Massimiliano Pagliara

Massimiliano Pagliara (born in Tricase, Lecce, Italy) is an Italian-born DJ and music producer based in Berlin. Known for his eclectic blend of house, techno and electro-disco, Pagliara has long-standing residencies at prominent venues including Berghain, Basement, and Romantica. His releases appear on labels such as Live at Robert Johnson, Ostgut Ton, and Permanent Vacation.

Early life and education Massimiliano Pagliara was born in Tricase, in the province of Lecce, and raised in Corsano, a small village in Puglia, Italy.

He studied theatre and dance at the Paolo Grassi Civic School in Milan, where he trained under choreographers such as Susanne Linke.

Career Before becoming a DJ and producer, he worked as a dancer and choreographer and created interdisciplinary performances combining sound and movement.

In 2001, he left Italy for Berlin, where he learned and studied electronic music. He has been on the roster at Panorama Bar since the mid-2010s, and has produced multiple EPs and LPs. As a producer, he has released music on labels such as Live at Robert Johnson, Ostgut Ton, Meakusma, Cocktail d’Amore Music, and Permanent Vacation.

In 2019, he founded his own label Funnuvojere Records, named after a beach in Salento, dedicated to eclectic and open-minded electronic music.

He recently released a new EP, Hooking Up, and a 20-year retrospective anthology planned for 2026.

Style and influences Pagliara's music spans a wide range of electronic genres, including Chicago house, Italo-disco, Detroit techno, electro, ambient, and trip-hop. The producer typically works with analog hardware from the 1970s and ’80s. He has cited influences ranging from Larry Levan and the Paradise Garage sound system to Aphex Twin, David Hockney, and Derek Jarman.

Often, his music reflects his background in dance movement, incorporating theatricality, and narrative structure.

Selected discography

Focus For Infinity (LP, Live at Robert Johnson, 2011) With One Another (LP, 2014) See You In Paradise (LP, Permanent Vacation, 2022)