New York after hours: from club Berlin to the Paradise Garage, to The Choice | A talk with Richard Vasquez and Jonny Sender

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photo by ©️Tina Paul 1989 #tinapaulphotos 



Growing up in Staten Island, Richard Vasquez was obsessed with music and started taking piano lessons from a young age. He grew up in a Puerto Rican and Polish family—part of a white Pentecostal church community. He discovered African American gospel music listening to the radio, describing it as his first love—and began playing as a guest organist in Black Churches.
Richard became a successful graphic designer Landing a job at Ingénue magazine. During the late ‘60s he spent two summers on fire Island Pines. Back in Manhattan, Richard and his friends would throw parties in Soho and it was there that he started Djing.
I met Richard years later, on the cusp of the 1980s. We were both out most nights of the week, going to Mudd Club, Danceteria, The Pyramid, running into each other on the dancefloor of the Paradise Garage. New York was alive at night with music—Reza (Kool Lady Blue) was starting her Thursday night parties at Club Negril in the East Village with Jazzy Jay, Afrika Bambaataa and the Rock Steady breakers from the Bronx.
Richard had gotten a DJ gig at Berlin, a large after hours club, playing post-punk and electronic music. Painted all black with high ceilings, Berlin was a big dark dimly lit box, packed with a few hundred people dancing until 7AM. It quickly became the place to go after Mudd Club and Danceteria would close. During our talk Richard reminded me that he was at the Garage the night Konk performed at the Paradise Garage. I was playing bass.
Forward to 1988—post-Paradise Garage New York City:
Along with his friend Gregory Meyers. Richard started The Choice, a key private after-hours party taking place at David Mancuso’s Loft in the East Village. Filling a void created by the Garage’s closing and providing music and sound quality that continued that tradition, The Choice became a bridge featuring an older generation of Djs: Frankie knuckles, Larry Levan, already legends — and many younger DJs including David Morales, Bobby Konders and DJ Disciple.

From Post Punk to post Paradise Garage    |  |  Richard Vasquez NY after-hours

familiar sounds in a suburban basement. video rewinds, tape’s spit out, crisp static’s cast across the  square TV screen. usual grey, black and white. but something’s coming in, colours and scenes. like two fuzzy pornos you can barely make out. not one at a time, but there together. it’s night and it’s day. it’s late summer and it’s early fall. it’s warm and it’s cool. it’s both and it’s neither. a promise of something sexy, instantly taken away, and back again before it’s ever truly gone.

Dentonvale

On tonight's show residents threehz and AJ XO are excited to welcome Scotia.Scotia is a firecracker trickster with a burning love for old drum machines. She began DJing in the early 2000s and producing in 2022. She is a resident of Community Rave Network, where she has lovingly helped to build a thriving Queer-centered dance community in provincial Hudson Valley. Her latest music has appeared on PPRZ, Acid Camp, and Others To The Front.
 
http://www.instagram.com/threehz 
http://www.instagram.com/aj_xo 
http://www.instagram.com/no_dawn_bk 
http://www.instagram.com/scotia_the_real_human_scotia

@threehz @aj_xo @no_dawn @scotia-xo

NO DAWN with threehz and Scotia @ The Lot Radio 10-17-2024

TRACK ID'S

Byron The Aquarius - Alter Ego BTA EDIT
Lopazz - Gimmie Gimmie
DJ Deeon & DJ Urban - Work This MF
Jovonn - Move Ya Hips
Jon Dixon - How We Get Down (In Detroit)
Silverdome Boyz - Can You Do It?
Rick Flair and Klaus Layer - Vibrant Air
Unknown Artist - Materie Prima [Nanel 002]
Detroit’s Filthiest Feat. JT Money - Up and Down
Drummer B - Bumb it Ub
Ben Hixon - F4
DJ Bone - The Music (Aaron Carl Remix)
Ladymonix - High Notes
L3Ni - SH3S A B1TCH
Escaflowne - Roland Jam
Shaun J. Wright & Alinka - I Wanna Go (Derrick Carter Remix)

15_I94_SomethingBlue

https://soundcloud.com/alejandra-sabillon

Alejandra Sabillón @ The Lot Radio 10-18-2024

Serving up monthly discoveries in clubland and beyond. 
 
Find the full tracklist and related episodes on NTS: https://www.nts.live/shows/platos-combinados-w-joe-cotch/episodes/platos-combinados-w-joe-cotch-18th-october-2024

Platos Combinados w/ Joe Cotch 181024

🌐 Refuge Worldwide is a radio station and community space based in Berlin-Neukölln.

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Jank Incorporated - The Burrell Connection - 22 Oct 2024

EVERYTHING (Extended Mix)

FRENCHYPRESENTSMUSIC: Frenchy Vs Flirtations Time
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x3shShVP…b_channel=Frenchy
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Flirtations Time (Remix)

[FREE DL] Joe Hillier - Dancin

Synth-laden sounds from across the globe, from jazz fusion and street soul to lover's rock, zouk and calypso, courtesy of London-based DJ and radio host Zakia.

RA Live - 17.12.17 Zakia at Brilliant Corners

I-94 is the lifeline between Chicago and Detroit, the highway that connects us, and the birthplaces of house and techno. @i94_legacyproject dives deep into the gritty, raw, and undeniable connection between these cities, fueling the underground scene with an unmistakably Midwestern pulse.

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