Disco Classics 8

A collection of recordings of Roy Thode DJing, generously provided by Marsha Stern.

Roy Thode Recordings

disco bangers

May 15th marks the birthdate of one of our favorite DJs - Roy Thode. Technically masterful, pioneering some of the most progressive methods in DJing whilst manifesting an exceptionally educated and tasteful selection of music, Roy Thode is truly an artist when it comes to the craft of DJing. Personally, as DJs, we've learned so much from listening to Roy Thode, 40 years later he continues to inspire us in such relevant ways. 

Roy Thode, a native New Yorker from Long Island, moved to the city in his early 20’s after establishing his DJ skills as a young man growing up in Wantaugh. Roy was perhaps best known for being the DJ for “Saturday Nights at the Ice Palace” in Cherry Grove. His NYC DJ career was highlighted with residencies at both Studio 54 and The Saint however it was the Long Island Gay club scene that fueled and created the foundation for Roy’s illustrious career as perhaps one of the best technical DJ’s of his era.

This mix was recorded at the Ice Palace - in many ways, his home. Being able to share this previously unreleased mix is a tremendous honor for us and we hope you can appreciate this as much as we do. A huge thank you to Marsha Stern for working with us and making this little project a reality.

Roy's Birthday Celebration May 15 2021 with Sound Metaphors

ROY THODE’s Birthday Celebration at the Ice Palace Fire Island - Recorded May 16, 1981

Another one done purely to make it dj friendly and mix-able. New teaser intro with new beats and guitars etc .. easy outro and various tweaks, but completely respectful to original . . . As always, I hope you enjoy and  *PLEASE*  leave feedback :-)

Funkadelic - One Nation - Derek Kaye Rework

Happy Valentine’s Day!
Today it’s a huge honor to be able to share yet another special moment in dancefloor history eternalized by this recording from Roy Thode’s archive, all made possible thanks to his dear friend, Marsha Stern.
Recorded at the Underground on February 14th, 1981, this mix has been stored for just over 4 decades, to think that a spool of microscopic magnetized metal particles will give us the opportunity to re-experience what Roy Thode brought to the floor that night years before many of us were even born is goosebump inducing for us to say the least. At this point there should be no introduction needed to explain the virtuosity of this dancefloor maestro. Roy was a true Disc Jockey in essence, this is what he did, and his unique love for the craft can be heard loud and clear. Undoubtedly one of our biggest inspirations to us as DJs today.
We hope this mix takes you to a very special place because it surely came from one as Roy had self-titled this night “Music From My Heart”.
Let us all be Roy’s Valentine today - Love ❤️

Music From My Heart - Broadcast file

DJ Roy Thode Valentine's Mix - Music From My Heart - The Underground, NYC, 14 Feb, 1981

Another precious historical contribution from the collection of Roy Thode recordings from Marsha Stern, featuring more unprecedented mastery by a DJ way ahead of his time. A few words from Marsha:

My name is Marsha Stern and I’m delighted to again collaborate with Sound Metaphors and present another of Roy Thode’s performances. This selection was recorded on Feb 7th 1981 and is from the debut season of The Saint, a private Gay club in NYC. A little over 10 hours of an uninterrupted musical journey sure to please! 

Thank you for listening, following and please come visit us at:  
WEBSITE: https://roythode.com 
FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/DjRoyThode
INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/djroythode

Midnight Mass  The Saint  7Feb1981

Roy Thode - Midnight Mass - Recorded Live at The Saint, Feb 7, 1981

12 INCH

Bobby - California Dreaming (Jayl Funk Edit)

Been a while since we've tossed up a freebie, so here's a little disco rework of a gem from the Providence, RI quintet Tavares. Get it while the gettin's good!

Tavares - Maybe We'll Fall In Love Again (The New Black Edit)*FREE DOWNLOAD*

For Viscera 130, Yu Su joins the series with a live recording taken from our party on the 14th December at the one and only Love Inn.

"Kaifeng-born, now London-based Yu Su is a musician, DJ, sound artist and occasional chef. As one of the most prominent Chinese artists with a highly unique voice working across the globe in the last 5 years, her output covers all the ground you’d expect and more. Her multiple critically acclaimed records on UK’s Technicolor (Ninja Tune), Netherlands’s Music from Memory and China’s own Bie Records has seen her nominated for Canada’s Polaris Prize. She has co-produced music with John Carroll Kirby, Duval Timothy and is known for remix works for Parquet Courts, King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard, and many more. As a DJ, she is unpredictable, idiosyncratic; just “casually having the dance floor transfixed” have put her on the spotlights at clubs and festivals internationally like Dekmantel, Glastonbury, Boiler Room, iii Points, Nuits Sonores, Rainbow Disco Club, Phonox and so on. She has also recently been featured on the cover of Mixmag magazine, marking the first Chinese cover star. She has composed for feature films and fashion brands like Sacai, Jimmy Choo and London/Shanghai based SAMUEL GUÌ YANG."

Enjoy!

