This is a selection that would have been typical of a night at The Paradise Garage in 1983 and includes tracks from 1979 onwards. With inspiration from tales and recordings of Larry Levan I have tried to weave narratives of sorts within the mix, with messages of love for fellow man and tales of love for music and of misadventure.

Why the Paradise Garage? Well, the Paradise Garage and DJ Larry Levan along with Chicago's Warehouse with DJ Frankie Knuckles (a childhood friend of Levan's) really were the historical bridge between the soul, disco, dub and reggae of the sixties and seventies, the electro and new wave of the eighties and the house music of the late eighties, which went on to spawn techno and, well, everything 'dance' really (apart from hip-hop... that's another history). In the words of DJ History: 

"The Garage was where, a decade or so after taking its first steps, black, spiritual underground disco reached its peak. It was quite simply the largest and most powerful expression of the original disco spirit. As disco became mainstream and often moronic, it was at the Garage that the underground sound and the scene’s strong sense of community were preserved. Outside, insurance men in brown suits were knocking their knees to Abba and The Bee Gees, dreaming of the coke-and-celebrity-fuelled nonsense of Studio 54. Inside the Garage, the original disco family were continuing and amplifying their tribal rituals. And at the centre was Levan himself, a DJ who enjoyed such a passionate relationship with the people on his dancefloor that they worshipped him more or less as a god."

The club itself was situated in a former carpark on King Street in New York, hence the name. It was very much based on David Mancuso's 'Loft' parties - there was no alcohol for sale, however the club provided food and drinks for free and often put on punch, and it was often laced with LSD. It was very underground. There was no advertising. The club was also not open to the general public. Entry was to members only, and some nights allowed guests. Membership was not easy to attain. Prospective members had to submit to an interview to determine their suitability. Initially the membership policy was 'gay only', however the policy was revised due to popular demand and Friday became the straight night and Saturday was the gay night. Some public holiday events were mixed. The dancers were very diverse in race - black, latino, asian and white. The club provided a refuge from racism and homophobia and a place to enjoy a sense of togetherness and refuge. Quoting DJ History "The manifesto was the music. Love Is The Message.

The Paradise Garage inspired an unparalleled reverence. It dominated gay New York’s dance vista for a full ten years, with only the Saint – which catered for a very different crowd – as a serious rival. For its members the Garage was a sanctuary from an increasingly cruel and voracious city, a role made poignantly necessary as AIDS cut through New York. Dance there and you were treated as an honoured guest, with a level of courtesy and respect that is virtually unheard of in clubs today. ‘You felt special,’ says Danny Tenaglia, one of many DJs inspired by early visits to the Garage. ‘You felt like you were an elite group, with people who were on the same level of understanding about music as you.’ In a drab district in south west Manhattan, it created a private world based on disco’s original ethos of loving equality. In stark contrast to the harsh city lights outside, the Garage offered freedom, compassion and brotherhood.

Dave Piccioni, owner of London’s Black Market records, then living and DJing in New York, was a regular at the Garage in the late eighties. ‘It was New York cut-throat money time,’ he remembers. ‘Everybody was sticking knives in each other’s backs. It was dog eat dog. Aggressive. Dealing, 60,000 people living on the street. It was a dog of a place to live in. And then you’d go to this little oasis, where people were really well-mannered and friendly to each other. You just felt completely comfortable. People of a like mind who shared something, and that was an open mind. America is a very narrow-minded place. The thing they had in common wasn’t just getting high, like it is here – it was much more than that. That was what was so great about it.’

The soundsystem was the best. The lighting was the best. The staff were the best. The patrons were the best. And the DJ was the best.

Larry Levan was sole resident DJ from the club's opening in 1976. His DJ performances, whilst very rarely technically perfect, were incredibly powerful - he wove themes through his sets, telling stories to the dancers. He manipulated their moods with lyrics, lighting and sound. He wasn't afraid to cleanse the dancefloor either - clearing it, so that he could start again and build a new emotional space. His music policy was especially loose - eclectic. You could hear classic disco and soul alongside acts like The Clash, The Police, Prince, Madonna, Pat Benatar etc. Levan experimented with the music, introducing the Caribbean dub aesthetic into disco, which he played alongside everything from reggae to electro, new wave, soul and much more. Anything went. He helped to introduce a post-disco sound that presaged the creation of house music by his Friend Frankie in Chicago. Eventually Levan's set lists embraced house alongside other genres. It was disco's revenge.

