Pornbugs: "We want people to feel happy, open, and present"

Since 2005, the DJ and producer duo Pornbugs has established themselves as a driving force in the global house scene, crafting music that captures the very essence of the dance floor. Their distinctive sound blends deep house, tech house, and minimal house with soulful grooves, creating a mesmerizing musical experience that connects people through emotion and movement. Authenticity, quality, and innovation lie at the heart of their artistry—values that have earned them worldwide recognition and a lasting emotional bond with their audience.

You’ve been active in the electronic music scene for over 20 years. How has your approach to music evolved since you started in 2005?

When we started in 2005, music felt like a way of positioning ourselves, finding identity through sound, technique, and scene. Over time, that perspective slowly dissolved. Today, we see music less as something we make and more as something we enter. Our approach has become quieter, more patient, and more reflective. Working as a duo has taught us to listen, both to each other and to what a moment actually needs. Experience brought a certain trust: in simplicity, in repetition, in imperfection. After more than 20 years, our focus is no longer on control or definition, but on presence, allowing space for something meaningful to emerge between us, the system, and the dancefloor.

Your sound is a unique blend of deep house, tech house, and minimal house with soulful grooves. How do you balance these elements to create such a distinctive style?

We don’t really think in genres. Deep, tech, and minimal are just different tools to shape a feeling. The balance comes from listening, to each other, to the groove, and to the room. Soulful elements are important because they add humanity and warmth. In the end, our sound is about tension and release, space and movement, rather than fitting into a specific style.

What emotions or feelings do you aim to evoke in your audience during your live performances?

We want people to feel happy, open, and present. If the audience lets go and trusts the journey we’re taking them on, everything else falls into place.

You founded your own label, Bondage Music, back in 2006. What has been the biggest challenge in running an independent label?

The biggest challenge has been staying true to our sound without isolating ourselves from a constantly changing scene. Over two decades, new generations of DJs, dancers, and listeners come and go, and trends shift quickly. Not following every hype, while still remaining relevant and consistent, takes patience and conviction. Running an independent label means trusting your long-term vision, even when the short-term rewards aren’t obvious.

How do you select the artists you support and promote through Bondage Music?

Bondage-Music has always been built around long-term relationships. We have a strong core of resident artists like Mihai Popoviciu, NTFO, Frink, Dilby, Sascha Dive, and Markus Homm, artists we’ve been working with consistently for many years. Alongside that, we’re always open to new talent. There are so many strong young producers today, so the only real criterion is the sound. We usually start with a track on our digital compilation series Deep Value, and if the connection feels right, we develop it into a full release. That’s how artists like Lito (AR), Steve Kelley, Alexander Matchak, or Ross Kiser became part of the label. Most recently, we discovered Alejo Ruiz, whose deep house sound really stood out to us, we’re excited to give him the space for a digital release coming this summer.

Electronic music is constantly evolving. What new trends or influences inspire you today?

We’re not chasing new trends as much as reconnecting with familiar ones. Right now, it’s the deeper, timeless house vibes that inspire us again, groove-driven, emotional, and built for long moments on the floor. It feels less like something new and more like a reminder of why we started in the first place.

You’ve played in cities all over the world, from New York to London, São Paulo to Bogotá. Is there a particular crowd or live experience that has left a lasting impression on you?

Buenos Aires has definitely left a lasting impression on us. Every time we played there, the vibe was intense but incredibly warm, people were fully present, open, and deeply connected to the music. It’s one of those places that stays with you long after the night is over.

Your music is described as authentic and high-quality. What does maintaining these values mean to you in your production process?

For us, authenticity means staying honest in the process and not forcing ideas just to meet expectations. Quality comes from taking time, listening closely, refining details, and only releasing music we truly stand behind. That same mindset guides how we choose the music for our label, if it feels real and meets our standards, it belongs there.

What does your typical creative process look like when working on a new track or a live set?

Most of our ideas come from real moments on the dancefloor. After a good party or a strong gig, we often carry that energy back into the studio. We try to translate the vibe, the groove, and the feeling of that night into a track, keeping it intuitive rather than overthinking the process.

Looking ahead, what new projects or collaborations can fans expect from Pornbugs in the near future?

We kicked off 2026 with a new EP on Acker Dub, including remixes by Tuccillo and Nicolas Barnes. This was followed by a collaborative EP with Dilby, released on vinyl and later digitally, featuring remixes from Rhadow and Dachshund. In April 2026, we will release our first joint EP with Steve Bug, alongside remixes by Markus Homm and Mihai Popoviciu.

Looking ahead, we have several collaborations coming up with Frink, including an EP on Sublease, the label from Steve Bug, another on our own label Bondage-Music, and a further release planned on Lazic, the label from Cristina Lazic. Over the summer, we’ll also release a remix for Alejo Ruiz, the new artist on Bondage-Music. In addition, two new Pornbugs tracks, one with Steve Bug and one with Frink, will appear on our Bondage Music 20-year anniversary compilation, a very special limited 4x12” vinyl only box set scheduled for release in early July.

Toward the end of 2026, we’re preparing the release of our first full-length Pornbugs album, marking an important new chapter for us. Alongside all of this, we’ll be hosting several label events to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of Bondage-Music, so it’s set to be an exciting year ahead.

Thanks a lot for the interview, and hopefully we’ll see each other on a dancefloor in Italy sometime soon.

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