DJ Tafkanik

Interview by Fidel Trotman

Photos by Christopher Howe

 

Welcome to DMCWORLD! Would you like to tell us about where you’re from and how you came to be involved in the Berlin Berlin party?

Hi! I am originally from Poland, I grew up in Vienna and have lived in L.A. as well as Brighton…but I call London my home! The Berlin Berlin crew was looking to spice up their new party with a queer touch, which was shortly after the very successful launch of Homostash at Dalston Superstore. We agreed to try it out on the 2nd Berlin Berlin event in October 2015 and that was the great start of our wonderful co-operation that’s continued ever since!

Can you tell us more about your obsessions with Trip Hop, Italo-Disco and Downtempo and what artists attracted you to these musical genres?

I’ve got fascinated by trip hop as a little kid already and I was lucky that my parents and their friends listened to quite cool music so I came across Bjork and Massive Attack pretty early on. As I became older I found a lot of other trip-hop downtempo acts such as Portishead, Lamb, Pati Yang, Morcheeba, UNKLE, GusGus etc. and I couldn’t get enough of their sounds. Their music spoke to my artistic and quite melancholic teenage tastes. My fascination with Italo-Disco on the other hand is probably there to balance it all out and bring some easy-going happy vibes into my world!

You sing and write your own material, and your piece of music “Two Lovers” was massive in Austria. Has being a pop star been on the cards from a young age and were you always hoping to pursue something musical? 

I wouldn’t call it massive, but the radio airplay of ‘Two Lovers’ opened a few opportunities such as performing at international festivals and on TV and they were fantastic experiences.  Most importantly it gave me the confidence as a song writer to do my own material and the chance to work with musicians, producers and artists I always admired but did not have the confidence to approach until I got the reassurance that my music and vocals weren’t be that bad.

Give us the lowdown about your renowned party “Homostash” which has a massive gay following. Explain in a few sentences what makes it so special and why? 

Well first of all it’s the crowd who come to the parties. We started off as quite an alternative event, a moustache was supposed to be a synonym for something that stands out and makes you a bit different, something that you can wear with pride. Having a moustache might not raise an eye brow in East London these days, but head west or outside of the city and some people still feel the need to comment or make a joke if you have a moustache. So Homostash, became a place where kids could admire people with moustaches, just be themselves and have a crazy fun time! We don’t exclude anyone, in case you can’t grow a moustache or if you are a girl we will give you a fake one and you can join in the fun. The other main factor is the music, we make sure that the DJs are top notch and that people want to go there because of the music too as well as some great visuals and art by local LGBT artists that we showcase.

Where do you find your rather fetching moustache sexy male models from? 

Everywhere really. Sometimes I meet them on the street and approach them, sometimes they contact us via our social media platforms and sometimes I meet them at the Homostash parties. My moustache guys radar is on 24/7 and if there is a moustache around I will spot it!

Apart from being a raving “Homo” do you dig chicks too? 

Especially chicks with moustaches!

So you host the Loft at Berlin Berlin with Cockheart and does this collaboration make the night different from the regular parties you do at Dalston Superstore?  

Well the main difference is that although it’s a mixed crowd at Dalston Superstore the majority comes from the LGBT community. Whereas at ‘Berlin Berlin’ we bring that crowd to Egg London plus a lot of curious people who were probably not intending to go to a LGBT party or are just discovering their sexuality and they feel more at ease in that setting. They check out The Loft and feel the Homostash vibe, enjoy the music and it’s such a crazy and relaxed atmosphere that many people get drawn to it.

What can clubbers expect from you at Berlin Berlin musically?

My crew and I want to take the crowd on a journey. We usually start with a happier House vibe then move on to Tech-House and finish the night off with Techno.

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What plans have you got for Homostash this year? 

Besides making our Homostash parties even more exciting and bringing a variety of international DJs to the event in the coming year, we are also working on two Homostash related projects. I don’t want to jinx things until they are set in stone but things are shaping up nicely so I can give you two clues. The first project involves East London based fashion designer Matteo Molinari and for the second one we are doing a lot of new photoshoots with sexy moustachioed guys across different locations. So watch out for more Homostash stuff this year!

Tell us how the collaboration of Homostash and Cockheart started and describe what it brings to the party? 

I’ve been friends with the Cockheart crew for a while and they used to come to the first ever Homostash parties that were quite underground at the the Moustache Bar. They were supportive of Homostash from the beginning. We collaborated already with the Pornceptual collective from Berlin at the ‘Berlin Berlin’ party and when the idea arose to bring some cool collective from London, Cockheart was an obvious choice.

Are there any up and coming DJ/producers that you have been taking note of on the London gay club scene and what makes them special? 

All my regular Homostash DJs are doing wonderful stuff at the moment besides Homostash and that’s what I think makes our team and party so strong. Carly Foxx is currently working on an amazing DJ project in India and she will be releasing her new EP ‘Under My Skin’ out this month on Vitalik Recordings. Pavliné has just expanded his party, Sweat, to Dalston Superstore and he is bringing some Berlin sound to London and JVP is just the best at getting any party going! His sound is flawless. I couldn’t also fail mention two DJs I had the pleasure to work with at Egg London, Fidel & Julian Murariu. Their back 2 back sets are epic.

Lastly what should we be listening to before we head out the door to Berlin Berlin?

You should listen and watch the video of DJ Hell’s ‘I Want U’. That tune really brings out the Homostash vibe and watching the naughty Tom of Finland visuals with a lot of moustachioed leather boys will make you want to party with us all night long!

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DJ Tafkanik heads up Homostash Vs Cockheart at Berlin Berlin on Saturday March 18th at Egg London with DJs Pauline, JVP and Lorac. Roman Lindau and Markus Suckut are in the Main Room; Sisyphos residents Fidelity Kastrow, Jonty Skrufff and Juli. N More on the ground floor; Betriebsfeier DJs Coco Berlin, Empro, Siopis and David Delgado on The Terrace and wild performances from Kuntskammers Lewis G Burton Kassandra Powell, Marnie Scarlet, Von Kuntz, Bliss Theadora, Beatrix Carlotta, Cynth Icorn, Alejandro Gocast and Ko***ne Tyne. All info at www.egglondon.co.uk