Lisbon circuit regular Black Pomade is a DJ and producer originally from Milan (Italy), founder of the Ruínas collective and the Whoopee party series.
Heavily influenced by the NY Disco scene and the Chicago House originators, Black Pomade is known for his melting pot of analog synths, groovy basslines, and syncopated beats.
His sets travel through lots of House, Disco, and Acid records, filling the dance-floor with high energy and big smiles.
Between 2021 and 2023 he ran a residency at MusicBox Lisbon focused on connecting the Italian scene with the Portuguese one. Besides his regular shows in Lisbon and Milan, throughout the years he had the chance to bring his sound around Europe and Asia, playing in places Bangkok, Seoul, Tokyo, Osaka, Vienna, and Sofia, among others, sharing the line-up with artists like Emmanuelle, Kamma&Masalo, Hunee, Don Carlos, Satoshi Tomiie, and the living legend Nicky Siano. He also contributed to renowned podcast series, such as SlothBoogie, Discoteca, and Histoires de Piscines, and radio shows in Melbourne, Pittsburgh, Skopje, São Paulo, and Ibiza.
Black Pomade released music on Last Forever Records, Rollover Milano Anything Goes, Stereo Ferment, Modmotif, Dig This Way Records, Youngbloods, and on vinyl for Martino Edits and Windmill Re-Edits. In 2023 he launched the vinyl-only edit series Manzo Edits and for 2024 he has upcoming releases scheduled on Whopee Rec.
Recently we sat down with Black Pomade for a chat about inspirations, the future and all things House and Disco.
KOTT: Hey Black Pomade, great to meet you! What’s going on in your world at the minute?BP: It’s great to meet you too! Quite a lot, actually. I recently returned from a tour in Asia, and now I’m traveling between Lisbon and London for a few gigs before heading back to Milan. I’m preparing for my next big move to New York City… more on that later!KOTT: Can you enlighten us on the meaning of your artist name?BP: I’m actually quite curious to know what people think when they hear it. There wasn’t too much thinking behind it. I’ve been using pomade in my hair daily for the last 10 years, so it’s part of my routine and personality. At the time, I was testing this heavy pomade from Murray’s, which is actually black. Black Pomade. I liked the sound of it and thought it suited my musical style, which draws a lot from the past, it’s deep and classy, yet bold and cheeky at times.KOTT: What inspired you to embark on this journey with music?BP: There wasn’t a specific event that started my journey. I grew up listening to club music and dreaming of the day I could enter a club, dance, and feel the beat in my chest. I organized my first party in the back of a karaoke bar in my hometown when I was 15. Probably totally illegal, but it was great fun, and people still tell me about those parties with fond memories.KOTT: Here at KOTT we’re big fans of your Manzo Edits series. Can you tell our readers a bit about it?BP: Thank you for the kind words, it’s nice to hear that! For those who might not know, Manzo Edits is a disco edit series that has now reached its 4th volume. Each release features edits from three guest producers, plus one by myself. These aren’t just typical edits that layer some drums and call it a day. Many push the boundaries to the point where it becomes hard to tell if it’s an edit or an original track using a sample. The project started when friends sent me work to check out and test in my sets. After receiving a few really promising edits (the ones that ended up in volume 1), I thought they deserved a proper container to be valued. I’ve always enjoyed the game of chasing mysterious vinyl-only series in record shops, so I thought it would be fun to participate to the chase, but from the label’s side.KOTT: What have been the biggest challenges in running the label?BP: One major challenge is ensuring we sell copies. We print around 300 copies per record, which is small compared to big names in pop music. Anyone who has ever put out underground club music knows that selling even 300 units of a €1 digital track is a success. Imagine doing that with a much more expensive record! To achieve this, you need to orchestrate many moving parts: artwork, mastering, printing, distribution, sales, promotion… keeping track of all that can be challenging. Luckily, I collaborate with some really good professionals at the top of their game in their fields, which makes my life much easier.KOTT: On the flipside, what has been the most rewarding part of running a label?BP: The best part is seeing people proudly share the record or play tracks in their sets and radio shows. It feels like all the