Nicky Siano

No summary of New York City’s dance music history would be complete without Nicky Siano. As the owner and resident DJ at the Gallery, Nicky was electrified by a visit to the Loft and became hooked on New York’s emerging club culture of the ’70s. As a DJ, Siano pioneered techniques such as beatmatching, EQing, and using three turntables, creating the proto-disco sound via his preferred funky soul and R&B records. Leading the way for a host of legendary figures like Larry Levan and Frankie Knuckles, or Grace Jones, and Loleatta Holloway, Siano laid down the blueprint for iconic New York clubs like The Garage and Studio 54. He also worked in the studio with Arthur Russell as Dinosaur and after a hiatus returned to DJing in 1996, in the meantime having become a mental health counselor and author.

In this public conversation held in New York City, Siano discussed moving out of the house at 16, his earliest revelations on the dancefloor at the Loft, the importance of following your heart as a DJ and his second life.

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