From burning homemade CD compilations at the age of ten to running his own label and touring across continents, Leo has built his journey brick by brick, all driven by curiosity, groove, and instinct. What started as a love of digging and sharing music has evolved into a career that now spans from Europe to the Americas, fueled by dancefloor energy and a restless creative spirit.
With releases like “Hyperphysics” on Anims and his own imprint NIGHT HEAT Records, Leo moves fluidly between indie dance, house, and Latin-tinged rhythms, always adapting to the crowd while staying true to his roots. But behind the travel schedule and club lights lies a grounded approach: deep listening, constant experimentation, and the belief that production is what truly shapes an artist.
We caught up with him to talk about childhood influences, favourite gear, label life, and why sometimes the best way to unwind is in complete silence.
Connect with Leo Leonski on Instagram / Soundcloud
Hi Leo! Thanks for taking the time to speak with us! How are you and how have you been?
Good, good. Busy, lots of travelling. During summe,r I was mainly around Europe, now back on the Americas side, always amazing to spend winters around here 🙂
Tell us about your journey into electronic music and DJing. How did your childhood sculpt who you are now?
Actually, this whole trip started back in the days by downloading music and burning CDs for friends and me. Basically, creating playlists like this is just different, you know. We didn’t have Spotify or anything like this yet, so we made CDs and compilations by downloading songs with around 15-20 songs on each disc. That’s how I really got in touch with music, I was by then probably around 10 years old.
How would you describe your sound?
That really depends. This could be from an indie touch sound with a touch of Latin and house elements. Also, playing for me is always playing for the crowd. I want people to be happy and dancing, to create a nice energy on a dance floor. So the sound really varies from venue to venue 🙂
Tell us about your recent release, “Hyperphysics” on Anims. What inspired it, and what are you trying to convey?
That was a full-on indie dance vibe dance floor track, finding the main lead sound I used on the tune on my synth in the studio. Some punchy kick with it to bring a good pump to the crowd when you play it. And it worked nicely, Anims then heard the track and asked me to release it with them, which I happily did!
What tools do you use to craft such sounds? Any favourite toys or items of gear you use for production?
There are some major plugins from Arturia. Always good stuff you can find and adapt there, play around with it. But also, of course, some fun analog stuff can always bring some unique heat. I was using a Behringer Poly D in the studio in Switzerland lately, love the buzz that comes from there.
What advice would you give to young people looking to get into DJing?
Listen to the sound you like for hours, days, weeks. Dig deep into it… and start producing music, if you really love it. Producing, in my opinion, really changes the game. Anyone can play and DJ with a USB stick, more or less. But really, learning about music and feeling it differently comes with production, in my opinion.
You’re also the head of NIGHT HEAT Records. Tell us the story behind the label.
That just came one night to me, wandering around NYC. I saw all the lights and neon signs around me, and thought: it’s time, I have to make my own label and just drop stuff from there. To create a platform of my own. The name Night Heat literally came from that warm summer night with all the lights and busy bars and clubs I saw walking around there.
What do you look for when signing talent to the label?
The sound they send me. It can be anything, from house to disco to deeper or heavier stuff, just has to have a good groove to it 🙂
What advice would you give to young producers looking to start a label?
Haha, that’s a hard one. To be honest, don’t expect too much in the beginning; it really takes time. My label is more of a fun project of my own to support others and just drop new songs from myself.
What do you like to do to relax?
Run, workouts. With no music in my ears. Also, having some evening walks always calms me down and makes me unwind. There’s a lot of social engagement with gigs and travels all the time, so having some time for yourself is worth a lot and needed.
What music do you listen to outside of the electronic spectrum?
Honestly? A lot of indie, folk, rock or even country music. Way more stuff with guitars and blues in it. That’s where I really come from after all. Before producing electronic music, I had this project called “The Holy Future”, which was a completely different sound.
What was the last record that blew you away?
There’s that funky house tune “50 Funk” from a dude called Chinonegro, I heard recently. I really like it. Bouncy one with 50 Cent vocal cuts. Good stuff 🙂
Thank you.
