Kristen Sinclair

Dua does Disco (Source: sharinapro.com) When we think of disco, we think Sister Sledge, the Village People and Michael Jackson, groovy basslines and shimmering synths – a call to dance with no regard for tomorrow, in the words of Martha Reeves. Its heyday may seem confined to the faded neon-emblazoned LPs of the late 70s and early 80s, but the enduring influence and appeal of this genre resurges every decade, be it through innovative sampling or retro-tinged production. Dua Lipa’s latest release Future Nostalgia is an essay in majestic disco pop and is spearheading its most recent revival; similarly, The Weeknd’s ‘Blinding Lights’ resounds with polished 80s disco glamour. A decade ago, Bruno Mars’ Unorthodox Jukebox and Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories gave a nod to the classic disco sound with a modern twist (and the latter with Nile Rodgers’ Midas touch). Back at the turn of the millennium, Kylie Minogue dabbled in nu disco on Fever , whilst the crate-digging DJs of t...

Disco Sucks: Steve Dahl, 1979 (Source: orlandocultureshock.wordpress.com) Why thousands of disco records were burned and why disco will never die On 12 th July 1979, an unprecedented 59,000 hard rock-loving baseball fans stormed Comiskey Park in Illinois for what would go down in history as Disco Demolition Night. Local radio DJ and Led Zep/Stones devotee Steve Dahl initially unleashed his ‘Disco Sucks!’ campaign during his slot on Chicago’s 97.9 WLUP-FM, based on the premise that “Midwesterners didn't want that intimidating [disco] style shoved down their throats”.       At a time when Studio 54 was in its heyday and stations were substituting REO Speedwagon and Black Sabbath for tracks by Sister Sledge, Donna Summer and the Bee Gees, Dahl decided to lash out at the soaring popularity of disco music in the wake of  Saturday Night Fever  in 1977. In an attempt to “eradicate of the dreaded musical disease known as DISCO” (which incidentally was fill...