Sadly, with owner Michael Brody becoming increasingly unwell with AIDS, the club's lease was not renewed and the club closed on 26 September 1987, almost exactly 26 years ago.

Larry Levan never achieved another residency. He played guest spots around New York and toured Japan and the UK, including a month at the Ministry Of Sound in London where he helped to design the soundsystem (which was based on that at the 'Garage). Sadly, he died of a heart attack caused by caused by endocarditis only four days after returning from Japan with Francois K.

The Paradise Garage and Larry Levan created the blueprint for modern DJ's and modern clubs. The culture and music lives on.

Tracklist:

D-Train - You're The One For Me (Vocal Version)
David Joseph - You Can't Hide (Your Love From Me) (Vocal)
Yello - Bostich (Extended Dance Version)
Exodus - Together Forever (Dub)
Rockers Revenge - Walking On Sunshine '82
My Mine - Hypnotic Tango (Instrumental Version)
Class Action Featuring Chris Wiltshire - Week End (Vocal)
Love Club - Hot Summer Nights
Bohannon - Let's Start The Dance III (Long Version)
Was (Not Was) - Tell Me That I'm Dreaming (Souped-Up Version)
Candido - Jingo
Sharon Redd - Beat The Street (Vocal)
Klein & M.B.O. - Dirty Talk (USA Connection-Instrumental)
Loleatta Holloway - Love Sensation
Skyy - Call Me
Loose Joints - Is It All Over My Face (Female Vocal)
Visual‎– The Music Got Me
The Strikers - Inch By Inch (Special 12" Vocal-Disco Version)
D-Train - Keep On (Vocal)

Roots Before Branches 03 - The Paradise Garage 1983

Ecstasy by definition, an overwhelming feeling of great happiness.

Ecstacy

It wouldn't be a new year without a new mix from us!

Check this one out packed full of soulful and funky delights with some of the finest  tracks currently on the market.

Please feel free to comment, share, re-post etc. :) 

Track List:
1. Revival, Kathy Brown, Geo Gospel Choir - Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher
2. Thelma Houston - Don't Know Why I Love You (Jet Boot Jack Remix)
3. Dave Lee ZR, Ricci Benson - Still in Love (Micky More & Andy Tee Horns Mix)
4. Kathy Brown, Jet Boot Jack - Thief in the Night (Birdee Remix)
5. Joey Montenegro - Do What You Feel (Birdee Remix)
6. Prospect Park, Dave Lee ZR - I Got This Feelin' (2022 Remaster)
7. Antonello Ferrari - Keep On Pumpin (Antonello Ferrari & Aldo Bergamasco Club Mix)
8. Roland Clark - President House (Acapella)
9. N Dinga Gaba & DJ Spen Feat Marc Evans - Until You  (Original Mix)
10. Suki Soul, Yam Who, Jaegerossa - Wear It Out (Extended Disco Vocal Mix)
11. Nick Hussey, Jamie Van Goulden, Alexis Hall - Mountains (Original Mix)
12. Z Factor, Dave Lee ZR, Dj Meme - The Piano Principle  (DJ Meme Special Re-Edit)
13. Mattei & Omich - Stand Up  (1997 Mix)
14. Jon Cutler - It's Yours (Kyri Markou Extended Remix)
15. Barbara Tucker - Stop Playing With My Mind [Karl Seery Edit] 
16. Paco Caniza - I Tell 'Em (Original Mix)
17. Blind Truth, Featuring Tata And Toney - Why Can't We See (Odyssey Inc. Feat Louis Latino Remix)
18. Freejak - Sometimes Hurts (Extended)
19. Ron Carroll - Walking Down The Street (Dirty Secretz edit)
20. Cajmere - Brighter Days (Marco Lys remix)
21. Anotr - Relax My Eyes (2022)

Peverell - New Year, New Mix 2023

Paul Hutchinson - Dark Room Printworks

Huck Finn Dirty Stereo Amsterdamage Boat Party Feb 2024

Remix of the classic 808 State track from 1990.

