For the first episode of our new Revibed Selectors series, we couldn’t be more thrilled to invite Lyon-based Brazilian DJ Trepanado (aka Augusto Olivani) for a trip into the deepest corners of our music catalog, resulting in a delicately curated, two-hour-long set that will have you hooked from start to finish.
With a vast repertoire, impeccable technique, and performances that impress the most perceptive music lovers, Trepanado has become a well-known figure in Brazil and the global music scene. Having earned his reputation as a master music digger and insatiable party player, his talent has taken him on tours across the Americas and Europe.
From his own Selvagem’s mythical Carnival party in Rio to the prestigious Dekmantel festival in Amsterdam, Trepanado spreads his unique musical influence, captivating audiences worldwide with his unparalleled passion for Brazilian musical heritage, as well as electronic and disco music.
We had the opportunity to chat with him and learn more about his trajectory, early obsessions, musical inclinations, and thoughts on Revibed. Happy reading!
You went from a journalist to a DJ/producer and party organizer… How did your music journey evolve?
Long story short, the idea of becoming a journalist was a way of getting closer to the arts world that I endeared as a late teenager in countryside Brazil. I was trying to take part in it somehow. I was the kind of kid that was listening to Slayer, Weather Report, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Chic when I was 14 (but I didn’t tell my friends I enjoyed disco music).
I was fortunate to see Kraftwerk playing their comeback tour in 1998 alongside Massive Attack doing “Mezzanine”. I moved to São Paulo and, in 2001, I was doing a fanzine before I graduated, for which I interviewed Steve Albini, Teo Macero (Miles Davis and Dave Brubeck producer). Anyway, in the end, my journalist career took me elsewhere, and I managed to keep my love for music protected.
Some of my childhood friends tried the DJ path before me, and I think deep down being a DJ was one of my life goals — the ideal of controlling the music environment around me has been there since the beginning, and I was always trying to show people something that might blew them away.
I started DJing in an amateur-ish way around 2004/2005, but it was more like a hobby. It wasn’t until 2011 — already married and with a kid — that it really kicked off, when I met my former DJ partner Millos Kaiser through a mutual friend and we started throwing the now legendary Selvagem parties downtown São Paulo and playing together. Around 2013 the party had really kicked not only in São Paulo but also in Rio de Janeiro and that was when I decided to quit my job as a journalist and become a full-time vibe manager/party entrepreneur, with all its ups and downs (and a pandemic along the way).
What’s the story behind your DJ alias, Trepanado? Any fun anecdotes you want to share with us?
It wasn’t supposed to be my DJ name — in the beginning it was just my alias on message boards 20+ years ago but I ended up sticking with it. I first learned about trepanation in the book “Provos” by Matteo Guarnaccia, which features the fascinating story of Bart Huges — who, among other things, drilled a hole on his own skull during an arts happening, aiming to correct his “brainbloodvolume”.
In the end I became so obsessed with trepanation that I ended up going on a self-discovery trip in Peru, looking for one of the tribes that originally performed the ritual/surgery near Cuzco, and got myself a little skull hole.
What kind of music are you into, and what do you always carry in your bag or USB? Is there a record that you would still like to add to your collection but haven’t been able to get your hands on yet?
I’m usually on the groove side of things when it comes to DJing, even if it’s dark and gritty and fast. I keep an open mind and I try to avoid the rat race adventuring myself where not many people would go. That said, since I attended the school of disco and house, that’s where my heart is.
My bag/USB stick is always pretty mixed, ranging from 90bpm to 140bpm, and I approach it as a drawer/cabinet of spices, with street soul, zouk, kwaito, electro, boogie, afro-caribbean music, punk-funk, new wave, new beat, italo, disco, house, deep electronic music and Brazilian bass/funk, and I go through it combining the elements the best way I can in every occasion.
Now, there are many records that I’ve slept on or never managed to find… Adila’s “A Gata Selvagem”, Clube Naval’s “Salva Vidas”, “Destination” by Tek Noir, “Aguere de Iansã” by Brazilian techno trio Lunatics, Sebastian’s “Follow My Heart”, Gerson King Combo’s “De Madureira À Central” 7”, Frank Harris LP with Maria Marquez’s “In a Minor Mode”… Recently, the one that really struck me and that I discovered a bit late is a LP by French group Omertá titled “Collection Particulière”.
You’re often back in Brazil to run the Selvagem parties… Can you tell us about the concept behind it? Has it crossed your mind to bring the party to Europe?
For the past 13 years Selvagem has stand for an open-minded dancefloor with the Brazilian touch. That means you can hear a particular blend of different genres in our parties and it makes sense because Brazil is so mixed, warm, and tropical. There’s not really a concept about it — except for the carnival parties because, well, it’s carnival, it’s no regular washed electronic music event –, it’s just about discovering great music together and dancing. Selvagem is regularly updated, but I try not to follow any trends, because trends come and go and in the end what’s most important is its community of dancers and its foundations.
I organised a few events in France, in Paris and Lyon, where I currently live, but bringing the party to Europe is a very different affair because you’d need a tight crew unit, or to have different production associates in different countries, because everyone has its specifics when it comes to permits etc. I have already a pretty occupied life to throw myself at it — or maybe I’m just old enough, or wise enough, to not get involved in more party promoting than I already am.
How did you approach building the mix? And what vibe can we expect from it?
I must say it wasn’t easy, because there’s so much stuff already available in the Revibed platform that you end up with tons of potential tracks. Even if I knew some of them, it’s complicated to build a mix entirely of music you became recently acquainted with — going against the DJ saying that states “know your music”. I approached it as a Trepanado-DJ-set-at-Selvagem-in-a-nutshell, starting slow, going all the way up, then back a little bit. One can expect electro, synth wave, street soul, disco and house, with a few curveballs thrown along the way that I hope will get listeners asking what the fuck that is.
Are there any tracks in your Revibed selection that really stood out for you and that you would like to play throughout the summer? Why?
Quite a few! At the moment I’m obsessed with “Why” by Napoleon. Total slept-on record, kinda Milano-New York connection, so good. I’m eager to play “Banzay” by MC Alexandre in Brazil as well — the lyrics are way too crazy, like schitzo-sexy, it’s a shame most of you can’t appreciate it. And, of course, the Black Science Orchestra Mix for Crue-L Grand Orchestra which is just a perfect house music record that can turn any party into a great party.
Finally, we noticed some unknown jams in your mix. Could you share some hints about where these tracks are from, their styles, or what you like about them?
Yeah, I thought it would be fun to have the listeners and the community engaged by throwing some blood on the water and watch the sharks hunt! There’s a thrill in it for those who like to find new stuff. Anyway, 2 of my under-the-cover records are Brazilian and street-wise. The house one is off the radar, like, a quite known group that you wouldn’t expect to have such a jackin’ track. The last one is my favorite African disco song of the moment, and it comes from a country that speaks French. Enjoy!
👀 Discover more about Trepanado’s recent work, his productions and compilations:
- His SelvaDisco Label
- His 2023 edit for MM Discos
- His 2023 remix for Tigerbalm
- His 2019 Brasil Street Soul compilation
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Our Selectors series showcases the work and talent of DJs and music collectors from around the world, who continuously contribute to building the vibrant Revibed community.
