Dancing, from the Audubon Ballroom to Deep Space.

January 9, 2014 5:07 PM

10 iconic mixes from the dancefloors of New York. "It’s the city that gave birth to disco, house music and hip hop, the home of iconic, seminal clubs like The Loft, Studio 54, Paradise Garage and the Sound Factory. If you were going to pick one city on earth where you could track the history of dance music through a series of classic sets, then New York would be it. Back in the early 90s, inthemix writer Jim Poe worked as a DJ in New York City, and here he’s selected ten iconic mixes from the history of NY clubs, tracking the city’s evolving sounds from Grandmaster Flash in 1978 to Francois K at Output this year."
posted by googly (46 comments total)

It’s the city that gave birth to disco, house music and hip hop

House came from Chicago, but two out of three ain't bad.

(Although, of course, many have argued that disco was born in Philadelphia...)
posted by Sys Rq at 5:18 PM on January 9, 2014 [5 favorites]

It’s the city that gave birth to [...] house music [...]

[Citation needed] House originated in Chicago. Can I really trust this list if they can't get that right?
posted by nooneyouknow at 5:23 PM on January 9, 2014

I guess they meant "garage house", since everyone knows house is chicago.
posted by bhnyc at 5:27 PM on January 9, 2014

I picked #9, the Nickodemus set, and dove right in. It's really nice so far.

#7 looks really intriguing as well, but @7 hrs ... think I'll pencil that in to soundtrack my next beer brewing session.
posted by mannequito at 5:39 PM on January 9, 2014

oh holy shit
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 5:55 PM on January 9, 2014

I would argue that it would be a stretch, and is heavily [Citation Needed] to claim any of those styles originated in new york.

Just seems like more "new york is the center of civilization" circlejerk to me. Some kind of like, new york exceptionalism or something.

I mean, i'm going to listen to this stuff, it's probably awesome. Just could have done without that hyperbolic dick fluffing.
posted by emptythought at 6:12 PM on January 9, 2014 [4 favorites]

i'll give new york hip hop, but the first disco records were from miami and philidelphia - and we all know house is from chicago

at least they didn't claim techno - or punk
posted by pyramid termite at 6:25 PM on January 9, 2014 [1 favorite]

Jesus Christ - that Junior Vasquez mix is phenomenal. I've long heard that he's the shit for house music but this is unreal. Fantastic post.
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 6:39 PM on January 9, 2014 [1 favorite]

Try seeing him live sometime.

Your head will melt.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 6:41 PM on January 9, 2014

Yeah, but a license is required to dance in NYC.
posted by telstar at 6:42 PM on January 9, 2014 [1 favorite]

Wow....Bad period U2 backed by a deep space house drop.
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 6:47 PM on January 9, 2014 [1 favorite]

Shocked there's no Danny Tenaglia on this list.
posted by cloax at 6:47 PM on January 9, 2014

Or hell any Sasha and Digweed sets from their residency at Twilo.
posted by cloax at 6:49 PM on January 9, 2014

Hip-hop absolutely originated in New York.

House developed in New York and Chicago more or less independently. The warehouse in Chicago and the paradise garage in New York developed their own electronic variants of disco at about the same time.

As far as disco itself, the songs were from all over, but the extended dance mix and beat matching were both innovations of New York djs.
posted by empath at 6:53 PM on January 9, 2014

I love listening to old, classic mixes ... though I'm not sure that any of these reach 'iconic' status. Some just seem to be whatever was available.

(I do like the post! It's the hyperbole in the article that is a bit much).

As for Junior: I believe it is too late. I would've loved to dance to him during his peak. As it is, he was horrid the two times I heard him.
posted by kanewai at 6:59 PM on January 9, 2014

Or hell any Sasha and Digweed sets from their residency at Twilo.

Here you go
posted by empath at 7:00 PM on January 9, 2014 [1 favorite]

Here's a bunch of other classic mixes though mostly focused on the DC/Baltimore area.

Here's a mix from NASA (as featured in the movie 'Kids')
posted by empath at 7:03 PM on January 9, 2014 [1 favorite]

Here's a tenaglia set from 1994 Not recorded at a club, but it was during his New York 'Be Yourself' era.
posted by empath at 7:06 PM on January 9, 2014 [1 favorite]

House developed in New York and Chicago more or less independently. The warehouse in Chicago and the paradise garage in New York developed their own electronic variants of disco at about the same time.

Although the NY variant was a few years late on actually producing house from scratch. Early garage was mostly disco edits (Levan, Moulton, FK). Whereas the Chicago guys went full on drum-machine/synth house in '84, NYC followed suit a few years later with guys like Todd Terry.

But then you could also argue that Knuckles helped bring the Garage feel into the Warehouse when he moved from NYC to Chicago; so much overlap between Chicago/NY and even Detroit at the time, almost pointless to split hairs I guess.
posted by p3t3 at 7:15 PM on January 9, 2014

Yeah and it was mostly New Jersey where the house-y style of garage developed, not New York.
posted by empath at 7:22 PM on January 9, 2014

Dancing to JV live in a club has been a lifegoal of mine for decades now.

Do it. Mortgage your anything. I mean it was a lot of years ago, but he played an 8 hour set at a major club here and it was basically a blur from the moment he dropped the needle until I stumbled out into broad daylight. Amazing. The man takes you on a journey, you know?

Shocked there's no Danny Tenaglia on this list.

ya rly. If I think about "Famous DJ related to NYC" Tenaglia's at the top of the list with JV.

But then you could also argue that Knuckles

oh fuck yeah him too.