808 State - Cubik (minimal: impossible Remix)

Time To Go

Off To Portugal

A brand new episode with the best house tunes every month hosted by BMKLTSCH RCRDS! 
Perfect for your work out or daily commute.

Available on:
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bmkltsch-rcrds/id1439783077
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7whoDlzDui2AXBkO95yCUy?si=a0g_BmaWQ4Ke2H4L1pVx_Q

1 Kamus	-	N.Y.B (Original Mix)
2 NiCe7	-	Don't Take Your Love from Me (Extended Mix)
3 KPD	-	Get Away (Original Mix)
4 DJ Las K	-	Turn The Music On
4 Cassius	-	99 (Original mix 2010 edit)
5 Yuksek	-	I Don't Have A Drum Machine (Original Mix)
6 Ben Delay - All I Need Is You
7 Cinthie	-	Ada Lovelace (Original Mix)
8 Rockefeller vs. Redondo	-	Liberated Woman (Down Low Club Mix)
9 Kathy Brown, Sol Brothers	-	Turn Me Out feat. Kathy Brown (illyus & Barrientos Extended Remix)
10 Mike Mago - Feel Like (Extended Master)
11 Ann Nesby	-	Love Is What We Need (Joe T. Vannelli Diva Remix)
12 Mat.Joe	-	The Healer (Extended Mix)
13 Kydus	-	Addicted (Extended Mix)
14 Mele	-	Sunshowers (Original Mix)
15 Noizu & Eli Brown	-	Inside My Head (Extended Mix)
16 Supernova	-	Love Express (Original Mix)
17 Mark Funk, Danny Cruz	-	Superlovin' (Original Mix)
18 Hatiras	-	Chloe Corona
19 Mike Vale	-	Music Is the Answer (Original Mix)
20 Sllash & Doppe	-	Aguella (Original Mix)
21 Aevion - Autumn (Extended Mix)	Aevion - Autumn (Extended Mix)
22 Osunlade	-	My Reflection (Original Mix)

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House Plants episode 47: Mixed by Mike Mago

If you would like a pack of all my productions. Including everything that didn’t make it in to soundcloud. 50+ tracks including some unreleased stuff then get in touch via email 

djantgarbe@gmail.com

N - Joi - Anthem (Ant Garbe 2021 Reboot)

Selected discography: 
Chemical/Rise - AGRL 01
Glasgow - AGRL 04
16 Step Program - 1,5,9,13 Music 01
Seen & The Unseen - 1,5,9,13 Music 02
Depth Charge - AGRL05
Dulce Loco - MNR041
Glasgow (Rmxs) - AGRL 06
All These Wonderful Things - 1,5,9,13 Music
Buenos Aires - Sirius Pandi 10
Montenegro - Perla Negra (Minimal Impossible Remix) MNR 089
WireTap - Flagellation Of Christ (Minimal Impossible Remix)
All These Wonderful Remixes 1,5,9,13 Music 09
Hallucinations - 1,5,9,13 Music 10 
Para Las Mariposas - 1,5,9,13 Music 17
Tirangle Loop - 1,5,9,13 Music 18
Deconstructivism - 1,5,9,13 Music 20
Flashbacks - 1,5,9,13 Music 22
Arcade - 1,5,9,13 Music 23
Bridge To Brooklyn - 1,5,9,13 Music 25
Horizon - 1,5,9,13 Music 26
Vertigo -  1,5,9,13 Music 29
Enemy Of The Status Quo - 1,5,9,13 Music 32
Hitchcock - 1,5,9,13 Music 35
Intuition - Apical Records 38
Trampoline - UBCR019
Dizzy - FCZ Records
Mercury - FCZ Records
Explain It To Me Later - FCZ Records

808 State - Cubik (minimal: impossible Remix)

Tom O'Hara