Head of the newly minted, queer identifying VRAAA label and a celebrated protagonist on Berlin’s most sexually liberated dancefloor, Pornceptual, Projekt Gestalten is the identity of Brazilian techno producer and DJ, Diego Garcia. Through the exploration of pornography as an art form with the Porceptual collective for more than five years, Projekt Gestalten has encouraged and inspired guests to freely explore their sexuality. It took to a point where a recent Boiler Room in partnership with the collective was deemed too explicit for YouTube before finding vindication on PornHub.
Adorning their DJ sets in various forms of white wedding dresses and baroque embroidery, Projekt Gestalten’s sexual-kinks, queer desire and bold feminine spirit flaunts a unrivaled promiscuity of tongue-in-cheek tawdry that’s pushing techno music and its artistic, sexual appetites that much further. A figurehead within Berlin’s queer techno scene, and diamond in the rough of ‘twenty-tens’ Netlabel culture, Projekt Gestalten’s exploratory conquest of melodic, harmonic and hypnotic sounds is starting to spread around.
Having found pride of place as an established entity controlling soundtracks at risque nightspots and parties the world over – namely making their way through London, St. Petersburg and New York to Sao Paulo and Paris – Diego Garcia’s emergence from the obscure raves of Berlin and its presiding internet culture now sees the artist, with a burgeoning discography and remix catalogue for the reckoning, as an out and loud center stage presence and trailblazing queer, music identity.
Hey Projekt Gestalten!
How are you doing and what have you been getting up to recently?
Hello. I am doing great. I have been working on my new album. To be released later in the year and it is a project I have been working on the concept for the last four years. And I am also working on music for compilations, future EPs and other projects.
What have you got planned post-lockdown?
I am not quite sure I am so far ahead. I am trying to live one day at the time. I would like to join a massive party somewhere but, honestly, since it’s been over a year I don’t see agglomerations of people; I’m afraid it will take a bit of time for me to get used to be surrounded by strangers in the middle of the dance floor without panic anxiety.
What music have you been digging recently and can you share a couple of tracks you’d like to play in your first set back?
It’s been four months since my last trip to the record shop. Then, it all got shutdown for the time being. On this trip, I bought a lot of stuff from Giant And Dwarf Records, which is a techno label from early 00’s focused on releasing compilations made by newcomers. In regards to the tracks I would play in my first set back. I am quite not sure. I would like to play stuff that is new or unreleased. To look to the future. I have been receiving great upcoming or unreleased tracks by my homegirls Amanda Mussi and Elle Dee and promos by very talented artists such as Estella Boersma, Pagan, Cri de Coeur and DROUGHTWERK. I would definitely play all of them.
What’s the best set you have ever listened to/ witnessed and why?
That’s got to be Ed Davenport 12 hours closing set at Berghain back in 2014. It was such a magical trip with so many lawyers. It wasn’t a linear set, the moods would change constantly but there were so much coherence between the tracks. And then, to top it all off, the very last track he played was Massive Attack’s Unfinished Sympathy. One of my favourite tracks of all time (that I also would play sometimes as a closing track in my sets). I almost cried. I remember him coming out of the DJ booth to dance with his lovely girlfriend. Well, even more perfect would be him dancing with me so part of me kinda wanna trip them but they were too cute for me to do that. Plus, it was the night I’ve met someone special. So I will always cherish that night – even if the outcome of that meeting led to so much pain and drama afterwards. But, for that night, we were untouchable.
Who’s the greatest DJ of all time?
In my humble opinion, that would be DJ Pete. He can do no wrong with everything he does as a DJ. Not only technically but also when it comes to track selection and reading the crowd. Plus, his posture is impeccable in and out of DJ booth. Always friendly, always positive and he doesn’t let his success or reputation getting over his head. Just an exemplary professional.
If you weren’t a DJ what would you be?
Well, I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Visual Arts and I still do some stuff related to video editing. I think I would have dedicated myself entirely to filmmaking or video art. I guess I would always be an artist but using different mediums.
Mood Wax – What do you listen to?
When I’m feeling good I listen to:
Soulful house music. Anything by Todd Terry, Masters at Work or C&C Music Factory.
When I’m sad:
My good and old Portishead. Specially “Roads” from the Dummy album.
When I’m relaxing:
I like movie scores and piano themes. Philip Glass’ The Orphée Suite is a good one. Or the soundtrack from this really trashy B-movie called “Orca – The Killer Whale” composed by Ennio Morricone. I have been trying to get my hands on the vinyl for years. But the price is a bit too much for me. Someday though.
When I’m in the car:
Haha. Back in Brazil, when I was driving from the club back home at 6AM in the morning, I would put me some Groove Armada. Specially Inside My Mind (Blue Skies). I need relaxing music to drive.
When I’m watching the sun rise:
Give me some deep house, such as DJ Sprinkles – Grand Central Part I (Motor City Drum Ensemble Bassline Dub).
When I’m cooking:
I play some krautrock. I put the whole Tago Mago album by the German band Can.
When I’m at the beach:
Depends of who I am on the beach with. With friends, I would play some upbeat music like house music. With a date, I would play something sexy, like Massive’s Attack Silent Spring with the amazing vocals of Elizabeth Fraser.
When I’m pre-drinking:
I would play some classic R&B. Destiny’s Child, TLC, 702, Aliyah and so on.
When I’m at an afters:
One of the reasons why I avoid after hours is because I have a very specific mood when it comes to afterhours music. Some people still want to get it on and play upbeat music. I am the opposite. I wanna hear weird, relaxing and melancholic music. I wanna hear some Air (the Virgin Suicides era) or some Björk (the Vespertine era). Or weird experimental stuff like Catastrophe Anthem by Clark.
Thanks Projekt Gestalten.
