Innellea: “I Never Wanted to Be a Slave to Hype”

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Innellea stopped by to chat about breaking free from genre labels through his latest single, “Reckless 69,” and satirical film, Reckless: The Movie.

German DJ and producer Innellea is unleashing his creative freedom with Reckless: The Movie, an eight-and-a-half-minute satirical film that challenges the electronic music scene’s obsession with the pressure to stay relevant. Through absurdity and a string of bizarre, over-the-top elements, the film blurs the line between reality and parody, reflecting an artist who is no longer interested in playing by the rules.

Known for his cinematic and melodic soundscapes, Innellea spent a large part of this year reflecting on his identity and the kind of music he wanted to make. This period of introspection led him to question the expectations governing his work and consider the boundaries he wanted to break. Now, he’s returned with a renewed perspective, prioritizing his creative freedom rather than fitting into industry conventions.

That free-spirited approach carries into his latest single, “Reckless 69.” Built around bright, layered synth melodies and steady kick drums, the track draws on familiar trance elements while eluding any single genre label. For Innellea, it’s less about how people categorize his music and more about exploring something that makes them lose themselves on the dancefloor.

Both the film and single offer a glimpse into Innellea’s new chapter, capturing a clearer sense of the artist he wants to become and the music he wants to create. In light of his new projects, we sat down with him to chat about his artistic journey, the lessons that shaped this new chapter, and what lies ahead.

**Stream Innellea – Reckless 69 on Spotify:**

Reckless: The Movie takes a satirical look at the stereotypes, manufactured personas, and pressure to stay relevant in electronic music. Between absurd moments like an exploding scooter and questionable tattoo, how did you develop this exaggerated character, and how much of it draws from your own experiences in the industry?

What I love about this character is that he takes himself way too seriously. He’s trying so hard to be cool that he almost becomes uncool again. But somehow, that’s what makes him cool. He seems to give absolutely zero fucks about what anyone thinks of him. Or maybe he actually cares way too much. I love that contradiction.

Over the years, I’ve realized how ridiculously seriously the electronic music industry takes itself. And trust me, I’ve been part of that too. All these unwritten rules about how you’re supposed to look, sound, behave, what’s cool, what’s not, what’s credible, what’s cringe. Who even decided all of that?

With this character, I wanted to play with exactly those stereotypes. Push them to the absolute extreme, make them ridiculous, and hold up a mirror to an industry I’m very much a part of. And the funniest thing is, sometimes the reality isn’t even that far away from the satire.

“Reckless 69” has been described as your ode to trance. What does the genre mean to you personally, and what inspired you to explore this sound in the context of your current creative direction?

What I’ve always loved about trance is this beautiful contradiction between pure emotion and dancefloor energy. You can have these euphoric, almost sentimental moments while the whole thing still hits hard in a club. That’s something I’ve always loved about electronic music in general: making people feel something while losing themselves on the dancefloor.

With “Reckless 69,” I just wanted to play with that energy in my own way. And honestly, I couldn’t care less whether someone calls it trance, techno, indie dance, or whatever. Saying “Innellea’s Bringing Trance Back” was more about coming up with a catchy headline that gets people talking than actually trying to put myself into another box. I’ve spent enough time thinking about which genre something belongs to. I never wanted to be a slave to hype, and I’m definitely not interested in becoming one now. Good music is good music. Fuck boxes.

Earlier this year, you spoke about feeling stuck as an artist and how expectations from audiences, labels, and algorithms had begun to affect your relationship with music. Looking back, what has changed since then, and do you feel you’ve found a way forward?

I think the biggest change is that I’ve stopped asking myself what I’m supposed to do and started asking myself what I actually want to do. For a while, I was so caught up in expectations. What will the fans think? Will this work in my sets? Is this still Innellea? Does it fit the genre? Will the algorithm like it? At some point, you realize how absurd that is. You’re supposed to be an artist, but somehow you’ve turned into someone who’s constantly trying to tick boxes. And I was tired of it.

