Discotheque 6

One of my projects has me sifting through the archives of The Qoöl Happy Hour, which is a regular club night I co-founded in San Francisco in 1996, and that still exits today. Among the many discoveries made while opening those old boxes was a hand made book, "Portraits Of Qoöl" by San Francisco photographer, Nathan Koch. The book contains black and white photographs taken at various Qoöl parties in 2001, along with the photographer's notes on the party, his experience, and also a Spesh mix on a CD tucked into the book's inside front cover. The whole thing is cleverly packaged to look like a giant CD jewel case. 

This is what Nathan wrote about the CD:
"The CD was recorded live at Loöq Hard on the first Saturday of February 2002. It is part of Spesh's set from that night, and is an example of what he might play each week at Qoöl. The only difference is that each DJ only plays a 45 minute set on Wednesdays, which isn't long enough for a CD."

The book itself is a fascinating glimpse into a truly unique part of clubbing history, and we're now working to try to re-create it as an ebook. 

Here's the track list for the mix. I hope you enjoy this little slice of history! 

01 DJ Kimo and Hifd Fido - Victory - Silicone Soul's Hypno House Mix - [Fire Music]
02 Greed Featuring Leslie - Strange World - Jondi & Spesh Remix - [SOG]
03 Twisted Playboys - Angel Dust - Original Mix - [Avantgarde]
04 Balearic Allstars - Fine Night - Jondi & Spesh Remix - [White]
05 SD Grooves - Red Leather - [Slide Recordings]
06 Mike G - Bellslut - [Dorigen Music]
07 Brian Stillwater & Alex Gardel - Unknown - Original Mix - [Imago Gramophone Records]
08 Momu - This Is Momu - Jondi & Spesh Remix - [Loöq Records]
09 Deep Funk Project - 2 Heavy - [Zero Tolerance Recordings]
10 Momu - The Dive - Original Mix - [Loöq Records]

Portraits Of Qoöl - Recorded February 2002

I originally mixed this for Loöq Radio's August show, but there was something special about how it came together so I decided to put the mix out on it's own too. Hope you like it! 

Track List
01 Jose Vizcaino - Lost in Beats - Original Mix - [Loöq Records]
02 Peter Bar - MIA - Original Mix - [Brown Eyed Boyz]
03 Ugur Project - Catchin’ That Groove - Original Mix - [Cyanide]
04 Jose Vizcaino - Circles - Original Mix - [Loöq Records]
05 Stelios Vassiloudis & One Of Them - Back & Forth - Luis Junior Remix - [Tulipa Recordings]
06 Jose Vizcaino - Trading Vibes - Original Mix - [Loöq Records]
07 La Rose - 26 - Ivan Garci Remix - [Sound Vessel Records]
08 Ernest Luminor - Streetz - Pako & Frederik Remix - [Pure Substance]
09 Hair Band Drop-Out - Melodic Seeds - Zero The Hero’s Dub Mix - [Red Ant Records]
10 Marc Marzenit - Fictional Crossover - Original Mix - [Bedrock Records]

Spesh Mix 080414

Spesh Mix 040609

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Spesh Mix 091309

Light - Vol. 1 

Recorded live on February 20, 2015 at MNML:Fun, Underground SF, San Francisco. 

Spesh Live At MNMLFUN 022015

Night - Vol. 1

House music for the daytime terrace dwellers. Breezy, bumpin', classic. 

Light - Vol. 2

Discotheque 1

Discotheque 2

Discotheque 3

Classic Spesh mix as featured on John Digweed's Kiss FM show. 

Spesh KissFM May 2002

Discotheque 4

Discotheque 5

Recorded live at Underground SF on May 18, 2017

Live At MNML Fun 051817

Live at Midway SF, December 29, 2017. Also on the lineup on this night were Sasha, John Digweed, Eagles & Butterflies, Rachel Torro, Syd Gris, Darren Grayson. It was a great night made sweeter by an excellent crowd full of many good friends I had not seen in a while!