@yu_su

Yu Su | 130

Beyond her operatic range and visceral piano work, American singer Diamanda Galás’ career is a study in defiance - channeling the horrors of the AIDS crisis, political injustice, and human suffering into performances that blur the lines between classical, avant-garde, and the demonic. From collaborations with John Paul Jones to transcendent solo works, her presence is singular, and her impact undeniable. 
Find the full tracklist and related episodes on NTS: https://www.nts.live/shows/in-focus/episodes/in-focus-diamanda-galas-28th-march-2025

In Focus: Diamanda Galás 280325

Benedikt Frey for Honey Trap 4.4.2025 @ Sameheads

@bondsergio
While gearing up for our 11 Years Bday coming weekend we have a mix from Bond, tipped by our lovely resident TITIA 

Bond is a DJ from Buenos Aires and a member of the LGBTQIA+ collective LOCA, He is the founder and director of Radio LOCA and LOCA Rec, platforms dedicated to consciously promoting and representing the careers of queer and dissident artists from Latin America.

This mix is a journey through the current pulse of the queer electronic scene in the Global South. A showcase of the sound of Buenos Aires, featuring tracks by fellow local producers, unreleased gems, and previews of Bond’s upcoming EP out in May via Pansa Records. 

Track highlight 
Pleasure Pump – “Fantasize Me” (Original 12’’ Club Mix)
One of the few tracks in the mix that’s neither current nor part of the local scene, but it stands out as a tribute to the roots of dance and desire, a highlight that directly connects with the queer legacy of clubbing

Thanks Sergio! <3

Bond...IsBurning #167

Bill Spencer shares weekend recordings from his living room studio in Detroit, Michigan, from where he brings a range of soulful jazz rock, and ambient sounds, spanning to electronica and psychedelic dub.
 
Find the full tracklist and related episodes on NTS: https://www.nts.live/shows/bill-spencer/episodes/bill-spencer-13th-april-2025

A Month of Sundays w/ Bill Spencer 130425

Marsha Stern, the gift that keeps on giving <3 another generous offering from her sacred Roy Thode vault of recordings from a very golden age of dance floor culture. It’s a tremendous honour to be able to house this recording on our Soundcloud page, an untouched time capsule from almost half a century ago, allowing us the luxury of re-living that moment in that room with Roy Thode holding court behind the booth, providing the soundtrack to what would have been a wonderful night in a very special place. 1980, no smart phones, no discogs, no social media, CDJS or sync/loop buttons, the profession of DJing was still in its early beginnings of being defined and Roy’s dedication to the craft certainly helped define it. 
In a time where it’s not always so easy to feel proud of being “a DJ”, it’s inspiring to look back at the origins of dance floor culture, one of them being extremely dedicated, self-educated and oppressed homosexuals in New York who took it upon themselves to explore the aesthetics of music on the dance floor to extreme levels. This recording should give you a glimpse into what that might have sounded like. Please take a moment to listen carefully and allow yourself to understand the genius of Roy Thode’s craft as a DJ. We hope it inspires you as much as it inspired us. On this day, Roy would have become 76 years of age, long live his memory, thank you for the music and inspiring dedication to the craft. Happy Birthday Roy!

Roy Thode recorded at the Ice Palace, Fire Island May 17, 1980

Original Track by PUSH 
Original Track: "CUT ME LOOSE"

Push - Cut me Loose (Jayl Funk Edit)



AND002 – limited vinyl on A&R Edits

Released: Monday 27th May, 2013

Side AA: Music Up (Reworked by Derek Kaye)

Selected by GW

Derek Kaye married his schoolboy passions of music and electronics in 1973 when he constructed his first disco sound system, aged just 13. Prior to this, with DJ equipment something of a rarity in those days, he created a custom setup that bypassed the need for a mixer by rewiring his turntables in such a way that he could flip the sound from one deck to another, and installed a switch that would dip the music so a microphone from a portable cassette player could be used to announce the song on rotation. His work soon grew in sophistication and a new console was built, with his schoolmate, Greg Wilson, buying Derek’s old rig, thus beginning his own well-documented DJ career.

Over the past 40 years, Derek has continued to DJ in and around the North West, both in residencies and guest spots, and his passion for music and electronics are still just as strong. His enviable studio has gone through the transitions of working with notator (the forerunner to logic) on the studio essential Atari 1040 ste with a collection of keyboards and Akai samplers, to just about “working out of the box” as is the case with a lot of studios now.

Today, a lifetime of experience is being teased out of the connoisseur by lifelong friend and A&R curator Greg Wilson, beginning with the double header of 'Nobody' and 'Music Up': both reworks have caused dance floor rapture for Greg over recent months and, as festival season fast approaches, they are now being shared amongst the wider DJ community for the very first time (Derek and Greg have also recently joined forces to remix Bryan Ferry’s ‘Don’t Stop The Dance’).

'Music Up' is an overhaul of the 1979 Vanguard 12” by the Players Association, Kaye's version injecting further verve into the original with a new bassline, percussion, strings and arrangement. Personally requested by NYC stalwart Danny Krivit when Greg Wilson dropped it during his recent gig at The Date in London, 'Music Up' is a surefire festival favourite, for house and disco heads alike, that’s set to fly this summer.

Rufus & Chaka Khan - Ain't Nobody - Derek Kaye Rework

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Roy Thode recorded at the Ice Palace, Fire Island May 17, 1980

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