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Montréal, disco’s Second City

The origins of Montréal disco The French word discothèque – which combines ‘disque’ (record) with ‘bibliothèque’ (library) – describes a nightclub where patrons dance to recorded music. Many claim the first discothèque to open in North America was La Licorne in Montréal in 1963. By the 1970s, the abbreviated ‘disco’ was used to describe nightclubs like the Lime Light. Disco soon became a musical genre unto itself, rising to popularity in Black, Latino and gay nightclubs in the early 1970s, and became […]

August 7, 2024 9

House History

The Black History of House and Techno

The history of house music and techno are both deeply rooted in foundations laid down by Black artists and musicians, many of whom have yet to receive the recognition and credit they are due. With this in mind, Sam and I decided to compile a list of articles and documentaries that speak truth to the history of Detroit techno, featuring also an article from our friend Grace (aka Nagini), who was featured on last month’s Peace Portal broadcast, which talks […]

August 6, 2024 12

DJ Interviews

Analog Soul – DatKat vs Jacky Sommer

Identical twin sister duo Jacquelyn & Kathryn Smith (aka Jacky Sommer & DatKat) have been spreading the good sound around NYC since the early 2000s. They started The Analog Soul Show on East Village Radio exploring the deeper, darker side of techno and house with guests like Function to Simbad, Roland Appel, Slam Mode, and Dj Qu. The show finished in 2009 but the sisters remain tastemakers in the NYC underground scene as well as playing across Europe, exploring the […]

August 6, 2024 10

DJ Articles

Anané: riding high

On one level, Anané’s new EP, ‘Take A Ride’, is a playful throwback to the musical opulence of the disco era. But it cuts deeper than that. As the vocalist and songwriter explains, it’s also an ode to unity, freedom, and her own sense of confidence There’s an attention-grabbing point at the four-and-a-half-minute mark of ‘High’, one of the highlights off Anané Martins-Vega’s ‘Take A Ride’, her new six-track release on the venerable New York label Nervous. A sultry cover […]

August 6, 2024 7

DJ Articles

The Chosen Few Picnic is still one of the best ways to spend a Chicago summer day

Over the past couple decades, Chicago’s summer festival calendar has gotten cartoonishly overstuffed. This weekend, the 34th annual Chosen Few Picnic & Festival is one of five big outdoor music events. The others include two of the city’s largest street festivals—Square Roots and West Fest—each with three days of music that rival the bills at big-ticket attractions. As the Chosen Few Picnic sets up camp in Jackson Park on Saturday, July 13, Miche Fest will kick off two days of Latine music […]

August 6, 2024 5

DJ Articles

Marshall Jefferson Interviewed – A History Of House…

I was looking at Deep House Pages and Marshall Jefferson has been getting involved taking questions from all the forum members and the stories are pretty incredible. I’ve pulled out my favourite points and it’s still pretty long so I’ll keep this intro short and sweet. The copy is as it is on the site. So get your favourite Marshall moment out, press play and read on… Full article: click here Related article: click here

August 6, 2024 6

DJ Interviews

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 […]

August 6, 2024 5

DJ Interviews

Interview: David Mancuso

On November 14th, 2016, David Mancuso passed away at the age of 72. As the founder of The Loft, a party he organized in his own private New York City loft beginning in 1970, Mancuso was a true pioneer, a founding father of dance music both sonically and emotionally. Mancuso had a titanic influence in shaping core values of dance music that are now taken for granted, everything from an emphasis on community and the breaking down of racial or […]

August 6, 2024 8

House History

A Look Inside the Hi-Fi Equipment behind Paradise Garage

Introducing Soundsystems, an in-focus feature series on the Hi-Fi equipment of the past, and the notorious clubs and DJ’s that used them. The sound system at the historic NYC discotheque Paradise Garage revolutionized the nightlife experience. It spawned the era of dancing rather than talking. Its DJs, most notably Larry Levan, became centers of attention whose influence sparked the rise and eventual takeover of Disco. And the sound system was truly high fidelity; the Garage was among the first contemporary […]

August 6, 2024 9

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