Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with Steve Urbaniac

Introduction of the project

Steve Urbaniac is a Luxembourg-based DJ, producer and songwriter whose music connects house with electro-swing, blues, acid-jazz and cinematic late-night atmospheres. After years of performing and producing as DJ Scorpion and as part of Major Evest, he has entered a more personal solo chapter under the name Steve Urbaniac. His current project, Delight After Dark, brings together ideas that had lived with him for years and reflects both his roots in club culture and a renewed desire to tell honest, emotionally grounded stories.

What is your earliest memory connected to music?

My earliest real memory of music is Michael Jackson. He became a huge part of my musical inspiration from a very young age. The groove, the way every element of the music worked perfectly together, his voice and his unique way of singing had an enormous impact on me as a child. I remember watching him on television, completely fascinated, dancing along like crazy without understanding a single word. I did not need to understand the lyrics — the music had already captured me.

How did your passion for creating music begin?

My passion for creating music began when I was around nine or ten years old. We had a piano at home, and I started experimenting with it without really knowing how to play. During sad or difficult moments, sitting at the piano gave me comfort. At first, I would play only the black keys, moving between low and high notes, simply listening to how the melodies made me feel.

Even without understanding music theory, I discovered that a few notes could create a real emotion inside me. Years later, I wanted to capture those feelings in my own music and share them with other people. That became one of my strongest motivations as a producer: to create something that does not only sound good but allows the listener to feel something too.

What’s the story behind your current music project?

Delight After Dark is my first solo album as Steve Urbaniac. Some of its ideas existed as sketches for years, waiting for the right moment and the right identity. A few of those early concepts also came from the creative laboratory of Major Evest, a project that strongly shaped and inspired me and, in many ways, became a forerunner of this album.

The album became a bridge between an older chapter of my life and a new one. I wanted to make club music that felt elegant but never cold, combining house grooves with swing, blues, jazz and late-night electronic textures. Tracks such as “Just a Sip” capture that world particularly well: stylish on the surface, but with a very human story underneath.

How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?

I would call it late-night house music with soul. The foundation is usually a strong groove, but around it you may hear swing rhythms, bluesy details, jazz-influenced chords, warm piano, cinematic textures or a direct pop hook. I am not interested in staying inside one strict genre. I want the music to work on a dance floor, but also to reveal more when somebody listens closely through headphones.

What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?

I learned that adding more does not automatically make a track stronger. Earlier in my journey, I often tried to solve every problem by adding another sound, another layer or another effect. Over time, I understood the importance of space, contrast and restraint. Now I ask myself what the emotional centre of the track is and whether every element supports it. Sometimes removing one unnecessary layer can make the whole song finally breathe.

What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?

FL Studio is the centre of my production process. I use keyboards and piano to explore chords and melodies, alongside synthesizers, samples and detailed audio editing. For mixing and mastering, tools from Waves and iZotope Ozone are important parts of my workflow. I also use modern AI-assisted vocal tools when a composition needs a voice and a suitable singer is not available. For me, these tools do not replace the creative work: I still write, arrange, edit, produce, mix and shape every track until it carries my own identity.

Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?

I am constantly discovering independent releases through radio curators and music platforms, so the answer changes often. A track I keep returning to, even though it is not a new release, is “Rose Rouge” by St Germain. It is a perfect example of electronic music that respects jazz and live musicianship without losing the groove. That balance between repetition, atmosphere and organic character continues to inspire me.

How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?

My music has been shaped by periods of change, uncertainty and rebuilding. Difficult experiences taught me that vulnerability is not something an artist needs to hide. I do not always write literal diary entries, but the emotional truth finds its way into the harmonies, the dynamics and the contrast between darker sections and moments of release. Even when the music is nocturnal or melancholic, I usually want there to be a sense that another door can still open.

What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?

I want listeners to feel something emotionally while still being able to move physically. I like the idea that a track can hold two truths at once: you can feel tired and still keep moving, you can carry sadness and still dance, and you can close one chapter without losing hope for the next. I never want to force a message, but if the music makes somebody feel lighter, understood or less alone for a few minutes, it has done something meaningful.

What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?

Music has taught me patience and humility. A version that does not work is not necessarily wasted time; sometimes it is the only way to discover what the song is not supposed to be. It has also taught me that finishing a piece of music requires courage. At some point, you have to stop hiding behind endless improvements, make a decision and allow the work to leave your studio.

What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?

Nature One has always been one of my dream festivals. Even though my current artistic project is not focused on DJ performance, I still have a real passion for techno and club culture, and that connection has never left me. To play there one day as a house or techno DJ and experience that energy from behind the decks would be something very special. It is not part of my immediate plans right now, but it has been a dream of mine for many years, and it still is.

If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?

There are several names that immediately come to mind. Spending even one day observing Hans Zimmer at work would be incredible, and collaborating with Daft Punk would be a dream from a production point of view. But if I had to choose only one artist, it would be Michael Jackson.

His groove, vocal expression, precision and ability to connect music with movement had a huge influence on me from childhood.

Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website, Spotify, IG, links)

Listeners can follow my releases, videos and current projects through the links below:

Website: https://steveurbaniac.com

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4Oibs6EIGR9OzpW274ynnf

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steve_urbaniac/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@steveurbaniac

Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?

I am already very grateful that I was able to release Delight After Dark, and my biggest wish for the future is simply to keep making music. I already have new ideas in progress, some of them continuing the world of Delight After Dark, while others move more directly into house music.

I also hope to continue working with my best friend T the Boss, a rapper from Luxembourg, and to support his future projects as we have done for many years. More than anything, I want to stay creative, keep developing and make music for as long as possible. If that music can bring joy, energy or comfort to as many people as possible, that would mean a lot to me.

What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?

I hope listeners will allow themselves to let go for a moment, feel free and enter the music without too many expectations. For me, every track is like a small doorway into its own world, with its own atmosphere, emotions and details.

Sometimes you only need to open that door and give the music a little time. I promise there may be something waiting behind it that you could easily have missed at first — a hidden groove, a feeling, a touch of humour or a small human story beneath the surface. More than anything, I hope people enjoy the journey and find something in that world that speaks to them personally.