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...

This interview was conducted for Pop Culture Puke in 2016. All photos courtesy of Allie's Instagram @allieteilz The self-dubbed DJ First Lady of the Los Angeles party scene, Allie Teilz , knows a thing or two about the industry for someone so young. The now 21 year-old all-vinyl DJ and Arizona native cut her teeth working at a Phoenix record store before booking her own concerts at the Rhythm Room and Crescent Ballroom at the age of 15, to New York venues 285 Kent and Daddy’s a year later. Boasting an eclectic record collection encapsulating R&B, disco, classic hip-hop, funk, soul and house, she has spun alongside Thom Yorke, M83, Frank Ocean and Lorde and rocked official parties for events as prestigious as the Golden Globes and Coachella. With a client roster that reads like a list of the biggest names in global entertainment, Miss Teilz currently provides tunes every Tuesday night for Nightswim at LA’s Hollywood Roosevelt hotel. So how would Allie’s enviable lifest...

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...

This article originally featured on the now-defunct altmusicbox in 2015. Anthems like ‘We Are Family’ are usually synonymous with drunk uncles at family reunions and novelty songwriting as opposed to true musical hidden gems. It’s misconceptions such as this that have plagued Sister Sledge’s 1979 album in the eyes of the music-buying public and left the sisters’ 12” singles resigned to the graveyard of charity shop vinyl crates. And what an absolute shame! A perfectly crafted blend of disco, funk and R&B, commercially viable for pop radio yet with a nod to classic soul, Chic-produced We Are Family is an album that has gone on to be a central influence on the dance and even hip-hop scenes for decades after its release. Formed around the talent of four actual sisters – Debbie, Joni, Kathy and Kim Sledge – We Are Family was the group’s breakthrough record, spawning four hit singles thanks to the sprinkling of magical production courtesy of Chic masterminds and godfathers o...