The core culture is always there. As long as people are still discovering new artists and supporting the scene, I think it’s a good thing.
Q: What do you think fans can do to ensure that the artists they love are able to continue doing what they do?
LUUDE: The simple stuff actually makes the biggest difference: going to shows, supporting releases, sharing music with friends. Dance music is built around community so the more people get involved with the culture, the stronger it becomes.
Q: Who are some of your favourite local artists right now that haven’t released on the label?
LUUDE: There are heaps of talent in Australia at the moment. I think what Foura is doing is great, and we haven’t released anything with her (yet). Zacattacq is also smashing it; he’s got heaps of mental unreleased records.
Q: What are you most looking forward to with this upcoming tour?
LUUDE: Honestly, just the energy of the crowds. Australian audiences bring a level of chaos that’s hard to explain unless you’ve experienced it. Every city has its own vibe, so it’s going to be fun seeing how the tour evolves night to night.
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Pre-sales to Luude’s 2026 Australia tour have just gone live via Untitled’s website here.
