Decadence stands for “an extreme expression of elegance and diversity, a cultural movement unique in its kind”. How did it all come about and who are the key players behind it?

Decadence is a driving force that’s born with self-respect. The key element behind it is the egregore. If you don’t know Decadence, you don’t know yourself.

How did you end up choosing the name “Decadence”, is there any particular story behind this choice?

I didn’t choose Decadence, it just happened. You cannot talk about it, or process thoughts, without first mentioning the word itself. How can you tell when something is truly yours? When it is carved deeply within you, as an integral part: that’s how. I wanted something which reflected that feeling each one gets when finally letting go after a long period of restrictions. Of course, the word itself has its own etymological history and has taken on different meanings in different languages. In French, it denotes decline or deterioration, while in English it refers to excessive self-indulgence. Our Decadence encompasses who we are, what we do: we push boundaries and blur the lines between art and excess.

How/where were the very first events organised, what changed most throughout the years and how did the crowd evolved?

The crowd evolves when it decays into indecency. Since its inception in Bologna in 2005, Decadence has been a roof for many subcultures. Over the years, BDSM community has been growing exponentially. The culture oriented over style and submission that prevails within this particular subgroup, then, gave birth not only to its fashion, but also the opportunity to experience one’s passions within the community.

Decadence has travelled around Europe in intriguing castles, historical mansions and sumptuous villas. How different is it to party in this kind of locations rather that in the usual club?

What characterizes our events in locations other than clubs is the apparel, more akin to this type of place, and also the way of experiencing such event, which in clubs is often music-oriented instead; in the villas and castles the dress style is sophisticated and rather gothic. The halls of the locations, reminiscent of history, are set up with bondage equipment, the focus is more on art exhibitions, magical practices and the music can be from classical to darkwave/electronics. Inside some of these venues there are also museums. In the club there is certainly a greater energy, an excess in which the experience is lived physically in an intense way: the dress is more naughty and fetish, leather or postpunk oriented; we host live concerts, body modification performances, there are the hardest underground musical genres and themed events for people with specific interests and preferences for clothes, focuses on medical dress-up culture, for example or dedicated to fetish uniforms.

What is the most common misinterpretation about your work and Decadence?

A social, structural and bodily interpretation couldn’t accurately capture its essence, because Decadence goes way beyond such boundaries.

Decadence has hosted some extraordinary artists and performers over the years. Are there any particular acts that stand out in your memory? Or someone who you particularly desire to collaborate for the next editions?

Visage played in Italy for the first and only time on the stage of Decadence; Steve Strange died shortly after. Psycho Cyborgs and Aesthetic Meat Front have left an unforgettable mark also, being the most extreme performers worldwide. I remember people fainting during the show! P.Cs is one-of-a-kind experience, in all times: some of their shows’ blood paintings have been exhibited in Parisian art galleries. Thoughts become real, so: if I had to choose someone we have never hosted, I’d say Haus Arafna, a highly controversial band that has never performed live by choice.

Tell us about the music you like playing at Decadence, how do you usually prepare your DJ set? Have you ever considered producing your own music?

I like to provide rare music, gems from decades past, songs from eastern Europe that are unknown and almost impossible to find. I try to play the same tracks in different sets, in order to get the audience acquainted to them, make them “catchy”. I love to mix very different genres, blend all the varied types of participants in one single dancefloor. New beat, minimal synth, industrial, deathrock, techno, ndw, italodark all coexist in my sets, all united by an obscure sound which is suitable for the type of event. I don’t pre-plan anything at home, I have to be overwhelmed by the situation; until just before, I am waiting for the epiphany to start with, that’s why I use 4 or 5 devices at the same time. Once I produced a song which was included in the Decadence compilations (now unavailable, probably because the album covers were censored in several countries). I would love to produce other songs, but at the moment I am focusing on film production and writing. A book of mine will be released: “Madonne”, an observation of the figure of the Woman through the Sacred Scriptures, a work that deals with religion and BDSM.