W

Populous, aka Andrea Mangia, DJ and producer hailing from Lecce, in Southern Italy, with his new album "W," via tastemaker imprint Wonderwheel Recordings. The new album "W," for women, is Populous' tribute to free and diverse feminine musical imagery. Inspired by women who sing, write, compose and play and for Populous are both icons and friends, hai from Italy, Japan, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. "W" is also a celebration of femininity beyond stereotypes, less defined by gender rather a common uniqueness that is the perfect response to the uniformity imposed by the machismo still reigning in the music industry. With the new album, Populous has opened up about his queer identity, making his first queer-identifying musical statement. From songs to artwork, he has created a visual manifesto to present feminine musical imagery. The artwork was conceived together with Nicola Napoli (a digital artist in Berlin's queer scene) it is, in Populous' own words, the representation of "a utopian party we would have done anything to be invited to." An eclectic crossover party, improbable yet coherent, where you'd meet Grace Jones and Missy Elliott, Loredana Bertè and RuPaul, Aaliyha and Amanda Lear, Beth Ditto and Divine while dancing to shamanic house, digital cumbia, vogue beat and glitch electronica. Populous is accompanied on each track by the independent artists he admires most: Sobrenadar, Kaleema, Sotomayor, Emmanuelle, Barda, Weste, Cuushe and the Italian M¥SS KETA, L I M, Matilde Davoli and Lucia Manca.