Wyllys and The World Party: State of the Union Address Part I of III

Kool Herc’s style invented “mixing”, the centerpiece of dance culture for quite some time. This skill was not easy to do, especially back then. Any manipulation of vinyl on a belt driven system was incredibly hard to do with precision. Direct Drive turntables would become the norm some years after mixing was invented and the DJ culure would expand the world over. Everyone has an impression that DJ culture was a European thing. It became very popular in Europe and is much more widely celebrated there, that much is true. But the very core of the art form was born in the Bronx. HOLLAH!

Fast forward a few years to 1977 to the height of the Disco phenomenon. Studio 54 was all the rage but people needed other places to dance. Larry Levan got his start in the underground, well….underground, at the infamous Continental Baths beneath the Astonia Hotel in New York City. He then became the head resident at The Paradise Garage, where he would make the DJ the centerpiece of the entertainment, as opposed to the social entertainment aspect of “Disco”, where the music, while still important, was peripheral. Levan’s sets became things of legend, being name dropped on major NYC radio stations with some stations basing their playlists around Levan’s Homeric dance excursions. The Paradise Garage closed in 1987, but not before Levan became a world -wide phenomenon especially overseas. Levan, like he did at The Paradise Garage, designed the speakers for Ministry of Sound in Europe; one of the world’s most prestigious institutes of dance music. The Disco he began playing in the 70’s would develop into what we know as House music, but not in NYC. This story takes place in the heartland of this great nation. Representative of the Midwest…….Welcome to House 101! See you next week. Don’t forget your homework……..

Wyllys Homework Week 1:

Kool Herc Mix