Populous - W '2020

Tracks list

Populous, aka Andrea Mangia, DJ and producer hailing from Lecce, in Southern
Italy, is excited to announce his new album “W,” due out May 22nd
with 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 MÂ¥SS KETA, L I M, Matilde Davoli and Lucia Manca.
Collaborations born of discovering one’s sexual freedom, from perpetual
motion, from constant traveling, physical and musical. With a background in
musicology, Populous is known for his global approach to music-making. He has
always been interested in disparate genres and styles of music, which is
reflected in the output from the Populous project and its focus on Latin
American sounds as refracted through a European lens. In 2003, Mangia made his
first jaunt into the music world with the album ‘Quipo’ (via Morr
Music), followed by ‘Queue For Love’ in 2005. Influenced by his
reggae/hip-hop-infused surroundings (Lecce is known as Italy’s Jamaica,
as reggae and dancehall are extremely popular there) he released ‘Drawn in
Basic’ in 2008, which was well received by international critics, earning
him a spot on the global dance music map. The 2010s have seen Mangia refine the
Populous sound with albums like ‘Night Safari’ (Bad Panda Records)
and ‘Azulejos’ (Wonderwheel Recordings), while also expanding his
role as a sound designer for fashion houses such as Gucci, Vivienne Westwood,
Isabel Marant, and Elie Saab, among others. ‘W’ releases on
Wonderwheel Recordings May 22nd. 

Tracklist:
01. Populous - Desierto (3:34)
02. Populous - Soy Lo Que Soy (3:45)
03. Populous - Flores No Mar (4:23)
04. Populous - Fuera De Mi (4:12)
05. Populous - HOUSE OF KETA (feat. MÂ¥SS KETA & Kenjii) (3:38)
06. Populous - Banda (3:18)
07. Populous - Petalo (3:33)
08. Populous - Out Of Space (2:49)
09. Populous - Getting Lost (3:21)
10. Populous - Roma (feat. Matilde Davoli) (6:13)

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