Loukeman Just Wants to Wake Up Early and Make Beats

Working under the alias Loukeman, Toronto-born producer and DJ Luke Fenton has carved out a singular space for himself in electronic music. Blurring the boundaries between alternative, R&B, and dance music, his sound is driven by an instinctive approach to sampling and an innate sense of knowing when a beat feels just right.Loukeman’s story began almost by accident during COVID-19 lockdown, when Fenton uploaded a collection of bedroom-produced beats to streaming platforms under the title “Sd-1” without giving it much thought. The artwork showcased Stardog, a dog-like extraterrestrial character with a star-shaped tip on its tail. It was created by his friend and creative partner Dylan Hancock, aka @dyltwosix, to represent their friendship group, and it would end up being the cover of his next two albums as well. Fenton and Dyltwosix met through skating in Toronto when they were teenagers, and a decade later, they are touring the world together.Fenton is also part of a wave of Toronto artists shaping the city’s new electronic sound — one rooted in collaboration, community, and a shared creative vision. At the heart of this movement is @sdmusicgroup416, a close-knit collective that includes Dyltwosix, Brat Star, and Ian Mills. Five years on, the final chapter of the Stardog trilogy has arrived with “Sd-3,” bringing the project full circle. What started as an informal mixtape has evolved into a cult phenomenon. Today, Fenton’s listening parties draw queues stretching several blocks in New York City. Along the way, he has collaborated with artists including Vegyn, A$AP Rocky, Fred again.., PinkPantheress, and Aminé.With the Stardog chapter now complete, Fenton is already looking ahead: exploring film scoring, pursuing more solo work and collaborations, and deliberately stepping outside his comfort zone as both a producer and DJ. We caught up with Fenton amid his Europe and North America tour to discuss the making of Sd-3, the creative process behind his distinctive sound, his habit of making beats before the morning coffee is ready, and what comes next.First of all, I want to talk Sd-3. It’s the latest chapter of this era. How did it feel to release an album now that your fan base has grown? Every time I make a new project, my main goal is to not overthink it, keep it really simple, and stay close to the essence of my music.Is that your way to get over the pressure a little bit? To say, “Okay, let’s stay grounded?” Exactly. There were many times when I was trying to produce for others or trying to make music that I thought would give me a music career. And then when I gave up on it and just put out a mix tape of stuff that I didn’t care about, when I was like, “These are just my little funny beats,” that’s when it worked.That’s what happened with Sd-1.It was a blessing that the first thing that worked for me was truly something that felt natural. What I also sometimes think to take pressure off is: “Well, I’ll make one project and then I’ll make another and then I’ll make another and I’ll just keep making music.” It’s easy to get in your head, but you have to simplify it.What’s the common thread for you between the three Stardog albums? I see Sd-1, Sd-2 and Sd-3 as the same thing, but at three very different stages of my life. Especially with Sd-1, I just think of my friends. That’s where all that stuff comes from: Toronto and being with my friends and trying to make music that feels like it comes from there. I’ll be playing something and my roommate, Dyl [Dyltwosix], will be like, “That’s hard.” And I’ll go, “Alright.” It’s simple brain: “Oh, it feels good? Okay, nice.” That’s my approach with all those projects. And when I think of them three, I think of a time in my life where I was just with the homies. You couldn’t have planned that consciously. You can’t force not trying or making it chill. Who besides Dyl belongs to your Toronto community? How else do those people influence you?They’ve always had an influence on me. Specifically working with Dyl and ML [Brat Star], I was able to learn how to record them and learn how to make a song and arrange it with vocals. Working with my friends is the place where I have the most confidence other than when I’m alone. I feel like my friends like my music and they trust I can make something interesting. And if I don’t, they don’t care. They think it’s funny and we all laugh. It instills confidence in me. Working with artists such as A$AP Rocky and PinkPantheress means entering very different musical worlds. Have you ever been in the studio with someone and been surprised about how it turned out? The A$AP Rocky one was pretty sick. He’s a super nice guy, and I love his music. I just played him beats, and he liked them. And it was kind of scary: You’re in a room full of people in silence. It’s like when someone hands you the aux cord and you press play and hope they like it. You work with your friends a lot, but you were also telling me that you like to be at home