Trikk is one of the greatest ambassadors of Portuguese electronic sound. Bruno Deodato was born in Porto, where he was influenced by local music… and by certain African sounds that fell close to him. He soon moved to London, attracted by the clubbing and DJ scene in the British capital. There he forged his credentials. There he managed to create music that would find its place on labels such as Lossless, ManMakeMusic and, above all, Innervisions. With the recognition and support of Dixon and Âme, Trikk has become a great resource for the best intimate electronic selectors of the moment. Having lived and experienced the charms of Berlin’s scene, Trikk now returns to Porto, to Pérola Negra in particular, to meet many of his old friends.
You said once that you don’t know how to do anything else apart from music. C’mon, there must be something you’re good at…
Sleeping?
Regarding the production of a track, you said that there’s no limit when trying to finish it. You just feel it. Someday, a musician and composer said that songs are never finished but abandoned. Do you agree?
I agree, everything is good enough conceptually but never practically -personally speaking.
You also said that you’d like to have cheaper basic needs, in order to concentrate more on music and art. Could you explain a bit more?
Starting as a musician, cheap rent and food are advantages for you to focus on your goal. If you live in a city like New York or London, your time will most likely shift towards working for food or rent, because its expensive. At the same time, you also want to live in those cities because they are creative hubs. It’s a win-lose situation. I was thinking in a “perfect world” when I did that comment, but there’s no such thing and that’s okay also.
You don’t collaborate with many artists. Who are you more up to collaborate with and why?
I just don’t force it. I’m more interested when it happens naturally. Could be anyone – I will be more open for experimenting than collaborating with someone just because I know it will work musically.
Nelson Cavaquinho’s “Juizo Final” is one of the tracks you’d listen to before dying. It’s def not what you usually play. Is that music kind of your biggest influence? Where does your taste for that music come from?
I love music that evokes sadness and its honest. That’s “Juizo Final” for me. It’s not my biggest influence, but all the early samba and bossa nova are something I connected with deeply, maybe because the chords they use, the lyrics… I don’t know. It has a tragic honesty or a “saudade” feeling to it, which relates to Fado in a way, which touches me personally because of my grandfather writing fado lyrics and attempting to sing it in Fado houses all over Porto.
Did your “Florista EP” change your life as a musician (because of the release on Innervisions) or was it just one more step in your career?
One more step, and every step changes my life, no matter how big or small it is.
Most of us started to know you because of “Proto Ryth”. Is it one of your biggest artworks? Could it possibly be the one which changed your life? What’s the secret in it or how was it born?
I’m not sure if it’s my biggest work. I don’t like to think about it that way. My biggest work is about to come every time I’m making music, even if it isn’t. Your mindset needs to aim that way. There’s no secret. I did “Proto-Rhyth” a long time before it was released, and I remember that I actually liked the track, but no one wanted to release it. Someone directed me to Lossless and said they were great people and they were releasing great music, so I did contact them and tried to meet them and we released an EP. Technically speaking, it’s my favourite “kick” that I created to this day, and I can’t go back to the project because I lost it.
You explained that Kristian Beyer (Âme dj) has a lot of your unreleased music. Is most of it never going to be released?
Dixon also has it, and yes, most likely will be never be released. Most music has a timestamp nowadays because it’s a faster-changing industry, and also people that consume this music change what they are listening or buying faster, which means my unreleased music doesn’t fit the “now”. Therefore, I don’t release it.
The other Innervisions leader, Dixon, is for you “a mentor and a friend”. What came first?
Mentoring and then friendship.
People in Europe maybe don’t know that you come from Porto but, somehow, you’re half African… Tell us more about it, and how does it affect/influence your music.
My father is from Mozambique and flew to Portugal because of a civil war there when he was young. It influenced me in a particular moment of my life, which was when I was working on my “Mundo Ritual” EP on Innervisions. I’m sure it keeps influencing me subconsciously every time I make music.
You are from Porto, but also have a big connection with London and Berlin.
Berlin is where I’m based now, which provides me with stability. London gave me life and music knowledge.
Next October 25th, you’re playing in Porto, your hometown. I guess it’s not just one more gig for you…
Every gig has some learning experience, so that makes every gig special in his own way. I like to come back to Porto, especially because I was born there. I’m still very much attached to the city itself and the people, even though I’ve been living abroad for almost 8 years now.
You’re playing alongside Rui Vargas. How’s your relationship with him?
I only have good things to say about Rui. He was the person that started trusting me right in the beginning, when I started to DJ, and booked me many times to play at Lux Fragil and other events. I have the utmost respect for what he achieved culturally for electronic music in Portugal. You cannot speak about club culture in Portugal without mention Rui.
What are your thoughts about the venue, Pérola Negra? And the current status of the musical & clubbing scene in your town?
I’ve been to Pérola once, but for a photoshoot that my friend was modelling at, and I wasn’t there yet since they opened regularly as a club, so can’t say anything about it. I’m looking forward to discover it. Same goes to clubbing – I have my favorites that I always go for social encounters but clubbing wise it’s been a long time since I was in a night out in Porto, to be honest. Porto, for me, was always very experimental, or at least the group of friends I was hanging out with. Also, techno had a lot of popularity since I remember. I think every scene shifts, sometimes better, and sometimes worse.
Where have you been in the recent days/weeks and what have you been doing?
I’ve been playing in the US – New York and Miami – and then I spent a few days visiting and making music.
A tip for young artists on how to keep your life healthy and calm with so many gigs in the calendar?
I can only speak for what’s good for me. Everyone has a different way of living a balanced life. I don’t drink (normally), smoke nor do chemical substances. This helps me a lot in heavy touring. I also do drink a lot of tea/juices (Reishi, Lions Mane, Chaga), which are natural mushrooms that help you bio-hacking your body in moments of need. For instance, if you need to play for more than 8 hours and extreme situations of no sleep.
Something you want to tell those who are going to see you next Oct 25th?
Leave expectations at home, respect others dancing and have fun.
(Cover Image: © Phlame)
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