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Intimacy as Resistance / Burden

Interview with Burden.

Burden’s techno doesn’t hit fast, it creeps in. Stripped-back grooves, loops that linger, tension that builds over time. Rome’s underground gave him his foundation. London sharpened it, added edge and impatience. He treats the dancefloor like a laboratory. Every set, every track, is a chance to stretch time, to make people feel something beyond the drop. That’s the idea behind BLOOM, the London project he co-founded. Long sets, carefully crafted journeys, a real connection between the artist and the crowd. In this conversation, Burden talks about production, DJing, the state of the scene, and the threads that tie his music, his teaching, and his community work together.

Your stage name pays homage to the renowned American artist and performer Chris Burden (1946– 2015), whom you had the privilege of meeting. Do you feel in some way like a bearer of his provocative works, which challenge the limits of the body, safety, and art itself? And speaking of limits, what has been your biggest “burden” so far?

I had the pleasure of meeting Chris Burden while I was working at Tate Modern, and we spoke about his work, particularly Metropolis II.
I had moved to London a few years earlier, and I was beginning to feel the weight of living in a big city. Metropolis II is a megastructure made up of thousands of small cars moving at extreme speed, without drivers, trapped in endless loops that never lead to a destination but always return to the starting point. The energy being consumed exists solely to keep the system running.
For me, it became a powerful metaphor for contemporary life and for capitalism as an automatic system, one in which no one truly drives or makes decisions. The system continues through inertia, while people are reduced to little more than components within it, gradually dehumanised and worn down.
Perhaps this is also the greatest burden I face on a daily basis, aside from personal matters. For an artist without financial backing, producing art today means navigating a system that consumes time through labour, commuting, and economic pressure, leaving little space for creation beyond what is necessary to survive.
When it comes to the question of whether I see myself as a bearer of his provocative work, I would say no, I could never compare myself to an artist of his caliber. But I do believe deeply in the power of art as a tool for critique, resistance, and questioning the world around us. Whether it’s political, a search for beauty, or just exploring emotions, art has an incredible force. The problem is that too often we get caught up in the market rules, in making it “sellable,” and we end up commodifying something that should be alive and challenging.

Although you’re originally from Rome, you’ve been living in London for several years, moving from the land of the sun to the capital of storms. What prompted this major change? Has it influenced your musical style? And what were your main influences at the beginning?

Actually I come from a small town just outside Rome, so the experience of living in a big city wasn’t something I was used to. The decision to move mainly came from the idea of studying sound engineering at university, there weren’t many options where I came from.
I’ve just been talking about the challenges of life in a big city, but at the same time, the personal and musical growth I experienced in London has been essential in shaping who I am today. Before the pandemic London gave me so much, I was able to listen to and discover countless artists, connect with so many like-minded people, and experience things I simply couldn’t back home. The ability to go from one club to another, to hear music any day of the week, from clubs to concerts to squat parties, was incredible. I really threw myself into every experience to absorb as much as I could from it.
My musical influences before moving to London were quite diverse: blues, jazz, and all sorts of rock and metal, I played guitar for many years. My first contact with electronic music however, was through Rome’s Autonomous Zones Forte Prenestino, Villaggio Globale, and Brancaleone, and later in clubs such as Goa and Rashomon, where I played regularly before moving to London.
Just to mention some highlights, Rome had an amazing techno scene, and artists like DJ Red, Giorgio Gigli, Donato Dozzy, Neel, Lory D, and Leo Anibaldi were all part of my early influences in techno.

After your first EPs as a producer, such as Rounddub (2017) and 03 (2019), you became a tutor in 2021 in sound design, music production, mixing and mastering at the renowned Home of Sound, and you now teach and work at Point Blank Music School. What can you tell us about this experience? What are the pros and cons of teaching something that is, ultimately, also your passion?

