A series where music lovers share some of their hidden gems.
Number 80 is by Diogo Lacerda (Lilás, Childhood Intelligence), a Portuguese selector based in Ghent.
Tell me about your musical roots.
Far from what people may think or not, I do not come from a family of musicians or anything like that. Even though my Dad during the 70’s was an important figure as a nightlife entrepreneur and club owner in Lisbon, he was not a DJ either, perhaps more like a selector for friends. He was a very avid and passionate music collector and selector, therefore while I was growing up, music was a connector between us. We used to spend a lot of Sundays in his Home office going through his record collection and maybe this music fixation comes from those countless hours spent together. From the age of 10 till 16 I was lucky enough that he took me to see and listen to perform artists that for sure became all-time favourites and huge inspirations for me, like for example Michael Jackson, Prince, Pink Floyd, Sting… But the artists I would say influenced me more in my creative process are Phil Collins, Mike Patton, Alan Parsons, Brian Eno, and Philip Glass (through Ricardo Villalobos at the time of my 20s).
Today, my sound is broad and eclectic. I collect and edit everything from ambient, downtempo, and future jazz to house, techno, and trance, preferring not to limit myself by genre. I’m really into trying my interpretation of things and using a hybrid approach to my sound… I focus on the emotions music evokes and the memories it brings back, often influenced by the gigs I’m preparing for or where I'll be playing next. Storytelling through music is what excites me the most it’s a creative process that serves as both a mental health refuge and a source of joy in my daily life. I maintain a more personal and reserved approach to exposure, balancing a busy nightlife schedule with my career as a multimedia designer. While I still enjoy going out, especially to support talented friends and listen to artists I admire, I find that the research and digging process is where I’m truly happiest.
What is your favourite place to dig and why?
Killacutz in Amsterdam, one of my favourite things to do is grab a Flixbus midweek and spend the full day listening to records there, turning around crates and full boxes entirely while almost alone in the store. One of the things I love the most about this shop is that they always have a really fast turnover of record collections, so there is a big chance every time you go there you will be able to dig through an entirely new record collection which makes things very interesting and broad in a way. For more than 10 years I also have cultivated my habit of digging through Bandcamp and I find a ton of music there. It’s an amazing tool especially when you don’t have a lot of budget to buy the records you want.
What do you listen to when you want to chill?
My chilling preference music-wise is for sure slow and downtempo, I use SoundCloud a lot to listen to some incredible downtempo podcasts and I discovered a lot of music information and incredible artists by doing this since more than a decade ago.
Can you share with me your favourite podcast at the moment?
I can recommend the CHILDHOOD MIXTAPEZ series from my best friend Label/Project - Childhood Intelligence, really broad and interesting musical stories in there for sure. My favourite podcast I have been listening to this year is from an Incredible Dutch artist called Koen.fm for the Out There Amsterdam podcast series.
