David Mancuso<\/i><\/b>: \u201cPolitical and social rebellion solidified the particular blend of the <\/i>Loft<\/i><\/b>. Many people were bound by the relationships caused by the Vietnam War and Martin Luther King. All the elements for an excellent soup were there. I didn’t want to be categorized; I was neither a hippie nor a yippie, I was against the system and I was ready to be defined as <\/i>COUNTERCULTURAL<\/b>\u201d (the way of life, the leisure activities, rather than political commitment).<\/i><\/p>\n
The sense of <\/i>social insecurity<\/b> experienced by young people in gathering centers during those years is palpable. <\/i>Clashes<\/i><\/b> often occur both with groups and with law enforcement.<\/i><\/p>\n
THE CLUBS<\/b><\/p>\n
The Clubs, even if clandestine, become a small artificial paradise<\/b>. The Loft is an industrial building without licenses, without authorized fire exits, without a lease agreement. Going to the Loft and not telling anyone is not a pose. It is a practical rule. The Loft creates new demands for high-quality audio systems, giving the sound of the night world a well-defined character. Mancuso allows his recipe to be adapted to other entrepreneurial experiences. The first DJs, Francis GRASSO<\/b>, Michael CAPPELLO<\/b>, Steve D\u2019ACQUISTO<\/b>, David MANCUSO<\/b>, Bobby GUTTADARO<\/b>, and Nicky SIANO<\/b>, are an entirely Italian-American group belonging to the second generation of immigrant parents. They are the ones who spread the word of the Disco-theque and Disco music.<\/b> <\/p>\n
THE SOULS OF DISCO MUSIC: between underground and mainstream<\/b><\/p>\n
The Tenth Floor<\/b> (opened in ’72) adds exclusivity to privacy, introducing dress codes for the 500 admitted to the Club. There, the image you project is more important than how much money you have. Within a few months, the Gallery<\/b> (DJ Siano), Le Jardin<\/b> (Bobby Guttadaro), then the Flamingo<\/b> and many others open. In June 1974, the Loft closes due to licensing issues. It is evident that the ‘underground’<\/b> circuit cannot be distinguished from the so-called ‘mainstream’<\/b> (the current of taste with the widest commercial distribution). There are always overlapping aspects<\/b> between the two worlds. The goal of the underground has always been to produce radical changes, but its internal contradiction and its unsolvable tension between protecting itself from overexposure and simultaneously trying to change the world now also permeates the downtown party circuit. The new wave of DJs constitutes a popular avant-garde that wants to spread its radical message rather than wallow in unpopularity. <\/p>\n
Vince Aletti<\/i><\/b>: \u201cPeople did not want to remain underground. They were ready to be recognized.\u201d The explosion of discotheques begins. 45 NEW PERMITS in 1975 ARE ISSUED IN NY ALONE. They spring up like mushrooms all over the United States. It becomes a fashion phenomenon<\/b>. The music is called DISCO because, whether it is soul, funk, or something else, it just needs to make people dance. No one can explain the exponential growth of the phenomenon<\/b>. The message \u201cdiscotheque equals profit\u201d<\/b> spreads immediately: many bars and pizzerias install consoles and, with improvised DJs, program the top 40 hits even three times a night. <\/p>\n
On OCTOBER 20, <\/b>1975<\/b>, after almost a year and a half since the last party, the Loft reopens<\/b> (99 Prince Street). The club’s guru wants to legalize the movement and leads a legal battle for recognition, which he obtains, effectively opening a new life for New York’s nightclubs. The UNDERGROUND movement<\/b> is visible and invisible, central and peripheral, internal and external, an evanescent presence acting outside the institutionalized environment of industry and entertainment, yet it influences its direction<\/b>. The proliferation of discotheques would mean that the DJs of the downtown circuit would lose control over the evolution of disco dance culture. They continue to do their work and deliver their message, albeit discouraged by the invasion of swanky clubs they consider a sham. But with the opening of Studio 54, it is clear that there would be no turning back. <\/p>\n
THE NEW YORK NEW YORK<\/b><\/p>\n