So I started breaking those boxes. Musically, visually, creatively. Making short films, creating ridiculous characters, experimenting with sounds that supposedly don’t belong together. Just doing things because they excite me. But one thing I really want to make clear is how incredibly grateful I am for everyone who’s been part of this journey. The people who have supported my music for years, who came to my shows, who connected with what I was creating. None of what I’m doing today would be possible without them. And I don’t take that for granted for a second. Of course, some people miss the old Innellea. And honestly, I completely understand that. Music is emotional. People connect certain sounds to certain moments in their lives, and I think that’s something really beautiful. I’m proud of everything I’ve created in the past, and that music will always be part of who I am.

But I also believe that being an artist means allowing yourself to grow, change, and explore new things. And I hope that even if someone doesn’t connect with every new track or every crazy idea, they can still appreciate the journey. To everyone who’s been with me from the beginning, and to everyone who’s just discovering this new chapter: Thank you. Seriously. I haven’t figured everything out, and honestly, I don’t think I want to. That’s the beauty of it.

Having spent years performing on some of the biggest stages in electronic music, you’re now challenging aspects of the very culture you’ve been part of. How has your experience within the industry shaped the perspective you bring to this new chapter?

I’ve been part of this industry for years, and I’ve seen some absolutely beautiful things. But I’ve also seen how much of it revolves around image, hype, ego, and these completely made-up rules that somehow everyone agrees to follow. Sometimes I feel like we’ve created this massive rulebook around something that was originally supposed to be about freedom, expression, and bringing people together through music. And the funny thing is, I’ve followed plenty of those rules myself. So I’m not standing here pretending I’m somehow above it all. But I think that’s exactly why I want to challenge it now. I love electronic music. I love this culture. That’s why I think we should be able to laugh at ourselves a little more. Question things. Break some rules. Maybe even make complete idiots out of ourselves once in a while.

What do you hope audiences take away from Reckless: The Movie and “Reckless 69”? Is it a different perspective on electronic music culture, a feeling conveyed through the music, or perhaps an invitation to take things a little less seriously?

First of all, I hope they have a good time watching it! I hope they laugh, maybe think “What the fuck am I watching?” a couple of times, and perhaps recognize some of the absurdities we’re making fun of. But I also think there’s something important behind all the nonsense. Art doesn’t always have to take itself seriously to have something serious to say. I feel like we’ve reached a point where everything is being judged, categorized, and analyzed to death. Sometimes I just want to create something completely ridiculous without having to explain every single detail. Some people will understand the satire. Some will just enjoy the madness. Others might think I’ve completely lost my mind. Honestly, I love that. And musically? Turn it up, feel something. That’s it.

Beyond the film and single, you’ve been expanding the Innellea universe through unconventional collaborations and visual storytelling. How do you see this creative world evolving, and are there other formats or projects you’re hoping to explore next?

The most exciting thing for me is that Innellea is slowly becoming something that doesn’t really fit into one category anymore. That’s exactly what I want. What I really want to explore next is bringing this fictional universe even closer to reality. Blurring the lines between what’s staged and what’s real. Sometimes the character takes himself way too seriously, sometimes the whole thing becomes completely absurd, and sometimes it might actually say something pretty serious. I don’t want to create a formula that we just repeat with every release. That would be putting ourselves straight back into another box. I want to keep surprising people — and probably myself even more.

You’re returning to the road this October and November, with upcoming shows across the US and Latin America, including Creamfields Argentina and Chile. How are you approaching these performances after your creative reset, and can fans expect to see elements of the Reckless era reflected in your live sets?

I think my sets have become a pretty good reflection of what’s going on in my head right now. A little chaotic, pretty raw, emotional, unpredictable, and definitely more reckless. I love playing with contrasts. Going from something really emotional into something completely unexpected. Mixing techno, trance, breaks, rave, whatever feels right in that moment. I don’t want to walk on stage thinking, “Okay, I’m a melodic techno artist, so these are the tracks I’m allowed to play.” I want to surprise people. I want to surprise myself. I want those moments where you look around and think, “What the fuck just happened?”

And of course, the whole RECKLESS universe is part of that energy. It’s not about turning every show into a movie or forcing some concept onto the dancefloor. It’s about the attitude behind it. Less predictability. More freedom. More chaos. More emotion. No boxes. Just music and a fucking good time.