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, he’s 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.
As a seasoned touring DJ with plenty of afterparties under his belt we sat down with Black Pomade and asked him to run through some of his favorite after party gems with us. Here’s what he had to say:
‘I’ve put together a selection of tracks that remind me of the vibes at the best afterparties I’ve attended or played at. Before I experienced playing at one, I used to think it was easy—you know, people are just out of their minds and you can play whatever you want and they’ll dance to it. But it’s actually much more subtle than that. You can’t go too hard because many dancers are in energy-saving mode; you can’t go too slow or you’ll put them to sleep. It’s about balance, floating in a space that stimulates the body just enough but mainly takes your mind somewhere else. I miss the days of playing the 9 am to 12 pm shift at Eka Palace in Lisbon; I haven’t played that slot in a while, but I’m very eager to do so, especially considering some of the rubbish I’ve been subjected to at some afterparty spots, including hours of boring, soulless tech house or even the Pink Panther theme. If you like the vibes below and want to dance to them, perhaps you could have a chat with your local promoter or club owner. Help a little kid trapped in an adult’s body get back to his playground…’
K-Sobajima - ‘X-Periences’
Speaking of equilibrium, balance—or better yet, harmony—it takes a Japanese producer to nail that. If you’ve ever been to Japan, you’ve probably noticed how deeply ingrained this is in their culture, and this tune is a testament to it.
Delegate – ‘Treno Notturno’
Shoutout to Matteo, aka Basically Ugly Covers, for introducing me to this gem. I tested and proved it in Seoul, at Arga club, where I had hands down one of my best sets of 2024. In the last hour, I went back-to-back with local DJ Ines for the last survivors, and opened the set with this one. It was like flipping a switch; it captured the dancefloor’s attention, and you could tell they were all jumping aboard this nocturnal train ride.
Steve Rachmad – ‘Mathar 3.0’ (Ghostmix)
Heard this one played by Satoshi Tomiie at our Whoopee party at Ministerium in Lisbon. It was a Sunday night, but people weren’t afraid to get down to this beautiful eight-minute trip that perfectly progresses with elements coming in and out, taking you through an emotionally loaded, slightly dark, and melancholic mind trip.
Logue II – Keep Me From Pain
A cliché that will never tire me at afterparties is the moment when the sunrise starts to shine through the windows, and you look around to see a bunch of beautiful, wasted, sweaty, smiling people—all very much in their zone, forgetting about everything else but their bodies and the rhythms they’re dancing to. This is absolutely the perfect soundtrack; pick a stranger or a mate and give them a massive hug.
NND – ‘Flowers’ (Paolo Mosca Remix)
It was hard to pick a track by Paolo Mosca, but I had to include him in this chart. Much of his music is perfect afterparty material—raw but full of soul. Listen to the melody of this remix and the way it fits with the very essential drums, and tell me it doesn’t make you want to cry on the dancefloor. I literally get goosebumps every time I listen to it.
Hoschi – ‘Is What It Is’
You may have already realized that most of the tracks I’ve picked are quite minimalistic in terms of elements, but choosing the right ones and making them work together to give you a certain feeling is much harder than it seems. The way the delay propagates, the choice of simplicity in the beat, how some elements slide in slowly, the groove created by the call and response of stabs and melody, the subtle effects to keep the interest alive are all you need in this track. Anything less and it would be boring; anything more and it would put me off as trying too hard.
Aural – ‘Desire’ (Fabrice 4 A.M. Mix)
I mentioned that the Japanese are great at afterparty tunes, but obviously I can’t omit that Italians know a thing or two about it. The ’90s and early 2000s saw some of the best afterparties happening on the Riviera, before politics and an aging society killed all the magic. Cosmic, dubby, dreamy—the Italo scene had a lot to say.
The Beloved – ‘The Sun Rising’ (K Lost Acid Dub)
“No afterparty is complete unless at some point an acid 303 kicks in. It’s like the Bat-Signal that it’s time to gather the last energies to bop on the dancefloor. Put this on and tell me it doesn’t immediately take you to a smoky basement.”
Atone – ‘Hot Knife’
Another essential element of the afterparty selection is breaks, crucial to reaching that equilibrium I’ve been talking about all along. Less banging and predictable than the classic four to the floor, it allows dancers to float the way they feel, exploring movements they didn’t even know they were capable of. I’ve seen people suddenly become contemporary dance performers on tracks like this one. Heads, arms, shoulders, chests, knees, feet—all become a brush in the air when the rhythm allows you to float.
Pete Blaker – ‘Donna Not Donna’
This is a bit of a bonus track. I heard it for the first time when Daiki played it at Mitsuki Tokyo. We had played music of the highest quality all night—a fine mix of prog, tech, and deep house that kept people going late on a Wednesday night. The backstage was also packed with people, including a random appearance by Martin Garrix (!?). We were playing a crazy b4b and this song came in, taking everyone with it to another emotional level. It’s such a great track that I couldn’t imagine anything playing after it; it’s strictly for closing the afterparty. After this, you just want to drift in silence for as long as you need, then put on your sunglasses and walk slowly to a greasy breakfast place.