Joining us at the KEF popup studio in the Nexus Lounge, Amsterdam, we spoke with Lufthaus’s Flynn Francis about his journey with the band, working with Robbie Williams, and releasing their debut album Visions, Vol.1.
Modern and stylish through and through, Lufthaus is a genuine Berlin-style electronic band with just a touch of that classic songwriting style. Combining the talents of Tim Metcalfe, Flynn Francis, and the legendary Robbie Williams, the band’s recent single “Immortal” and the complete Visions, Vol.1 album has been taking the internet by storm.
Featuring vocals by Sophie Ellis Bextor, Immortals is a dark dance techno track with an almost industrial sound. Sitting at a tight 3:30, the track feels ripe for remixing, and it’s no surprise that DJs love it.
The band started when Francis and Metcalfe – long-term collaborators of Williams – started creating their electronic songs. After hearing some demos of their fresh new sound, Williams fell in love, and a band was formed before long.
"It's great to have his energy, and obviously, he's such a great character," says Francis, describing his experience working with Williams.
Delving further into Francis’ musical history, we were curious about what exactly made him fall in love with the magic of music. As it turns out, his natural gateway was Disney soundtracks.
Of course, that wasn’t the only music Francis listened to while growing up. As he grew older, his tastes rapidly expanded to include the likes of The Chemical Brothers, Daft Punk, and Fatboy Slim.
Working with an international icon like Robbie Williams and creating distinctly new and modern music, Francis is in a perfect position to talk about the music industry, both where it is now and where it’s likely to go over the next few decades. His perspective echoed many people’s concerns, particularly regarding the potential risks of AI.
"It will consolidate. The successful will become more successful. It'll be more challenging to make it because getting people to pay attention to anything is so hard. And many artists will be licensing their vocals - their vocals and their likeness - to songs with AI.
At the same time, he also showed some optimism, suggesting that the switch to digital downloads was ultimately “amazing” for smaller artists because “anyone can get their music out there to be consumed.”
While the current future of technology within the industry may not be clear, what is clear is that Lufthaus is a collaborative team with some fantastic music under their belt, and we can only hope there is much more to come.
If you’d like to learn more about Flynn Francis, his time with Lufthaus, and his favorite Take That music video, then check out the full, exclusive Nexus Radio interview.