This is a weird thing for me. On the one hand it's sad that when you look at the ranks of innovative/important/major DJs, there are very, very few women. But on the other hand, DJing, while it has a cult of personality, really does boil down to who caned it harder, because the personalities (and I have spent a LOT of time around mid-tier DJs, and occasional moments with some of the big guns) are totally interchangeable. On the other other hand we're supposed to laud people for their talents and their gender isn't supposed to matter. On the gripping hand, not enough women (and OBVIOUSLY there are exceptions: Lisa Lashes, Madam Zu, Lori the Hi Fi Princess, etc etc etc) have been given the chance probably, and with the death of the rave scene and the move into clubs fewer will be, because old boys club.

Problematic.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 7:27 PM on January 9, 2014

and OBVIOUSLY there are exceptions: Lisa Lashes, Madam Zu, Lori the Hi Fi Princess, etc etc etc)

In a new york thread, you have to mention Sandra Collins.
posted by empath at 7:38 PM on January 9, 2014

Yes sorry it is late and it is my birthday and my brain, she vibrates
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 7:41 PM on January 9, 2014

...actually and Honey "I'm not a cokehead please excuse me while I hoover up this... icing sugar" Dijon for that matter.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 7:41 PM on January 9, 2014

Oh wait and Keoki is NYC too. He was really fucking good for a while.

one of my happiest moments is turning his aggressively hitting-on-me ass down at a club I worked at by saying "Sorry I'm not a DJ whore."
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 7:44 PM on January 9, 2014 [1 favorite]

Thanks empath. I've got a ton of old tapes and CDs burnt from back then. Just was surprised to not have seen S&D or Danny on the list. Just reminds me I should get around to putting more of my collection online.
posted by cloax at 7:49 PM on January 9, 2014

Oh wait and Keoki is NYC too. He was really fucking good for a while.

He played a star wars remix at Buzz one night that totally blew my mind.
posted by empath at 7:51 PM on January 9, 2014

Yes, that's what I look for in a DJ. Not interested in human jukeboxes. I want travel and adventure involved.

Try and find live sets from Slobodan if you can. Minimal techno from Norway. Unbelievable.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 8:03 PM on January 9, 2014 [1 favorite]

wow thanks i really needed to cry over the sound factory tonight

im upset
posted by elizardbits at 8:04 PM on January 9, 2014

(He won't be doing live sets forever...)

He used to have a sunday night monthly residency at my friend's place on Little W12th but I think that is over now, sob.
posted by elizardbits at 8:13 PM on January 9, 2014

elizardbits i will be posting something in 33 minutes that will uncry you

i think

it involves cats you see

and one dog
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 8:14 PM on January 9, 2014

the only thing that will make me stop crying about the state of nyc house music is a time machine and also the chance to shinkick the person responsible for turning the palladium into an nyu dorm
posted by elizardbits at 8:16 PM on January 9, 2014 [1 favorite]

these are things i cannot provide i am sorry

but i can provide cats who lol
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 8:19 PM on January 9, 2014

Elizardbits -- man, it's like a golden age of house music right now -- have you been to Output or TBA? The quality of house being put out now is right up there with where it was in the late 90s, imo.
posted by empath at 8:19 PM on January 9, 2014

While we're reminiscing about the 80s, in Michigan a big part of our early exposure to DJ culture came from Jeff Mills' Wizard mixes on WJLB. Turntablism applied to a wide variety of dance genres. Amazing stuff:
Jeff Mills Wiazrd mixes
Jeff Mills Wiazrd mixes 2
Jeff Mills Wiazrd mixes 3
posted by p3t3 at 8:22 PM on January 9, 2014 [4 favorites]

haha i was just looking at output's schedule for the rest of january and i lol'd at the thought of going all the way to brooklyn to see people from cielo play
posted by elizardbits at 8:24 PM on January 9, 2014

punk is from New York too obviously.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 8:30 PM on January 9, 2014

I want to go dancing with all of you.
posted by flaterik at 10:55 PM on January 9, 2014 [2 favorites]

I was too young for the original garage house clubs but I did enjoy Twilo in the mid-late 90s as well as the Claussell, Krivit & FK Body & SOUL sessions. I loved the Body & SOUL sets in Central Park in the summer.

He isn't a NYC DJ but whenever Ben Watt came to NYC during the Lazy Dog period, he did great house sets that I loved.
posted by gen at 11:40 PM on January 9, 2014

the only thing that will make me stop crying about the state of nyc house music is a time machine and also the chance to shinkick the person responsible for turning the palladium into an nyu dorm

I owe you a coke. As I'm listening to GM Flash and the Furious 4 MC on a great sounding old tape, I'm all like GRR ARGH ARHHHH!
posted by mikelieman at 2:05 AM on January 10, 2014

If it matters, Grandmaster Flash was hands down the worst DJ i've ever seen play live.
posted by empath at 2:18 AM on January 10, 2014

Everything sounds better wrapped in a cassette.
posted by mikelieman at 3:40 AM on January 10, 2014

haha i was just looking at output's schedule for the rest of january and i lol'd at the thought of going all the way to brooklyn to see people from cielo play
posted by elizardbits

output's sound system is superior to cielo's in my opinion. worth the trip to BK just for that. also a usually way more into it crowd for what it's worth.
posted by cloax at 5:01 AM on January 10, 2014

No, I know, it's just that cielo is literally two blocks from my front door. And brooklyn is definitely not.
posted by elizardbits at 10:48 AM on January 10, 2014

Well, I'll be listening to stuff all weekend, now.
posted by rmd1023 at 6:08 PM on January 10, 2014

A little over 4 hrs into that 7 hr David Mancuso set. As promised is going every which way it feels and I'm tagging along for the ride. Fantastic.
posted by mannequito at 12:16 AM on January 13, 2014