struggles and hours of work are finally paying off, delivering the main goal of the record: making people dance!KOTT: You have achieved many things recently. What are your further ambitions as an artist?BP: Wow, I’m flattered to hear that because I’m quite hard on myself and always think I should do more, so thanks for giving me a chance to celebrate! I’m working to refine my sound, both in my sets and releases. I would like to collaborate more with other producers and musicians, to get inspired from their vision too. Eventually, I would like to release an album but I’m not there yet. Meanwhile, I want to continue increasing my reach and fanbase without compromising my artistic vision.On the events side, after creating the Whoopee party series in Lisbon, I want to work on a regular event in New York too, as I’m moving there in August. Eventually, once I have a more established following, I’d love to open my own small club. I have a very precise vision of how a nightclub should feel, but it’s often hard to implement your vision when you’re just the promoter or playing as a guest. Having full control will allow me to get closer to my vision. Any investors out there interested in joining me? 🙂KOTT: As someone deeply rooted in the House & Disco scene, what state is it in right now? What notable artists are emerging?BP: Compared to a few years ago, the classic disco house sound seems to be a bit on the decline. It’s the usual cycle: when genres become codified, a lot of cheap clones start to pop up, saturating the scene and making it less cool and interesting, so people migrate to other places. What I love about the genre, though, is that it’s approachable for people who don’t usually go clubbing but also appreciated by seasoned club-goers. This mix creates a diverse dancefloor and, from my experience, a great party vibe. There are still many great artists pushing the boundaries and evolving the sound, including those associated with the Whoopee parties label, where I do A&R. We’ve released a few interesting EPs that strike a balance between innovation and familiarity, which is what I strive for also in my sets.KOTT: When you are not busy with music, what might we find you doing?BP: It probably won’t come as a surprise that I spend a reasonable amount of time geeking out on hair products! I also spend a fair amount of time pumping iron at the gym while listening to music and digging gems for my next set. I’m not a gym buff but I try to be consistent because I see the benefits: after gigs, I used to have a lot of pain in my legs until I started working out more regularly. That helped me a lot. Lastly, not many people know that I have a background in software engineering. I don’t code as much these days, but I sometimes still work on projects that align with my vision of the world.KOTT: What else have you got coming up?BP: The big news is that I’m moving to New York City in August. It’s a huge move, and starting from scratch in such a competitive scene is both scary and exciting. New York is very different from any place I’ve lived before, but it’s the birthplace of much of the music I love, so I couldn’t be happier. On the music side, I want to focus on releasing more originals. Edits are fun and very useful tools, but I want to be taken seriously as an artist and originals allow me to fully shape my sound. I have a few things coming out soon that will better explain what I mean!KOTT: Finally, tell us about 3 about three of your best discoveries from recent records digs!BP: The first one comes out of the label Forest Jams’ catalog, it’s my favorite track from the reissue of the ablum Ultra-Hyper Cosmic Voice by Nami Hotatsu. I had the pleasure to meet sam in Osaka while we both briefly lived there, his kindness and passion for music is contagious. I invite you to dive deeper into their catalog, it’s packed with fine stuff!Another discography worth checking out is the one of Fabio Paras, a social media-shy pioneer of progressive house. I open the b2b set I played at La Terrrazza in Barcelona with his track “People” and I could see from people’s looks that they realized something had changed. That place is great, and I had one of my best sets there, so I’ll always have fond memories tied to this track.
Last but not least is this record i found at a record shop in Seoul (Junction) in the used bin. I tested it the same night at a very nice club called Arga. I get the chills just thinking about how much people were screaming and jumping over this tune! An Italian guy playing a Cuban tune to a Korean audience, this is the exact level of cultural contamination I like to bring into my sets!