I consider myself very lucky, but at the same time, I’m fully aware of how many years of hard work it took to turn my passion into my job. Making a living solely from music is far from easy, and over the years I’ve learnt the importance of diversifying.
Gigs are usually the main source of income, in a simple “hours worked versus money earned” way. But if you take into account all the preparation, the time spent digging for new music, practicing, and developing your skills, the hours that are actually paid for the gig are only a small fraction of what an artist invests. I say this especially for those who have just started DJing: most of the time, the fees offered by promoters don’t even cover basic costs, and it often ends up being the artist paying to play, rather than the other way around.
At the same time running a party comes with enormous costs, and most of the work done by smaller, underground promoters is driven more by passion than profit. The bigger picture is that the ecosystem itself is completely unbalanced.
Even for artists who have already paid their dues and have a few more regular gigs, income often isn’t enough to live comfortably. So if you don’t want a separate job outside music, you have to learn to diversify your income while staying within the scene.
Teaching was initially a choice made out of necessity, but it quickly became another passion. It’s a real pleasure to share knowledge with people who are passionate about the same music, and it’s constantly inspiring to see how each student’s personal sensitivity shapes their musical output in completely unique ways, producing results I could never have imagined on my own.

Your discography is fascinating and seems to carry a political leitmotif: think of the EPs The Fall of Capitalism (2020), Feast of Fools (2023), or the track Dirty Bourgeois released on BCCO. In a world where political correctness sets limits, do you think music still has the power to overcome them?

Absolutely! Music is political. And I don’t necessarily mean that every track talks about governments or laws, but music has always played a role in reflecting, influencing, or critiquing society and power structures.
It’s interesting how many people think of techno simply as dance music in a club, stripping it of its roots. Techno is actually a social and cultural response to injustice, exclusion, and urban crisis. It creates spaces of freedom and community, and it should always experiment beyond the rules imposed by the mainstream. In itself, techno is music of resistance and liberty, disguised as an electronic pulse.

In August 2024, BLOOM was born, your series of events bringing your vision to London and gathering the artists you admire in an intimate, underground setting. DJs like Claudio PRC, Kaiser, Sandrien, and Deluka have performed. How did this project come about? How was it received, considering numbers and London’s competition? How would you describe the scene you found?

BLOOM is very much a collective project. At the moment, Ilaria, Michele and I are all equally involved, each bringing our own roles and perspectives, while sharing the same level of responsibility when it comes to decisions. My main focus in the project is the creative direction and lineups curation. We try our best to focus on musical consistency throughout the night, we love when the night feels like a coherent journey, from start to finish. This is something we feel is missing, we like to offer artists longer sets, usually 3 or 4 hours and we really think about how the music will evolve depending on the artists we book.
Another focus is intimacy and deep bond between artists and crowd. Over many years of clubbing and parties, I’ve always found something special about smaller venues, where a real connection and energy is created, something that’s hard to experience in bigger venues, large events, or festivals.
Being able to bring artists we admire ,many of whom are used to playing in larger venues and command higher fees, to smaller clubs is both a huge honour and a joy. We’re really happy with how the project is evolving, and the fact that it comes entirely from passion and love for the music and the culture it represents, rather than as a business venture, makes it even more special.
I can say with confidence that every edition has been unique in its own way. There’s always been a deep connection between our audience and the artists performing, and this is equally thanks to the incredible artists we’ve booked and to the quality of our crowd, which we can genuinely call a family.
Regarding the scene, I want to avoid focusing on the negative. There is a huge part of the community that’s looking for something different, something meaningful musically and in terms of real connection and community, not just a space exploited for profit or appearances.

“In itself, techno is music of resistance and liberty, disguised as an electronic pulse.”

Exactly one year ago, in January 2025, you made your debut at the legendary Fabric in London as the only DJ in R3, delivering an intense all-night-long set — a once-in-a-lifetime moment. What did it mean to you? And what does it feel like every time you’re back behind the decks in a club where you spent years, like when you played B2B with Yant a few months later?

