Is it a club? Is it a magazine? Ponystep is both, and it’s back at East Bloc on Saturday 30th November for a one-off party! Princess Julia caught up with its creator Richard Mortimer and found out what makes him and Ponystep tick…
How did Ponystep start?
Ponystep started as a natural progression from my time in clubs. BoomBox had become such a massive club internationally, and the expectations week on week became so high, that I wanted to do something completely different. The magazine began online before eventually making it to print. About a year after closing BoomBox and starting [Ponystep] magazine, people were hounding me to do the club again, so I did, but I took it to Paris!
What was your inspiration then and how has the concept of a club night gone into the making of your magazine Ponystep?
I guess my inspiration has always been the same. My vision of people, regardless of fame, remains unblurred. I think the whole thing is a beautiful unbroken circle, with the young creatives aspiring to be like the super established, and the established looking to borrow ideas from the young. It’s how it’s always been, and I think that Ponystep strives to include all the people we love, regardless of whether they are considered cool or not!
What have been the most memorable moments of ponystep, both the club and the mag?
In terms of the magazine, I guess confirming Elvira was a biggie for me. I had been a huge fan since I was a kid. She had this typically queeny LA agent who was a nightmare. It took about 9 months of persevering, but I got her in the end!
Club high points… There are too many! I guess Beth Ditto performing on my birthday and bringing me on stage to sing happy birthday to me was nice. And last year’s NYE party with MKS who gave their first ever performance together in over 10 years was quite amazing.
You’ve done a few projects based around the club, a book, can you tell us about them?
The book came about around halfway through BoomBox. I knew what we were doing felt very special and I wanted to document it. I approached our resident photographer, Alastair Allan about it and he loved the idea. I then approached lots of friends of the club to see if the would be involved. We ended up with some great people: Wolfgang Tillmans, Katie Grand, Paul Flynn, Fran Burns, Katharine Hamnett etc… The book was a hit and sold out immediately! CD collaborations with supercool French record label Kitsuné followed!
Image is very important to you, what are the key elements you consider?
In terms of design I like things to look clean. Clean, graphic and colourful!
Musically, what appeals to your sensibilities as a DJ and clubber?
This is where it gets tricky. In my heart, pop music is where my loyalties lie, but you don’t really want to play that in a club. I guess I have a pocket full of DJs I love to work with and trust them to do their thing, without turning it into Trade!
• Ponystep is at East Bloc (217 City Road, Shoreditch, EC1V 1JN) on Saturday 30th November.
