Interview Mike Moggi Mannix 

Transcribing Raphaela Pawels

The Eclectrika boys have been on an upward trajectory for nearly 7 years in the Dublin scene.

We caught up with them recently for a pint and a natter…

 

Mike Mannix: It is probably the biggest interview with you guys so far because so much has happened with the pandemic, post-pandemic, and so on, so if you’d like to go back to March when it kicked off in Pygmalion.

Eclectrika: You love that moment!

 

MM: Yes because it’s defined you. This is the moment that defined Eclectrika after 5 years during Patrick’s week in Dublin. I didn’t expect it and I’m sure the guys didn’t expect it as well to see how quickly it blew up. So as a starting point this year, tell us about St Patrick’s week.

Pierr: Everything happened really fast. At some point, we were having 6/7 gigs around, in Pyg mainly but also around the city center.

Pyg was the most important

because the owner told us he had a new corner there before it became a whiskey bar and he wanted to open a pop-up for St Patrick’s and asked us if we wanted to manage it.

Of course, we said yes and we invited like 10 DJs. I started myself because I like to give the first vibe so that everybody has a general idea of the tempo and so on and to close. And people were stopping by like crazy!

 

MM: So that was the first St Patricks week after covid, so the place was packed with so many different people. What was the date of the gig? Because it started as 1 booking and then you got 4 dates. Tell us a little bit how that happened.

Mauro: So we were in opium as residents and Paul reached out to us about the pop-up thing in Pyg. So it is quite confusing for me because that week was so busy.

We were running around everywhere but after this week

Paul asked us to be residents in Pyg once he saw what we were able to do. So he gave us Sundays, an amazing spot

MM: Pygmalion never gave another crew that many gigs in a week and that was Paul giving you the respect you worked so hard for. So after this what happened?

Mauro: One thing I can say is that we were playing a lot before but since that day

everybody wants us to come to play at their party. It was such a great exposure for us

 

MM: After 5 years of hard work, this year is the year where it’s paying off. Post covid, everyone wanted to go out. Right place at the right time, with all the work that was put into it. It’s why I love interviewing you guys, you never gave up no matter how difficult it was and now you are one of the biggest DJ brands in the city. What other opportunities come from that?

Pierr: So after Pyg, places like Lost Lane and so on, started looking at us. So we had a meeting with Lost Lane about a gig on Sunday but we couldn’t as we were residents at Pygmalion on Sundays.

So we started to play every Thursday. It was great because it was 3 floors, with 3 different stages. We started at 300 people and the 2nd gig was 600 people! It was a big step and process for us, and we started working with new promoters. So we did Opium for a few months and then we stopped in August and we started this new brand Manicomio in Lost Lane

 

MM: And so what is this project, ad what does the name Maricomio mean?

Pierr: So it is a mental hospital in Italy haha, and we thought it was perfect because the place is mental, and you get lost. It was free until 11 pm and after that only 5€.

The idea was to make it a social place where all the different DJs (20 DJs every Thursday!) could come and play under 1 roof

We had some great names that came to play, Jayzo from Amsterdam, we had AM Right live performer from Italy. He opened for Jam Blomqvist. He does live singing and it’s amazing.

We also had REOSC a new Techno titan from Dublin headling the Iconic Underground Magazine party

So we would do a rotation with local DJs on the different floors, work with different promoters, and so on.

 

MM: You have launched new people as well like Tracy Cass, she’s brilliant! You have a knack for finding good DJs and you let them play big gigs, you launch their name and that is one part of your reputation. You guys are fair and if you see someone with a bit of talent and who want to push it you will give them a step up.

E: Yeah we involved a lot of promoters for Manicomio parties, but also a lot of different genres, the 1st room was Techno, the 2nd one was usually Tech House and House and the 3rd sometimes Drum & Bass, sometimes live music like Hip Hop. It was just a social place for artists to connect.

MM: So you went from DJing at parties to diving straight into a massive club, 3 floors, and then you had to fill that every week for 3 months, that’s a big step! As we went through the summer you were the only guys with this setup on a Thursday night and that type of music in the whole fucking city so hats off again.

E: Yeah thank you, it was very busy for us.

 

MM: Went to a few Manicomio events and it was brilliant. So at the same time as running this, you were still resident in Pygmalion and still working with Opium, tell us how that relationship has developed.

Pierr: Yeah so once/twice a month we would organize a big party in Opium and we had 800 people coming. It started with Ronan inviting us to play in the main room and later on, he proposed to us a free date as one promoter had to cancel his event.

It was like 20 days before so we decided to contact someone that throws really nice parties so that

we could collab and host this event together (Eclectrika and Soulstice).

We were expecting around 400 people and we ended up selling out and having 800 people. It was amazing, with great energy, vibe, and music everything was perfect. So then after this party, they offered us different dates and we ended up getting a booking once every 5/6 weeks.

So the last one was the 27th of December and we got amazing local DJs like Sarah Mooney and Mitzi. I was playing DJ DR. Flamer and Mhono Type. Unfortunately, our main guy Sabastian had to go to Brazil but he was the main DJ and marketing guy for this event.

MM: More people are knocking at your door now, especially with your focus on the up-and-coming local DJs.

E: Yeah, went to the District 8 Academy, which was organized by some of the best people in the industry in Dublin for the past 20 years, it was the first music convention and what we understood from that convention is that we have to support and promote Irish DJs but not just the top ones the up and coming as well, instead of just getting international guests.

We can get good fucking DJs here as well

MM: That’s the thing people respect about you, you get good names but you also give a chance to the up-and-coming. Can you tell us about your first gig in Index and how it happened? There was a big international guest Maceoplex and Fernando calls you to take care of room 2, how did that feel?

