Irish dance kingpin blk. talks about his remarkable rise to stardom, his worldwide DJ adventures and his huge anticipation for his performance at Longitude.
Over the last few years, Tipperary native blk. has become one of the biggest stars on the Irish dance scene. His irresistible grooves have attracted huge audiences, with tens of millions of plays and a monthly follower count of over 200,000 on Spotify. Along the way there have been numerous breakthrough live moments, with blk. headlining festivals, playing at Boiler Room Berlin and touring around the globe.
Earlier this year saw another major milestone when he became the first Irish solo DJ to headline Dublin’s 3Arena, playing a highly received set on St Patrick’s Day. More recently, the deck superstar had another hit with ‘Parasomnia’, a pounding hard techno workout created in collaboration with Circo.
A highlight this summer will of course be the highly anticipated homecoming date at Longitude, where fans can expect an electrifying set of mind-blowing dance anthems. All this and more was on the agenda when we recently caught up with the high-flying dance maestro for a chat.
I read that your father owned a record store. Was there a “Eureka!” moment when you decided to become a DJ?
Yes, my dad had a record shop in Limerick years ago, so I was always surrounded by music growing up, especially dance music. I think that definitely contributed to me making music my career. I also started producing in my early teens and made a lot of different styles of music, including house. But deep down I always wanted to make harder, faster music with more feeling. I’m glad I went down that path, otherwise I wouldn’t be where I am today.
It’s fascinating how a 13-year-old went from his childhood bedroom to the 3Arena without the support of a major label. Is it because of gigs, Spotify, TikTok – or a combination of all three?
The journey so far has honestly been crazy and the last few years are a bit of a blur. But my team and I have put in a lot of work behind the scenes to get things to where they are today. But to answer your question, a mix of certain shots I’ve taken and show footage that’s gone viral have definitely contributed to my amazing journey so far.
But I feel like my music has a huge impact on my fanbase too. Everything just fell into place the way it was meant to and that’s something I appreciate every day. I’m so grateful and owe a lot to the people who support me and stream my music daily and have done so for years. There’s definitely a blk. cult fanbase out there!
Have you met any particularly inspiring people since your rise?
I have been very fortunate to meet many great inspirations along the way, but what fascinated me most was meeting Amelie Lens.
What were the first gigs you played when you started?
My first gig was in Sligo at Kilgallen’s Bar after we came out of Covid. There were 200 people at the event and to this day that show means a lot to me. Tipperary doesn’t have many clubs and therefore doesn’t have a big techno scene so I had to head to Limerick to get a taste.
There is a renaissance of the underground party scene in Dublin, which is spreading by word of mouth. Have you benefited from this?
I’ve been hearing great things about underground parties in Dublin and across Ireland. A lot of my close friends are very active in the scene and it’s great to see the resurgence of the underground. I’m looking forward to seeing it grow even more in the coming years.
What were the wildest performances you’ve ever had?
Any gig in Australia is close to my heart, it’s one of my favourite places to play, but Creamfields, 3Arena, Emerge and Electric Picnic are also some of them. Honestly there are so many it would be impossible to list them all.
What gives your music its intensity?
The dance floor, for sure. Going on tour always inspires me and has a huge impact on my ideas for the songs I want to do.
The Irish dance explosion has seen artists like you, Belters Only and Jazzy headline. Who will be part of the next wave?
There are so many great Irish artists. A couple I really like at the moment are Datsko and Revoxx.
How did people like Goldie and Richie Hawtin become aware of you?
I can’t really tell you how. But it’s really crazy to me that some of my biggest influences and especially my parents’ favorite artists know who I am or have heard my music. It blows my mind every time I come into contact with one of these iconic people and all I can say is that I’m truly grateful for this journey.
Dublin is about to introduce a 24-hour license. Do you think this will lead to a renaissance of the local club scene?
Honestly, I hope this happens sooner rather than later. When you play in Europe a lot, you realise the greater benefits of longer opening hours. It’s quite sad to see Ireland follow suit so late, but the work that Sunil Sharpe and the team behind Give Us The Night have done over the last few years is truly amazing. I hope more people can support this movement.
Your tattoos are incredible – do you have a favorite place?
Thank you! My contact, Eric, who has done most of my tattoos, works at a shop called Third Eye Tattoo in Clare. Follow him on Instagram @ericjvrtattoos – he’s the GOAT.
In your extensive travels, has there been a city where you went and thought, “Wow, they did it right”?
There are so many amazing cities around the world that I have had the pleasure of visiting over the last few years, but I really enjoy the Italian cities in particular. The buildings and scenery are beautiful, the food is incredible and the people are welcoming. There is also an incredible energy on the dance floor.
Also in Melbourne and Sydney the people are amazing and the love in Australia really makes it feel like a second home when I visit. It’s so beautiful. I also want to mention Colombia – my last few shows in South America were amazing. They really do have some of the friendliest and most welcoming people in the world and I’m looking forward to exploring more parts of South America soon… CHIMBA.
What advice do you have for the next wave of young artists?
Follow your heart when it comes to the style of your music. Don’t be afraid to release music you love for fear of what others might think – I feel like this is very common among aspiring producers. Any feedback is good feedback. I encourage you to share it with the world and I promise someone will like it.
What are you working on at the moment?
Lots of big things coming up including a hybrid live set that I hope to debut soon. I’ve also been grinding and making music for my alias DJ 2QWIK2GRUV and of course some dancefloor destroyers from blk.
And finally, how do you feel when playing Longitude?
I’m so excited to be back. I played last year’s edition and it was absolutely amazing. Funnily enough, it was my first time and it was hugely hyped. There’s literally no better feeling than playing in front of your home crowd, but I’m even more excited to see what it’s like to play on the main stage this year.
blk. plays Longitude on Saturday, June 29th
