Christian Johnson (Rikky Disco): Reviving Disco in Stockholm and Beyond on the On Location Sessions at ADE 2023 10/20/23

Christian Johnson (Rikky Disco): Reviving Disco in Stockholm and Beyond

In this colorful Virtual Session from ADE 2023, The DJ Sessions host Darran Bruce sits down with Swedish DJ, producer, and nightclub owner Christian Johnson, also known through his duo project Rikky Disco. Based in Stockholm, Christian has been pioneering a modern disco revival, hosting bi-monthly events while performing with partner Fanny, blending live keys, vocals, and DJ sets into one seamless act.

Christian shares the origins of Rikky Disco, including his serendipitous meeting with Fanny at a music organization party, where her unique voice inspired him to pursue disco in earnest. Their collaborative chemistry evolved into a full-fledged project focused on creating authentic disco for today, complete with real strings, brass, and lush production. The result has been growing recognition within the global disco community, including chart success on Traxsource with their single Set Me Free and support from icons like Dave Lee, Michael Gray, and David Morales.

The conversation explores Christian’s use of modern production tools, balancing the convenience of software with his appreciation for analog gear, and his vision for future performances that might combine orchestral musicianship with club-ready beats. He also discusses the intimate yet thriving vibe of his Stockholm nightclub, how disco stands out in a scene dominated by techno, and the importance of networking at ADE to connect with like-minded artists and promoters from around the world.

With a fresh sound, growing fan base, and clear dedication to reviving disco’s energy, Christian Johnson is proving that the genre is more alive than ever.

Show Notes 

Host: Darran Bruce
Guest: Christian Johnson (Rikky Disco)
Location: ADE – Amsterdam, Netherlands

Overview:
Darran Bruce speaks with Swedish artist Christian Johnson about his project Rikky Disco, his mission to revive disco in Stockholm, and his experience at ADE 2023.

Topics Covered:

• Origins of Rikky Disco and collaboration with Fanny
• Building a disco-focused nightclub scene in Stockholm
• Blending live keyboards, vocals, and DJ elements in performances
• Inspiration from Donna Summer and the classic disco sound
• Latest release Set Me Free on Midnight Riot and its chart success
• Recognition and support from Dave Lee, Michael Gray, Birdie, and David Morales
• Using software synths versus analog gear in modern production
• Vision for future performances with orchestras and jam-style sessions
• Nightclub capacity, atmosphere, and disco’s place in a techno-heavy scene
• Benefits of attending ADE for networking and building global connections
• Performance for Midnight Riot at Victoria Hotel during ADE
• Future goals for Rikky Disco and upcoming releases

Call to Action:
Follow Rikky Disco on Instagram @rikky.disco and listen to their latest single Set Me Free on all major platforms.
Discover more exclusive interviews and live sessions at thedjsessions.com.

[Darran]
Hey everyone, welcome back to another episode of the DJ sessions presents the on-location sessions coming to you from ADE 2023 I’m your host Darran and right now we’re sitting here with none other than Christian Johnson I got that right Christian Johnson Christian. Where are you hailing from? Where did you come in to ADE from?

I’m Sweden, Sweden Stockholm actually awesome, and we were talking a little bit before the show You actually do a lot there in the Stockholm scene. You actually run a nightclub there

[Ricky Disco]
Yeah, so Started out maybe about two years ago running every second monthly Nightclub, and we basically aim just go for proper disco like we’re performing always ourselves with our Ricky disco artist project me and my colleague Fanny and then we also invite like local DJs that share the same Love for the disco and like yeah, really pioneering the Getting the bad disco back into people’s mind really now who is Ricky disco?

Yeah Yeah, that’s a mysterious guy we kind of it’s To be honest, it’s just we just wanted to find a really good name that just makes it But it’s just a feeling of like you already know how it sounds like before even really knowing and it’s always nice The name people always ask who is Ricky? so We will figure it out over time who he actually is and would you say you become a different person on stage than when?

[Darran]
You’re offstage.

[Ricky Disco]
I guess I’m always as you can see in the my what pictures I’m always dressed in like a you Hefner morning gown Like a red one, you know, so I guess I get into a more of a cozy state of mind So, yeah, definitely And now you are a part of a duo.

[Darran]
Yeah now and Fanny is your counterpart. Tell us a bit about that collaboration How did you two meet and and put your sound or put your your your act your show together? So you’re kind of part live act part DJ, correct?

Yeah. Yeah. So how did that come about?

