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RIP David Mancuso, NYC Disco Pioneer,

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David Mancuso, one of New York City's main disco pioneers, died on Nov 14th. RIP

Lighter

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Mancuso
Music critic for the Tally Ho
Lighter

:glitterball:
just finished with that wikipedia write up...damn.

RIP
Lighter
Thanks for posting this firefinga.  I read about this the other week as well.

R.I.P LighterLighterLighter 

Of course, as an aside by unfortunate circumstance, as one pioneer exits this life, BIG UPS to peeps like Francois K for being one of the last of few original dance music dj pioneers STILL pushing the game, and conducting things into the present. Fewer and fewer of the original names are still active, let alone living.  Out of respects for all of the O.G's, the world owes them MUCH. If you are ever in NYC, or get a chance to see names like Francois K live, DO IT.  They are a generation slipping away as we know it.  There is magic in the grooves. No doubt.  Xyxthumbs

Respects.



https://www.facebook.com/FrancoisKNYC/po...2012779621


"..It is with great sadness that I reflect on the untimely passing of one of the most gifted and passionate music lovers I have ever had the honor to personally befriend.

While it is an understatement that he had a profound and continuous musical influence on all of those who have been lucky enough to meet him, it isn’t easy to describe how far-ranging his thoughts, approach and philosophy really have been. Not the least because they now seem so obvious that we often take them for granted.

Even beyond this, I remain awestruck by what a gentle and humble person David Mancuso really was, with a sense of generosity, self-effacement and kindness that pretty much dwarfed that of most anyone else I have ever met. While being the person behind so many ‘first’ ideas like the creation of DJ record pools, the idea of keeping his parties totally private, or playing ‘back-to-back’ DJ sets with a few friends he’d invite, he never really seemed interested in taking much credit for any of them.

This insistence on disappearing in the background and only being a vehicle for the music to be heard in as clear and unadulterated form as possible should be a required study from anyone who aspires at being a music selector. David’s genius and serene confidence finding a great record, that most DJs would pass over because it was ‘too weird’ (only to see them blow up into massive club hits) was legendary. So many like Eddy Grant “Walking On Sunshine”, “Time Warp” Sun Palace “Rude Movements” or Otis Gayle’s stunning remake of “Ain’t No Stopping Us Now”, all remain timeless classics today.

His uncompromising stance in the face of degraded standards of audio excellence and his championing of great recorded performances never wavered in the face of the public’s increasingly utilitarian consumption of music. Where everyone else only seemed to aspire at playing at ear-splitting levels, he would make a point of doing it with utmost respect, elegance and delicate restraint, in a manner that would always let music's natural beauty shine through.

“Music Is Love”

He continued to prove throughout his entire career that what made a party truly special was first and foremost the people themselves, the community that naturally forms itself around any gathering if we only allow it to do so.


David founded and nurtured The Loft, which has been going on and thrived as a party for over 45 years… even more of an incredible feat is that this movement appears to be able to successfully carry on and thrive well beyond his having left us.


There is nothing else out there in the ephemeral world of clubs that quite compares to such a legacy, the wondrous realization that somehow what he created will outlast him; The Loft will go on, continuing to inspire and entertain future generations of the unique community of dancers and music lovers affectionately known as ‘Loft-heads’. All with a very simple motto, one which we’ve all been deeply touched by:

“Love Saves The Day”

Here is the one person I can honestly say many of us owe our entire careers to, because he showed us a path that was full of tantalizing possibilities, as he was trailblazing through it like no one else ever did. He dedicated his entire life to this music he so cherished, and to the countless friends he made at the Loft throughout the years.

On a personal note, it was his contagious enthusiasm and unconditional support that often times inspired me to do a lot of what I managed to accomplish with music. Going into the studio and pretty much doing certain things to a mix because I knew they would sound so good on the system at The Loft. Then bringing an acetate of it there and seeing it happen… such mind-blowing togetherness of spirit, so many treasured memories of magical moments in time, including those we shared together behind those turntables… like when he’s suddenly turn around and would tell to me to throw the next record on, only to reappear half an hour later.

And it’s no accident that when we decided to start a party of our own called ‘Body&SOUL’ about twenty years ago, this ‘one-on-one’ approach to collectively sharing the decks became our normal operating mode from the start, so in that sense we are very much indebted to his selfless approach.

During our many conversations on the topic, Larry Levan was unequivocal in declaring that David was by far the best and most exceptionally visionary DJ there ever was, the one he would always be looking up to for inspiration. How ironic that Larry would say this about the very person who didn’t even bother using a mixer at all, since passing signal through its circuitry would degrade the sound. And look up to him we all did!

There is so much more I really want to express that made David such a very special, vibrant and inspirational person to spend time with, but it feels as if this would require an entire book to do so. Far from his legacy being forgotten, it is my belief that history will only validate many of his ideas further as they progressively take vibrant hold into the mind of others.

Thank you David for all the love you’ve given us, and this incredible music you so sweetly shared with us during the course of your entire life.
“There Is No Greater Love”.

François K.

November 15, 2016
Nice writeup there mate. Smile
Had heard of the geezer, was never close, but read more about David, i think i first uncovered some info on Resident Advisor in 2008. Always good times.

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