Contributing Writer1. Hey Larry, thanks for sitting down with us today. How’s your year been so far?
It’s been an exciting year and one of the biggest transitions of my career and my life. Relocating to Barcelona has been a dream of mine for a long time, and finally making that move has completely changed my perspective, both personally and creatively. I’ve been putting the finishing touches on From The Heart, so it’s been a year filled with creative growth and a renewed sense of purpose. Everything seems to be falling into place at the right time.
I’ve also had the opportunity to perform at Lone Romantic Showcases during Unlimited Festival in Chamonix, France, and OFFSonar in Barcelona, both of which were incredible experiences. I’m really excited for people to finally hear the album because it represents a new chapter for me as an artist.
2. Your LP From The Heart is releasing via Lone Romantic on September 4th. Can you tell us how this compilation came together and what your recording process was?
From The Heart was a couple of years in the making. I didn’t originally set out to make an album, but once I had about half the songs finished, I realized there was a unique collection of music forming. The songs all shared the same emotional thread, and that’s when the idea of an album began to take shape.
It officially became an album during a Zoom meeting with Maceo Plex while we were reviewing the tracks together. A few songs into the listening session, he stopped and said, “I think we have an album here. ” That was a surreal moment for me. Not only was I hearing that from someone I’ve admired for years, but it also meant there was a real possibility of releasing a full-length album on my dream label, Lone Romantic.
Even though I was absolutely beside myself with excitement, I remember asking why we would release an album in today’s landscape, where singles and EPs tend to dominate. Maceo Plex’s response was simple: an album makes a statement. It allows listeners to experience a complete body of work in a way that individual releases simply can’t.
That philosophy became the foundation of From The Heart. I wanted to create a body of work that listeners could experience from beginning to end rather than as a collection of singles. The album explores themes of love, hope, vulnerability, and connection while still staying rooted in the dancefloor. I also wanted to write music with the feminine in mind, creating something that feels uplifting, emotional, and timeless. That’s really the heart of this album.
3. ‘Mack Loenz’ is a newly evolved alias of yours. What made you want to create this alias, and how does Mack Loenz differ from the other artist you perform as?
Mack Loenz was born out of a desire to explore a different side of myself as a songwriter. I’ve spent over two decades producing as Exzakt, my longtime electro project, and it will always be a huge part of who I am.
I had already started moving in a more melodic, vocal direction with LoveHertz, but even that album still leaned much more toward Exzakt than Mack Loenz. If I had continued releasing this music under the Exzakt name, I think people would naturally compare it to what they expected from that project instead of experiencing it for what it truly is.
Mack Loenz allowed these songs to stand on their own. It wasn’t about leaving Exzakt behind or starting over. It was about creating a space where these songs could be heard without preconceived expectations.
I don’t really see them as two separate artists. They’re simply two creative outlets that allow me to express different parts of who I am. That freedom has been incredibly inspiring, and I think it’s made both projects stronger.
4. You’re the founder of the music label Monotone. Can you tell us about the label’s history and how it grew into what it is today?
The name Monotone has always represented something bigger than me. “Mono” means one. One sound. One movement. One collective.
While the label was founded through my vision as Exzakt, my goal was never to build a label around myself. I wanted to create a community of like-minded artists and listeners who shared the same passion for electronic music.
Although Miami is where I built my career and will always feel like home, Monotone has always carried the spirit of South Florida, especially West Palm Beach, where I was born and raised. Growing up there had a profound influence on me, and that energy naturally became part of the label’s identity.
From the beginning, Monotone has existed at the intersection of Miami Bass and deep electro. As the label grew, we started working with artists from around the world. Even though each artist brings their own perspective, I was always drawn to people who connected with that same musical spirit.
Whether a release comes from Germany, Holland, the UK, or anywhere else, I like to think every Monotone record carries a little bit of that South Florida DNA. That’s what makes it a collective: different people, different backgrounds, but one sound, one movement, and one shared vision.
5. Can you talk us through your favourite tracks on the LP and the inspirations behind them?
It’s really hard for me to choose favorites because every song represents a different moment in my life. If I had to highlight one, it would probably be It’s Complicated because, in many ways, that was the song that introduced the sound and feeling that eventually became Mack Loenz.
