AKA The Ride Committee We lost our dear friend and brother, Louie Balo Guzman, this past week. As we struggle to come to terms with this unfathomable loss, we are remembering Balo with a reprint of an article that first appeared in DJ Mag in September 2013 which gives some insight into the [...]
Released on 25th May 1984, ‘Smalltown Boy’ launched the gay synth-pop band Bronski Beat into the charts and onto dancefloors with its glorious synths, hi-NRG production and Jimmy Somerville’s soaring falsetto, which sang a story of rejection, pain and escape. Here, with the help of musicians, its iconic video's director and others, Bailey Slater [...]
"It's almost like being in a House Music Hall of Fame." Marshall Jefferson is the latest artist to receive a Defected Records 'House Masters' compilation. Out on 29th May, the Chicago house pioneer will release a 40-track retrospective that will highlight Jefferson's solo hits, production credits, remixes, and underground favourites from his 50 year [...]
The museum showcases both visual art and music from “prominent Italian artists” Italy’s “first-ever" disco museum is set to open in Riccione this month, Museo Discoteca (MUDI). The museum sits inside Riccione’s famous pyramid-shaped music venue, Cocoricò, and is due welcome visitors for the first time this Sunday (May 19). MUDI will showcase both visual art [...]
https://youtu.be/96oDgSEpcrQ?si=oLLp9KjXCE8A4Fr2 Overview Born Carlos Sosa in 1969, DJ Sneak emerged as one of the key figures in the second wave of influential Chicago house producers. Though not native to the Windy City, Sneak's musical journey began in the early 1980s when his family moved from Puerto Rico to Chicago. Unable to understand English, Sneak found solace [...]
Though arguably most prominent in the ’90s, free parties and illegal raves have never gone away. Despite the increased surveillance from authorities, passionate DJs and sound systems continue to throw events in a similar way that they always have, looking to create a sense of community and an alternative to the commodified dance mainstream. [...]
If you’re writing music for nightclub DJs, there is a formula you need to employ if you want them to play your tracks to a dance-floor. Here’s how to set up your tracks for success. Dropping science The term ‘Dance Music’ can relate to anything from Techno to EDM, House Music to Drum n’ [...]
The hotly-tipped Brazilian DJ/producer and label head gives us the low down on his invigorating Afro House tribute to Brazil's indigenous peoples. Hey Maz, congratulations on your Beatport #1! Have you had a chance to celebrate? Hey Beatport fam, thank you so much! I want to thank you all for the support on the track; [...]
The oracle that still answers to the human name “Brian Eno” has made a lot of good calls in his career, but none so prescient as his reaction when he first heard Giorgio Moroder and Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love.” “This is it!” he exclaimed to David Bowie. “Look no further!” They were in [...]
When the South Bronx dance-punk outfit ESG released their Martin Hannett-produced debut EP in 1981, they had no idea how pivotal their stripped-back, funk-fueled sound would be on the evolution of hip-hop and house music: ‘UFO’ has been sampled over 500 times; ‘Moody’ was a staple in Larry Levan’s Paradise Garage sets. Four decades [...]