Discotheques become increasingly imposing, lavish, and less attentive to musical style and the skill of the DJs. <\/b>Inaugurated on May 18, 1977<\/b>, New York, New York<\/b> is defined by its two owners, Maurice Brahms<\/b> and John Addison<\/b>, as \u201cthe high-class rival of Studio 54,\u201d but in reality, it never threatens its supremacy. It is the luxurious venue where those who cannot get into Studio 54 go to dance. Francois Kevorkian<\/b>, the club’s DJ, says that everyone wants to hear the usual 40 songs (Donna Summer, Bee Gees, and Trammps are the most played). In June 1978<\/b>, Xenon<\/b> is born. After an initial period of failure, the venue takes off with DJ Jonathan Fearing<\/b>. By the end of ’78, there are between 15 and 20 thousand discotheques in the United States. <\/p>\n
Tim Lawrence<\/i><\/b>: <\/i>\u201cHowever, although the clubs generated estimated annual gross profits of 6 to 8 billion dollars, very few were of a high standard.\u201d<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
NEW YORK<\/b> holds the title of national disco capital, but Los Angeles and San Francisco are also embracing and giving much attention to disco music. In San Francisco, <\/i> City Disco<\/b>, <\/i>Dance Your Ass Off<\/b>, <\/i>I-Beam<\/b>, and <\/i>Trocadero Transfer<\/b> open. In the mid-70s, <\/i> discomania<\/b> also conquers <\/i>Japan<\/b>. Japanese DJs travel to the USA to study American musical techniques. The \u2018disco\u2019 phenomenon also invades Europe. The main discotheques in <\/i> Germany<\/b>: Trinity, Blue Bell, and Life1 in Hamburg; Edith and Why Not? in Munich; Biba in Frankfurt. In <\/i> France<\/b>, there are about 3,500 venues, including the Palace in Paris. The <\/i> Soviet Union<\/b>, however, does not allow access to disco promoters. In <\/i> January 1978<\/b>, the <\/i>Paradise Garage<\/b> opens, a massive venue with an intense and wonderful atmosphere, capable of surpassing Studio 54 in terms of sound system technology.<\/i> <\/p>\n
Mel Cheren<\/i><\/b>: \u201cThe Loft was where the seed for the Garage had been planted.\u201d <\/i>Larry Levan<\/b>, the club’s DJ, manages to turn every track he plays into a hit. The Garage adopts many of the Loft’s basic principles, revising them for \u201ccommercial\u201d purposes.<\/i>Mancuso<\/i><\/b>: \u201cAt the Garage, they commercialized everything to the maximum. They used every loophole and took advantage of the underground scene.\u201d However, some elements bring the Garage closer to the Loft: the presence of ethnic and sexual minorities, non-chart music, the intimate atmosphere, and dance as a fundamental component. Obviously, the Garage is more commercial and has a colder atmosphere compared to the Loft, primarily because it is a massive club.<\/i><\/p>\n
Gomes<\/i><\/b>: \u201cThe Paradise Garage was a showcase. It became the Studio 54 for Black and Latino people.\u201d Levan is eclectic, playing rock, dub, jazz, R&B, and disco; he varies the rhythm from 98 bpm upwards, playing everything that can be danced to. <\/i>Levan, like Mancuso, is not interested in mixing, but rather in the message he delivers to the people through the records.<\/b>. Levan is the most popular DJ of the era, although many think his skill actually stems from the Garage’s excellent audio systems. Levan is a bold talent at the console and a great showman: he reinterprets records, makes long pauses, then starts again, all to engage the dancers! Levan explicitly reveals that he is inspired by Siano, Mancuso, D\u2019Acquisto, and Cappello. At the Paradise Garage, Levan becomes famous, explodes, is the protagonist, and people love everything he does, forgiving him if he forgets to put on a record or arrives late! <\/i>However, according to many DJs, Mancuso and Siano have a magic and a touch that Levan cannot reach, despite his talent.<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
David Mancuso: \u201cPolitical and social rebellion solidified the particular blend of the Loft. Many people were bound by the relationships caused by the Vietnam War […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4453,"template":"","project-category":[66],"class_list":["post-4452","projects","type-projects","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","project-category-the-discotheque"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n