It was the first song where everything just seemed to click. Up until then, I was still finding my direction, but this track felt different. Looking back, I think it was the moment I realized I wasn’t just writing another collection of songs. I was discovering the identity of a completely new project.
Follow Me is another song that’s very close to me because it captures the spirit of the album. To me, it’s about embracing possibility and having the courage to step into the unknown with an open heart. I wanted it to feel uplifting without being overly specific, so people could connect with it through their own experiences. That’s one of the things I love most about music.
Sunrise represents another side of where I see Mack Loenz heading. It’s a blend of driving electro with house influences while staying true to my roots. I’ve always wanted to pair that hypnotic groove with a beautiful female vocal because there’s something powerful about combining strength with vulnerability.
At its heart, Sunrise is about appreciating the simple things that often go unnoticed. Waking up next to someone you love, watching the sun come up, breathing fresh air, and recognizing that even in a world that can sometimes be painful and chaotic, there’s still incredible beauty to be found. To me, Sunrise is about choosing to see the light anyway.
More than anything, I hope people experience From The Heart as a complete body of work. Every song tells its own story, but together they reflect different moments, emotions, and chapters of life. That’s really what this album is all about.
6. You explore a wide range of genres and styles in your productions. How do you find new ideas and ways to create and blend different sounds?
One of the secrets to the Mack Loenz sound is actually in the name itself. Loenz comes from “low ends.” Low-end bass has always been a huge part of my productions, but with Mack Loenz I wanted to take that idea even further. I became obsessed with creating bass frequencies that don’t just sound good, but physically move you. In a club, low-end is the one part of the music you don’t just hear—you actually feel it.
That comes from two places. The first is my roots in Miami Bass and electro, where low-end has always been a defining characteristic. The second is my love for liquid drum & bass. It’s one of the few genres that can completely transport me somewhere else. Those long, evolving records become almost meditative. You stop analyzing the music and simply surrender to the frequencies. I wanted to bring some of that feeling into my own productions.
The other major influence is the music of the 1980s. Those melodies carried an innocence and optimism that stayed with me throughout my life. It wasn’t about complexity. It was about Emotion.
The challenge was never to recreate those sounds or become nostalgic. It took me more than twenty-five years to discover a way to capture that same feeling without copying the past. I wanted to create music that feels emotionally familiar while still sounding modern and original. Music that can move your body while also giving your mind a place to drift. I think that’s where the Mack Loenz sound really lives.
7. What are some of your favourite places to perform that continue to influence your sound?
I would say the biggest influence on my sound, both historically and today, is Spain. Having my roots in Miami, Latin culture has always been a huge part of who I am as an artist, and Spain has felt like a natural extension of that. There’s a similar passion, rhythm, and emotional connection to music that has always resonated with me.
I’ve been playing here since 2003, and the audiences have consistently been passionate and open-minded. They trust you enough to venture off sonically during a set, and as long as you’re playing with passion and conviction, they’ll go on that journey with you. That freedom has definitely influenced the way I produce music, giving me the confidence to blend genres and follow emotion rather than feeling confined to a single style.
Now that I live in Barcelona, I get to experience that inspiration every day. The music scene is thriving, and being surrounded by artists, labels, distributors, and record shops keeps me constantly inspired.
8. It’s been great chatting. Can we expect more music and shows from you following this release?
Absolutely. From The Heart is really just the beginning. I’ll be taking the music on the road with upcoming Lone Romantic Showcases at ADE in Amsterdam this October, followed by Budapest, Hungary, and then Nacar in Barcelona in November. I’m really looking forward to sharing these new records with audiences in a live setting.
There are also two major releases on the horizon through Lone Romantic. The first is Emerge, the final Exzakt album, a project that has been nearly a decade in the making. The second is the Exzakt + Mack Loenz Essential Collection USB, a complete collection of my original productions from both projects, bringing my entire original discography together in one release for the first time.
It feels like I’m entering one of the most exciting chapters of my career, and I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported me along the way. I can’t wait to share everything that’s coming next.