Pierr: Amazing man. we couldn’t believe it.

Fernando chose us for what we do and our music. We kept the room full all the time

 

MM: So you played in Index and then you got a call to play tonight. How does it feel to have one of the biggest guys in the Dublin scene come knock at your door?

Mauro: Just amazing, it’s been 7 years that we are working hard. Like 3 years ago, Eclectricka was mainly about the people that were around us but now it’s totally different. Before covid things were going too slow but for some reason, it gave us more energy, we had more to do. We were live streaming and so on.

 

MM: So can you tell us about the gig in Index?

Mauro: So a week or two after the first gig there, Fernando called us and he asked if we could play on the 2nd of December with Soulstice. It was actually Pierr mum’s birthday so of course haha. So the lineup is me (DJ Flamer), Mauro, Gabi Ozmann, and Mhono Type.

 

MM: Can you tell us about the two DJs you mentioned?

Mauro: So Juliano is Mhono Type and Gabriel is Ozmann. So

we did this big party together but we didn’t know each other

We met them 6 months ago to talk with us so after that, we did a few parties together but nothing was actually organized by all of us.

So when Opium gave us the dates we had 18 days to organize everything and we thought about them so I called them. We were looking for two guys like them you know, they have some skills we don’t have.

When you put an event together it’s not just about being a good DJ.

So for the marketing and everything online, it was really helpful. And I’m not saying that we are the DJs and they are the guys putting the things together. No, they are amazing DJs as well as producers. It was the perfect fit. We tried to find people for other projects but we never find anyone like them.

 

MM: Sometimes it’s better to wait a long time and when it happens, as you said, you knew instantly. Trust your intuition.

E: Now we have a party on the 27th of December and we already sold all the early bird tickets. I am 100% sure that we will sell out for that one.

 

MM: That’s what I love about you two. Such a positive mindset.

E: We spent 4 or 5 years getting into Pygmalion but we bring people with us that arrived 6 months ago you know from Argentina, Brazil, and so on.

It’s a dream for every DJ in Dublin to play there

Sebastian coming in

MM: Welcome to Dublin Sebastion. What is your first impression and how did you meet the guys?

S: In the first place I would like to thank Pierr and Mauro because they have 30 years of career you know. I think it’s madness that I only arrived in Dublin just two weeks ago and it was the first time we met face-to-face haha.

So I started to look at places where I could play and I am going to be playing in the streets right now. I am a musician, I started playing the guitar at 9, my father is a singer, my sister too and my grandfather was a singer also.

So, I was a DJ resident in Palermo for 5 years in Buenos Aires. All the tourists come to Palermo, it’s in front of the Plaza Serrano, right in the middle of the tourist place.

My family thought that it was only hobby but people started saying that I was very good and should pursue this passion of mine. I decided to cancel everything and go against what my parents believe in and start.

MM: And did you know that you would end up here? How the fuck did you end up in Ireland?

S: We have a friend in common, an Italian DJ.

 

Pierr: I actually theached this guy.

 

S: Without Pierr nothing would be possible haha.

 

MM: I say this all the time

E: And he is going to open at Index.

 

S: I have to say that today is a big day for me. Tonight all my live set is going to be recorded to be sent for a competition in Germany. It’s a big chance for me. Earlier you were talking about the pandemic and how it was going with music and how people were going out and so on.

I think that the pandemic pushed me to go out and reinvest in myself because what I was thinking is “what are you doing with the time that is given to you?

Maybe tomorrow you are going to die”

 

Pierr: It was the same for me, before the pandemic I had 2 jobs, DJing and events and another job but after the pandemic, I stopped everything to focus on DJjing.

 

MM: And it’s paid off. Back to Sebastian, you had that drive and realized you could do it.

S: So I sold my car and everything and came to Europe. I arrived in Italy in Naples and met my Neapolitan friend that I already knew from Argentina. So in the first place, I was playing in the streets and talking with people to know if I could play here and there.

MM: And a few weeks later you end up in Dublin playing in one of the biggest clubs in the city, after meeting these guys. Do you believe in synchronicity?

S: I feel grateful and it’s fucking unbelievable for me. I take it day by day,

you have to do whatever needs to be done and move forward

 

MM: Do you think you’ll stay in Dublin?

S: So I have my plane ticket to go back in Argentina already, I have many gigs over there. I have to say something, today I got a request to be a professor in an academy for Ableton Live in Argentina! So when I go back to Argentina I will have to meet with them and see. It is such a good moment in life for me. Also, I plan to come back here next year.

 

MM: Fucking hell! Also, Pierr started to get into producing so all the crossovers are mad. How you can all help each other

S: I think Eclectrika is going to become more of an international agency.

 

MM: 100% and it’s what they are already doing. Look at all the people you are putting together.

Mauro: Also there’s a lot of projects coming up for this year, Eclectrika is going to Berlin and production-wise also a lot of things are going to come out.

 

MM: This is the type of thing we were talking about a few years back that you were hoping would happen and now you made it happen. It’s an inspirational story really, you guys worked hard and now it’s fucking happening. So to wrap it up, what’s your plan for 2023?

Mauro: so we have a project for a festival, it would be huge if we can put that up for next year, we’ll update you in the coming months. We can’t talk much about it yet but yeah start to connect with everyone in Croatia, Brazil, Portugal, Berlin, and so on.

We (Solstice) are also headling the Irish Techno innovator HYBRASIL in Opium tonight February 17th for 2 hour live set!

 

MM: Amazing, thank you, guys.