INTERVIEW: A Response to Absence: Inside the World of ^L_

Emerging from the shadows where sound becomes a response to absence rather than intention, ^L_ is an artist who has quietly built one of the most introspective and emotionally charged bodies of work in contemporary electronic music. Although the ^L_ project officially began in 2016, its roots trace back much further, to the late 1990s, when a teenage fascination with sonic experimentation first took hold. Influenced by pioneers such as Aphex Twin, Autechre, Brian Eno, and minimalist composers like Steve Reich and Philip Glass, ^L_ developed a language that exists somewhere between structure and erosion, between presence and disappearance.

The name itself, taken from a simple Linux terminal command, reflects the project’s core philosophy: functionality without ornament, intention without explanation. Across key releases like Music for Doomers, The Skull, and The Forbidden EP, ^L_ has cultivated a sound that transforms dissatisfaction into creation, composing not as a career move but as a necessity — building the music that cannot be found elsewhere.

Deeply shaped by the underground ethos and a formative first journey to Berlin, ^L_ embraces anonymity not as an aesthetic pose but as a deliberate artistic boundary, allowing the work to exist without the weight of biography. With the upcoming EP Faith is a Subscription set to arrive on EXIT7 Records, we step into the world of ^L_ to explore origins, process, identity, and the emotional architecture behind the signal.

How did the ^L_ project start, and what drew you into music production? 

It started in 2016... I had already been producing since the late 90s, still as a teenager.

What were your main influences in the beginning?

Aphex Twin, Autechre, Brian Eno, Atari Teenage Riot, Squarepusher, Steve Reich, …Philip Glass there were and still are many.

What’s the meaning or idea behind the name ^L_?

It's a command line in the Linux terminal. Many people interpret it differently, like the first initial of my real name, for example. But no, it's a Linux command line, simple as that.

Which releases do you consider key milestones in your discography? 

"Music for Doomers", "The Skull" and "The Forbidden EP"

Is there a record that best represents your artistic vision?

"no_hope.tor" and "Music for Doomers"

What’s your creative process like when starting a new project? 

It usually starts in silence.

I wake up early, before everything feels loud. Coffee. A cigarette. I try to find something to listen to…. a playlist, a full record, something that hits exactly right in that moment.

Most of the time, it doesn’t.

And that's the trigger.

If I can't find the sound I want to exist in, I go to the studio and build it. Not as a grand concept, not as a career move, just as a necessity. I compose what I wish was playing through the speakers right then.

A lot of my tracks were born like that: out of dissatisfaction. Out of a very specific emotional frequency that I couldn’t find anywhere else.

I don’t start with “I’m going to make a song.”

I start with “I need to hear this.”

The project becomes a response to absence.

Were there any turning points that defined your trajectory?

My first trip to Berlin... was a turning point not only in my career, but also in my personal life.

How do you balance experimentation and identity in your sound? Honestly, I don't know how to answer that question and I probably never will... maybe it's better that way.

How do you see anonymity in electronic music, and how are you incorporating it into your artistic identity as ^L_?

Anonymity in electronic music, to me, is less about mystery and more about intention.

When the artist steps back, the work steps forward. When you remove the face, the focus shifts to structure, atmosphere, and emotional architecture.

As ^L_, I have no interest in exposing my personal life or turning myself into content. I prefer to keep a clear boundary between who I am and what I create. I want the music to speak without biography attached. No lifestyle narrative, no performative intimacy.

In a culture built on constant visibility, choosing not to reveal is deliberate.

If the sound is strong enough, it doesn't need a face.

How has the underground scene influenced your work?

The underground scene shaped the way I think about sound and identity.

Growing up around music that existed outside mainstream structures taught me that freedom comes from detachment; from not creating to fit formats, trends, or algorithms. The underground prioritizes experimentation over approval, texture over polish, atmosphere over accessibility. That mindset deeply informs how I build tracks.

This vision showed me that you can construct entire emotional worlds without explaining yourself. There's a trust in the listener. There's room for ambiguity.

The underground also values ​​intention. Limited releases, raw aesthetics, resistance to overexposure; all of that reinforces the idea that art doesn’t need mass validation to have impact.

For me, the underground isn't a genre. It's a discipline. It's about protecting the integrity of the work and letting experimentation lead, even when it's uncomfortable.

What can we expect from L_ in the future?

I'm releasing my new EP "Faith is a Subscription" this January on EXIT7 Records from Germany (a label I've always been a big fan of). After that, I don't know yet; I'm thinking about focusing on new projects... a break will probably be necessary. I've been producing and releasing work non-stop since 2016... maybe it's the right time to stop, we'll see.

Thank you for your time — it's a pleasure to explore your work.

Thank you, always, for your support and appreciation of my work.

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