[Ricky Disco]
Yeah, we just randomly met on a like a music organization party a few years ago five years maybe and You know as a producer You always out looking for interesting collaborations and didn’t really have a many huge expectations at first but then we started to just have some fun in the studio and Fanny has a very as you can hear in the song. She has a very like that kind of a very disco ish Romantic voice in a way that also kind of sassy and sexy but on a as a woman sexy not You know, there’s different types of sexy and I you know that kind of a Donna Summer kind of really just gonna say Donna Yeah, and you know the moment she started when we kind of found that sound I started to be like because I’ve always been in house music And but I’ve always been curious about the disco, but it’s like you need to have like the proper setup to do it So when I heard her voice we kind of like maybe we can really try make some disco tracks with this and then you know Brain started to just roll and we’re like, maybe we could record real strings Maybe we could record real brass and you know, then it was been a journey of like figuring out How do we actually make like disco? 2023 basically and so it’s been a journey last couple of years just to kind of find the sound and I guess that brings us to really the latest song that we just released a month ago So maybe I’m jumping ahead about it It really starts to comes together about what we really want the sound to be like So if anyone curious, I would recommend people to listen to that song That set me free, correct?

Yes, that’s right.

[Darran]
Mm-hmm right now you guys kind of an accolade with that song It’s like making the chart

[Ricky Disco]
Yeah, it really does and we have a lot of support from DJs as well in the in the disco genre So right now we’ve been I think we peaked at Second or third position on the track source on the in the disco genre so super excited about that and we have did you support from Dave Lee and Michael Gray and Birdie and Dave Morales and stuff.

[Darran]
So it’s Pretty Well, that’s awesome, you know, it’s just me must be a great feeling to have people Recognize you create something people recognize it people play it. Yeah other people here being played it climbs the charts You know when you go out there to produce a track Do you go out there to make it? Hit the charts or do you just do it for the love of making it and getting on the charts?

It’s kind of like a secondary kind of you know

[Ricky Disco]
I think that’s why it’s so nice when I really started to do the disco because it just comes so natural to me I just do it the way I want to do it So I don’t have to think and that just makes it even better, you know in a way I mean, I guess it’s sometimes you do some tweaks here and there but I mean to be able to just The things that are in my head is actually Appreciated I don’t have to like change my personality in the creation part.

[Darran]
It’s just yeah, it’s a beautiful feeling so yeah, I’m pretty Grateful for that Congratulations on that now you do live keyboard during your sets as well Yeah, is this is this is the keyboard you use? Is that just the one keyboard you have in your studio? Do you have like a multitude of equipment gear hardware that you’re using in addition to software when you produce?

[Ricky Disco]
Yeah up to be honest. I have to be I just use software since But I think it’s because I just kind of the technology is just so great now So, I mean I have all those old Classic sense, but I had them in a software version just out of I guess, you know It’s quite expensive all that gear and I mean I would love to have all of that and also It just at the end of the day. It’s faster, you know, I have something in my head I just opened the sin and it’s there and it’s like I can save the presets and everything.

So I guess it’s just I know so and I don’t want to go down that classic trail of like I need to buy everything and then you have like I you have a huge mortgage You can’t I don’t know But yeah, of course when I have a lot of money, I will buy also the synth the real ones to kind of enjoy the Physical response.

[Darran]
Mm-hmm and speaking of money if you could host an event With no limited black American Express card, don’t worry about the budget. What’s the five things you would have at that event?

[Ricky Disco]
Oh you know, I would really experienced like to experiment to have like a huge orchestra like But also try to I mean I can understand it would be quite hard but to have it also a little bit Like almost like a jam session.

[Darran]
Mm-hmm.

[Ricky Disco]
Of course this make maybe doesn’t make any sense at all I’m gonna figure it out somehow. So you have a lot of musicians and somehow have some free Way of expressing it, but still make sense on top of the beats I guess I would experiment a little bit with that Yeah, I don’t know. Maybe not make sense at all.

So and I guess you know, I Mean, I saw also about the when we do like the nightclub in Stockholm. I mean Oh, it’s a cliche but really bring that kind of crazy studio 54 feel to it I mean if you want to bring in some horses running around and like everybody on roller skates and it’s like, you know You have I don’t know. Yes Those kind of crazy things going on at the same time and a very beautiful decadent setting with like nice You know the lightnings disco balls everything just extra extra extra What’s the capacity on your nightclub in Stockholm?

It’s been around maybe 300 people to 300 every time so still a good intimate vibe I mean, I feel that the that you can kind of touch the crowd.

[Darran]
Yeah, as opposed to if it was like 10,000 or 5,000.

[Ricky Disco]
Yeah, I mean I would love to do that as well, but we kind of growing from from nothing so we’re kind of still a bit of what we call Indy or We kind of stick out because there’s I would say mostly Techno music going on in Stockholm at the moment and I guess for most part of the world maybe even so That is something I noticed now when we walk around here on the during the conference like everybody’s like, oh you do this Go that’s different.