alone making beats.I feel most at home and most creative when I’m at home, not thinking too much, and I got the whole day to just make pizza and beats. When I work with people, I struggle to keep that confidence up and maintain the same instinct that I have when I’m alone. When I’m at home, I don’t double-take anything I do. I can make the worst thing ever. Nobody will know. I can make the best thing ever. Nobody knows. It’s perfect.Do you prefer that to performing live, too?Live music is something I’m trying to figure out because it feels a little less natural. I don’t love going out. I don’t love late nights and clubs. I like to wake up early and have a coffee and make beats and then go outside and then…You make beats early in the morning? It’s 8 a.m. and you’ll be like, “Okay, time to start?”When I’m up at the lake, I’ll put the coffee pot on and try to make a beat before the coffee’s done. ’Cause then you did it — you made your first thing, and you’re done. Anything else is icing on the cake.” Creatively, that’s the best way for me. Just be swift. Don’t overthink. Bounce things down to audio and keep chugging along. The key is to make an idea, which for me is usually captured in a 10-second loop. The special thing you got lucky with.What gear do you use right now?The number-one piece of gear is the Octatrack. I love it, I use for everything. I’ll chop samples, use it for my guitars, plug synths in and use it as a compressor. I’m not obsessed with gear, but I like gear that looks cool and I look at it and I’m like, “Oh, I wanna mess with that.” I like a synthesizer to look cool. If you’re staring at the same things all day on your screen, your mind is stuck in the same paths. I always put the kick there on the computer so it’s hard to think of where else to put the kick. With gear, sometimes you get a little more lucky. And I like using software or hardware that I don’t really understand in a weird way. That’s usually my favorite thing.Do you feel like you’ve found your sound and your way of doing things, or are you still experimenting?Making music is like this: You get an initial idea that has that feeling that you like, and in producing a song and building it out, you’re trying to maintain that feeling. That’s why I love demos. I like demos more than a finished song. ’Cause it’s just more real. Sometimes production puts up a wall. It can ruin that original, crunchy, nice feeling that you got when you first heard it.It sounds like your process involves a lot of leaving things behind — knowing what not to use. For sure. I don’t feel like I’m amazing at making music. I just know what I like when I hear it.For Sd-3, was there something that you deliberately left behind?Lots of songs. I’m gonna put out a mix tape next week. It’s a lot of music that I didn’t put on the project just because I make so much stuff. But these other ones, now I’m like, “Oh, these are cool too.” But it’s good to let them simmer. What’s on your rotation right now?Quebec by Drake. French Montana. I really haven’t been listening to music that much. Sometimes music’s not hitting. You’re listening to it and you go, “I love silence.” If you drive up north with me to the cottage, there will be no music. Which sounds crazy, but I just wanna take a break, you know? I love YouTube. I love podcasts. I love audio books. I like reading. I make music all day. I just wanna listen to a Drake song or nothing. That’s so Canadian.The most Canadian thing about me is that I love the outdoors. I love canoeing. My favorite things in the world are going camping with my friends and fishing. Genuinely. I feel like a little kid; I’m joyous like nothing else. No phone connection. I’m just out there, a little bonfire, doing little tasks, chopping wood. That’s perfect brain stimulation for me, perfect peacefulness. It’s beautiful. Smells good.How do you approach your own style? I like a simple outfit. I’m not trying to put on a fit. I just want a nice pair of jeans, a nice T-shirt, a nice jacket, and a good pair of shoes that makes me feel kind of cool. I like what I like, and I want it to fit me well.What’s your favorite clothing item right now? A brand-new pair of Nudie Jeans. I think a brand-new pair of jeans is life-changing. You’re good for like 10 years. Me and Dyl just went to the Nudie Jeans store in New York and we both got new jeans, and it’s just perfect.Looking ahead, what are you interested in exploring next?I have this ambient project that honestly is some of my favorite music I ever made. And then I’m gonna probably make another album. And try to work with good people and close friends.If you could make any project with no expectations and limitless budget, what would you do?I would work with a symphony as well as a bunch of like scratch DJs. I’d work with all my favorite rappers and singers. And just have everyone in the room. I’d love to work with a folk band, too. Or go to Ibiza and do a dance project.It’s either folk in your cabin or Ibiza.Whatever. Let me make music. I’m down, either-or.