Track List - Spesh - Live at Midway 
1. Michel De Hey, Rauwkost - Dowdees (NT89 Remix) [0:00]
2. Chris Rawles	- You're Just Funkin' with Me (Original) [5:45]
3. Dan Formless, Tileff	- Control Room (Original Mix) [11:35]  
4. Issac - The Monster in Your Head (Atapy Remix) [16:19]
5. Sam Chorlton	- Shadows [21:20]
6. Samu.l - The Truth (Original Mix) [26:37]
7. Fairtone - Surrender (Peter Makto & Gregory S Remix) [31:54]   
8. Sandro Beninati - Nyct (Philip Arruda Remix) [37:56]
9. Jondi & Spesh - We Are Connected (Pako & Frederik Remix) [42:44]
10. Joeski - No Laughing Matter (Original Mix) [49:17]
11. Jamie Stevens - The Night Before (Momu Remix)[53:57]
12. Steffen Deux - Peachick (Original Mix) [1:03:14]
13. Einzelkind - Free Savioni (Amnesia Pearl Mix) [1:08:04]
14. Magit Cacoon - No Compromise (Ambivalent Remix) [1:17:47]

Live at Midway SF December 29, 2017

Live at Midway SF

One from the archives. This is a 5 hour set captured live at the infamous Qoöl Happy Hour in San Francisco 13 years ago. The set spans from classical (yes, classical) to deep house, techno, progressive and ends with an 80's rock classic. Mixed with vinyl and CD-r.

5 Hour Set - 2005 - Qool @ 111 Minna Gallery

Recorded on a cozy evening, down low in the SF underground.

Live at Mission: Dance - June 20, 2018

Live at Mission: Dance - 062018

Spesh Mix 121313  
December 13 2012 - Recorded live, opening set for Hernan Cattaneo at Harlot, San Francisco  

Track List
01 Helder Teixeira - Be With You [Sounds Of Juan]
02 Mass Digital - Delta - Original Mix - [I Records]
03 Randy Delmore - Break - Original Mix - [Moral Fiber]
04 Randy Delmore - Snake - Stab9 Remix - [Moral Fiber]
05 Animal Trainer & Otoridia - Our Music - &Me Remix - [Hive Audio]
06 Hector - Stoned Raiders - H Foundation Remix - [One Records]
07 Shlomi Aber - NY Dreamer - Alix Alvarez Remix - [Ovum Recordings]
08 Josel - Beau Gosse - Original Mix - [Pure Substance]
09 Stefan K - Early Hours - Original Mix - [Endemic Digital]
10 Art Bleek - The Time - Original Mix - [EevoNext]
11 Amethyst & Lenny Lenoks - The Race - Beat Syndrome Remix - [Crossfade Sounds]


Spesh Mix 121312

Spesh is an accomplished club DJ with more than 30 years behind the decks, and is co-owner and head of A&R for Loöq Records. He has also co-produced over 80 releases with JD Moyer as Jondi & Spesh, and with Jerry Bonham and Jondi as JSJ, with releases appearing on over a dozen groundbreaking labels including Bedrock, Global Underground, Renaissance, and Loöq. Spesh is also the co-founder and resident DJ of Qoöl, which in its 15 year run became one of San Francisco's most storied underground electronic music events. 

Spesh, né Stephen Kay, began his career in dance music as a DJ in the late 1980's. This was a time before dance music had congealed into distinct genres; when a five-hour set for a DJ was the norm, not the exception. With an ear for choosing compelling music and an unparalleled ability to weave those tracks into euphoric journeys of sound, Spesh quickly rose in the San Francisco scene, eventually landing himself a high-profile residency at the legendary party, Release.

Shortly after the 1999 release of Jondi & Spesh's hugely popular progressive house anthem "We Are Connected", Spesh developed into an international talent, performing his deep yet enthralling DJ sets across Europe and North America. Back in his hometown of San Francisco, Spesh quietly simmered away playing in virtually every venue the city has to offer, receiving the highest accolades from his peers and from local and international press including Mixmag, DJ Mag, San Francisco Magazine, SF Weekly, and more. 

Spesh can be counted on to bring something new and unexpected to every gig. His refusal to take the obvious route makes his many fans more passionate than usual. They expect more than fantastic dance music flawlessly mixed; they expect to be transported to another plane. Over 30 years of spinning music has given Spesh time to develop his talents to a nearly unconscious level. As Spesh himself says, "I'm doing my job when everybody in the room, including myself, has completely lost track of time."

These days Spesh limits his DJ bookings to less that half a dozen per year to allow more time for family and other passions projects. Each set is special and for him a shared experience of joy and gratitude.

Popular tracks by Spesh