Fabric is one of those clubs that really shaped my musical identity from the very first time I stepped inside, right after I moved to London. DJs like DVS1 and Klock, Villalobos’ endless closing sets, and of course the incredible residents… I have so many powerful memories and emotions tied to that dancefloor.
Being invited to play an all night long set there was definitely one of the highlights of last year.
Playing in Room 3 feels very different from the other rooms. I remember talking with Jorge, Fabric’s creative director, about the musical direction for the night, and he described Room 3 as “a club within the club.” That really stuck with me, and it felt important to bring something completely different from my usual techno sets. It ended up being one of the most emotional and rewarding experiences I’ve had as a DJ, because I was able to really move freely across different genres that are part of my musical background, from ambient to dub, through minimal, electro and lots of house, barely touching the playlists I’d normally rely on.
The vibe in that room was incredible from start to finish, so much so that I ended up playing an extra hour to an hour and a half past the scheduled closing time. A really special synergy formed, and that’s exactly the feeling I’m always chasing as an artist, that true symbiosis between music and people, where one beat moves everyone together. It was something special.
As for the B2B with Yant in Room2, it was another fantastic and memorable experience. Andrew and I have known each other for a few years and have shared the booth in the past, but we’d never actually played B2B before. I have huge respect for him, as a producer, as a DJ, and most importantly as a person.
We had talked a few weeks before the event about tossing around some ideas and discussing the direction of the set, but as usual, with life being so hectic, we only remembered on the day that we hadn’t really prepared anything. We barely picked a couple of options for how to open the set, and that was it!
I have to say, I’m not usually a massive fan of B2B sets, but when the music and personalities of two artists complement each other so naturally, even without speaking, that’s when something magical can happen. I was so happy to play with Andrew, we clicked instantly and I think we really took the crowd on a great journey. The three hours flew by, and by the end we were in full sync. Honestly, I think we could have played another three or four hours if we’d had the chance.

I had the privilege of seeing you live twice in Milan: at the Eureka party and more recently at Le Orrende party. On both occasions, I noticed your constant exchange of glances with the audience, almost like a natural gesture or a necessity. Is that so?

It’s funny you mention that, and it’s definitely not the first time I’ve heard it. What people notice is actually a very natural gesture that came out of necessity. Let me explain.
I remember my first times playing in front of an audience in Rome, especially the many opening sets at Rashomon when I was barely 18. Promoters would put me on the very first slot of the night, but in reality I was playing for people queuing outside, waiting to get in. By the time the doors actually opened, I often only had about 30 minutes left of my set.
Still, it felt like a huge responsibility. Back then, everyone kept saying that the opening set is one of the most important moments of the night, and honestly, that’s one of the biggest truths, and something that gets overlooked far too often by promoters today. I clearly remember my hands shaking and my eyes barely leaving the decks.
Over time, with more experience, I realised that the only real way to connect and understand what track fits a specific moment is by looking at the dancefloor, feeling the energy and knowing when to push things forward or pull them back. It’s about sensing what’s working and what isn’t in real time.
Every venue is different, every crowd is different, every time slot is different, and every sound system is different. That’s also why every DJ is different, two people can have the exact same playlist and still play it in completely different ways. I feel It always takes a bit of time, from the first record you play to the moment you really feel in control of all those elements. Sometimes that connection is instant, other times it builds slowly, because you’re constantly listening, feeling and adjusting.
That’s why looking at the dancefloor becomes essential. What might look like a habit is actually something that developed out of necessity, a gesture that, over the years, has simply become natural.

What can you share with us about your future? Are there any upcoming projects or ideas you’d like to reveal?

There are quite a few things I’m working on at the same time, and in the fast paced rhythm of London they keep getting slightly pushed back, but I’m confident they’ll finally see the light soon.
We have some important dates coming up with Bloom, featuring some of the strongest lineups we’ve curated so far. The project is now split into two slightly different directions: on one side, club nights in a new 300- capacity venue, where we’ll bring our vision of techno; on the other, a collaboration with a smaller, secret space where we explore more eclectic sounds, leaning towards house, dub, and electro, styles we’ve always been deeply connected to.
We’re also expanding the project beyond a party series. Bloom will soon become a record label, releasing both vinyl and digital music, and we’ll be announcing more about that very soon.
On a personal level, I’ve also started producing more again, so after a short pause there will be quite a few new releases coming out this year.
At the same time, I’m developing another personal project, something that started as a bit of a utopia and is slowly becoming more concrete. It’s about finding ways to rebalance the music ecosystem from the ground up, touching on both social and economic aspects, and I really hope it will come to life soon.
All in all, it’s a future full of music and ideas in progress, and hopefully, very soon, all of this will turn into the present.

“A really special synergy formed, and that’s exactly the feeling I’m always chasing as an artist, that true symbiosis between music and people, where one beat moves everyone together.”

Intimacy as Resistance / Burden

Credits:

Artist: Burden (Andrea Greco) / @burden_bloomldn
Ph: Mattia Gargioni / @mattiagargioni__
Words: Gianmaria Garofalo / @gianmaria.garofalo

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