[Darran]
And how is your ADE going? Because this is the second time you’ve been here. Yeah Do you find it that it’s beneficial for your career to be here at ADE and and meet and greet and shake those hands?

[Ricky Disco]
Yeah, I would definitely I definitely I think that makes the whole difference You know last year we went here. I didn’t have anything booked. I kind of was a little bit clueless I didn’t know how things worked, you know So I just had a look around and you could you see everybody was running around being busy and I like how I just I want To look that busy too, you know So this year when it came I made sure so I had all my days packed with meetings with potential You know the bookers or whatever would be could be interesting to us And it’s been going well so far.

I’ve been it’s so Interesting. There’s so much people from all over the world. I’ve been talking to people from Brazil Taiwan Germany talking to you America and Like yeah, and people are excited about this disco thing and I’ve had some really nice things already going on on Conversation level with some people here.

So definitely happy about being here.

[Darran]
Absolutely This is our second year here at ADE and it just always I’m blown away by the amount of People you can meet in person, you know, put a name with the face shake the hand But you’re right from all over the world There’s just people that are coming in and having that pro membership. Do you have a pro pass? I take it.

Yeah, get the pro pass and get access to that database because that is a huge resource Definitely that puts you in touch with almost anyone who’s anyone that’s registering for that is pretty much in there Yeah, I think it’s awesome a definite benefit now in addition to coming here to ADE this year, though You actually played a show last night. Yeah, that’s true. And that was for midnight riots, which is who you released through as well Yeah, great.

How did that show go?

[Ricky Disco]
Yeah, it was so much fun we we had like a 20-minute set and Yeah, we’re super excited with it’s nice that we’ve been doing this for a while now in Stockholm So we were quite prepared and say and also nice that we just released a song with them as well So the crowd kind of they were kind of ready to hear us even though I think we’re quite new to all of these people so Yeah, it was great we I did some live keyboard Fanny’s and great like The songs worked very well, like the crowd seemed to enjoy themselves. So yeah, super happy.

[Darran]
Where was that? Where was that at?

[Ricky Disco]
Victoria Hotel Close to the Central Station.

[Darran]
Okay, I do know about the Central Station, but I have I don’t think I’ve been there Maybe I was there last year when we rode the train in but this year we ubered into town Sometimes they say they call it Vicks bar.

[Ricky Disco]
I don’t know. So maybe that’s why when you search in them in the 80 platform There’s over like 500 events going on.

[Darran]
Yeah, there’s so much going on It’s it’s hard to like you want to bounce somewhere, but you want to get into the groove But then it’s like now we got to go here.

[Ricky Disco]
Yeah, I’m gonna go here now Exactly.

[Darran]
Well, we’re gonna take a break tonight and get out. Yeah any plans. Where are you going tonight anything on the radar for you?

[Ricky Disco]
You know, I’m still Trying to figure out where I’ll be. I probably will go where there’s more Disco ish because I want to kind of meet like-minded people But then of course, I’m very open about music. Of course, you know, I mean, I enjoy my fair share of techno and everything as well but of course, I want to be like trying to meet as much like-minded people for my for my Own sake absolutely.

[Darran]
No, it’s totally understandable. We got to get out there and network Is there anything you want to let our DJ sessions fans know before we like to get back to the conference?

[Ricky Disco]
Just go in and listen to our latest song I guess there would be I love to hear you guys Hear what you think about it. Set me free. It’s called Released on midnight riots label.

[Darran]
So yeah, and where would be the best place people could go to find that information? About you and Fanny, I think the Instagram would be the best.

[Ricky Disco]
So just search for Ricky disco or Rikky disco.

[Darran]
I was gonna say that’s our Rikky disco At mention. So again, thank you so much Christian for coming on the show today We’re gonna definitely follow up with you possibly get Fanny in on that virtual sessions Here in the future and follow up with you. We like to stay in touch with everyone we meet here Maybe on a six month roll and see what’s going on now with technology We can do that and stay in touch with people from all over around the world So again, thank you for coming on the DJ sessions today.

Thank you very much. You’re welcome On that note, don’t forget to go to our website find us on X find us on meta find us on Instagram You know all those places that all the socials are but the best place to go is the DJ sessions calm We have over 600 news stories a month published We have exclusive interviews virtual sessions exclusive mixes and more at the DJ sessions calm. I’m your host Darran This is Christian Johnson coming to you from the on-location session spot had 80e 2023 and on that note Remember on the DJ sessions the music never stops