Milan always changes after midnight. The polished surface the city is known for slowly disappears and something more instinctive takes over. The crowds get louder, people move closer together, conversations blur into music. Nights start stretching longer than expected.
That was the atmosphere inside Ex-Macello for Mochakk Calling. Sweat on the walls, phones lighting up the room, strangers screaming lyrics to records they probably heard for the first time thirty seconds earlier. The energy never really dropped. At certain moments it felt less like watching a DJ set and more like the entire room moving through the same emotion together.
Right now, Mochakk exists in a space that feels increasingly rare in electronic music. While a lot of club culture has become cleaner, faster, and more calculated, his sets still feel driven by instinct. Brazilian classics appear next to house records, old vocals get reworked into something contemporary, and references from different cultures blend together without ever sounding forced.
Backstage in Milan, CASAWI spoke with him about Brazilian identity, emotional curation, crowd energy, and why dance music still needs to feel human.
How would you describe yourself to someone discovering your world for the first time?
Just a guy from Brazil that loves music. I like finding sounds, mixing references together, and sharing that energy with people. Somehow, that became my life.
Tonight in Milan felt intense. At some points the crowd looked completely possessed. How did the night feel from your side?
It was beautiful. Italy always gives a lot of energy back. People here are loud in the best way possible. You can feel when the crowd is really with you and tonight felt like that from the beginning.
This was also the first Mochakk Calling outside of a festival setting, so it felt more personal somehow. More raw.
Your sets move between Brazilian classics, house, old vocals, unexpected edits. What usually sparks a mix for you?
A lot of it comes from curiosity.
I listen to music all the time and I’m always trying things out. Sometimes it starts with a vocal, sometimes with a groove, sometimes just a feeling. I like when two completely different worlds suddenly make sense together.
A lot of attempts fail too, honestly. But that’s part of the fun.
There’s a strong Brazilian energy in your sets, even when the music changes direction completely.
I think that naturally comes from where I’m from and what I grew up listening to. Brazilian music has rhythm, emotion, warmth. Even if I’m playing house or something more electronic, that feeling still follows me.
I don’t try to force it. It’s just part of who I am.
Do cities influence the way you play?
Definitely.
I always like bringing something local into the set if there’s music from that country I genuinely connect with. In Italy I always end up playing something Italian. Tonight it was Pino D’Angiò.
It’s a small sign of respect. Like saying: I see your culture, I listen to it too.
A lot of dance music today feels very calculated. Your sets still feel emotional and instinctive. What matters to you in a track?
For me, the most important thing is honesty.
You can feel when someone made a track because they really believed in the vibe, not because they were trying to follow a trend or create a hit. That energy reaches people differently.
I don’t really care about genre that much. If something feels real and it moves me, I’ll probably play it.
What keeps dance music exciting for you right now?
The connection with people.
Every crowd changes the music in some way. You can play the exact same track in two different cities and it becomes a completely different moment. That exchange is what keeps it alive for me.
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