Polari (Staffan and Pjotr) are DJing Wrecked on Saturday 11.22 at new venue Good Room in Greenpoint, and we’re super excited for it. In anticipation of the party, we caught up with Pjotr about what to expect from this weekend’s Wrecked. He’s also giving us a listen to some new mixes from him and Staffan. Check them out below, and we’ll see you at Wrecked on Saturday!
OAK: What can we expect from this Wrecked, which is a collaboration with your party Polari from Stockholm?
PJOTR: Well, me and Staffan (Lindberg) feel really closely connected to Ron and Ryan in what we do. I mean, it might be different in some ways, but we have a similar set up; we play quality house and techno for a gay audience that is starved on good music. We play the kind of stuff that we want to hear when we go out to parties, and unless you go to some very specific parties in bigger cities in the US, or you live in Berlin where you can go out anywhere, you can rarely find these this music in gay clubs. I think all of us play mainly straight parties in general, so to do something like this is really special for us – create a spot where we want to go and hang out ourselves and flirt with cute boys… Who wouldn’t like to go to that party?!
OAK: This will be the first Wrecked at Good Room, which just opened in Greenpoint. What can you tell us about the space? What about it works for this party?
PJOTR: Since I’m not from here, I am unfamiliar with the new venue but have heard wonderful things about the space and sound system. Good sound is key. I trust Ron and Ryan, their profile in the states is solid, diverse and very inclusive similar to Polari. I have been wanting to work with them for some time so it’s all really exciting. All four of us playing will be a treat.
OAK: Polari was a code language used by gays, actors, circus and fairground showmen, prostitutes and criminals in the 1950s and 60s in London. What about this word do you guys identify with? What made you want to name your party this?
PJOTR: I’ve heard about this language for quite some time, it’s really funny actually. A lot of words that we use today like “camp”, “butch”, “drag” comes from Polari which is pretty amazing. When we decided to start this project this summer that just passed, we thought it could be fun to have gay history in there. The venue where we do it in Stockholm is predominantly a straight club, and both me and Staffan can really tell a difference when we play, that more gay people turn up for our gigs, which is exactly what we want. Part of choosing the name for me was also the fact that all the straight people who would come would have no idea what it stands for i.e. they would be totally surrounded by a gay atmosphere in all possible ways. Kinda like we would be fucking them up the ass without them knowing.
OAK: Other than getting ready for this party, what are you working on right now?
PJOTR: I’ve been in NY for some months, but still we’ve actually been starting some club nights in Stockholm during this time, ha ha… Staffan has been continuing the Polari party and also opened up our new bar club thingie, Café UFO, which went really great. Me myself have been enjoying the city, been doing some DJing, discovering new bands and spots. It’s been really great. I’m planning some new music related business for the future but it’s way early to talk about. It’s very inspiring to be here. This city does things to you on a deeper level.
OAK: How do you plan on closing out 2014, and what are you looking forward to about the New Year?
PJOTR: Actually me and Staffan are doing a NYE party in Stockholm at this amazing place called Under Bron, they approached us about a while ago so we are in the middle of planning what we want to do and which artists to work with. It will be fun! We used to do a club there about two years ago called GUMM4N. It means kinda like the same as when you guys here say “guuuuuuurl”… It was really great. Then we both became residents for the club Berns in Stockholm so it has been a while since we played there. We’re gonna make 2014 end with a bang. Continuing what we are doing in 2015 and just expanding musically… New year… New hopes… Secrets…
OAK: Who parties harder, NYC or Stockholm?
PJOTR: Ha ha… This is a tough one. I feel like Swedes are really born with some alcohol in the blood, we are really good at drinking and this gives us a certain advantage… But do you know what, I feel that there is a similar spirit here in the way we party. Your opening hours can be a lot better though… At the same time, for that reason, we do really, really good illegal parties at home that go on forever…
OAK: Favorite piece of clothing you own?
PJOTR: Ughhhhh, impossible question. During summer I tend to turn into what I call “sexy clown.” And I have totally worn out this pair of hand painted Comme des Garcons sneakers. I still don’t wanna give them up. But now when winter is approaching I seem to go into full Rick Owens mode. Every year. Same thing. I have these new cashmere pod shorts that I like a lot. But my bank account hates them.
OAK: What are you currently listening to?
PJOTR: There is so much music in my life, even when I don’t think about it. Such a hard question. But some current favourites are definitely this guy called Black Light Smoke, he’s one of yours I think, the track “Firefly” is amazing. Also some other stuff I really love is Steffi and Martyn’s collaboration as Doms & Deykers, the track “Fonts for the people” is the best thing I’ve heard for a while. The whole EP is great. “Let’s talk about gender baby” by Planningtorock is also really fun. Oh, and this Brooklyn based trio Bottoms – I’m obsessed! Their track “My body” is everything. I hope to work with them somehow in the future. If you don’t know what this shit is – come Saturday and I’ll shove it all down your throat!
OAK: Bottoms are great! We worked with them on an event during the summer. Where can you be found when you aren’t throwing/DJing parties?
Uhm, my bed. Eating chips. God I love chips, don’t you? So good. And if not there, then I actually think inside a club somewhere. I don’t know, but I have always felt connected to the club in a deeper way. For me it has been so much about freedom and being who I am. The first thing I do when I travel, I prefer to travel alone, is to check up which bars and clubs to go. It can be really frightening to go out on your own, but also really great. There is so much than can happen. It can be wild or very intimate, just absorbing music, hanging in the shadows. It’s very comforting to know that wherever there is good music, deep bass, people. That can be my home wherever I go.