Life and Death on the New York Dance Floor, 1980–1983 (DUKE UNIVERSITY)

As the 1970s gave way to the 80s, New York's party scene entered a ferociously inventive period characterized by its creativity, intensity, and hybridity.__Life and Death on the New York Dance Floor__chronicles this tumultuous time, charting the sonic and social eruptions that took place in the city’s subterranean party venues as well as the way they cultivated breakthrough movements in art, performance, video, and film. Interviewing DJs, party hosts, producers, musicians, artists, and dancers, Tim Lawrence illustrates how the relatively discreet post-disco, post-punk, and hip hop scenes became marked by their level of plurality, interaction, and convergence. He also explains how the shifting urban landscape of New York supported the cultural renaissance before gentrification, Reaganomics, corporate intrusion, and the spread of AIDS brought this gritty and protean time and place in American culture to a troubled denouement. Cover 1 Contents 8 Preface 10 Acknowledgments 18 Introduction 24 Part I. 1980: The Recalibration of Disco 32 1. Stylistic Coherence Didn’t Matter at All 34 2. The Basement Den at Club 57 53 3. Danceteria: Midtown Feels the Downtown Storm 71 4. Subterranean Dance 83 5. The Bronx-Brooklyn Approach 96 6. The Sound Became More Real 115 7. Major-Label Calculations 128 8. The Saint Peter of Discos 134 9. Lighting the Fuse 145 Part II. 1981: Accelerating Toward Pluralism 156 10. Explosion of Clubs 158 11. Artistic Maneuvers in the Dark 178 12. Downtown Configures Hip Hop 193 13. The Sound of a Transcendent Future 207 14. The New Urban Street Sound 222 15. It Wasn’t Rock and Roll and It Wasn’t Disco 233 16. Frozen in Time or Freed into Infinity 244 17. It Felt Like the Whole City Was Listening 255 18. Shrouded Abatements and Mysterious Deaths 262 Part III. 1982: Dance Culture Seizes the City 266 19. All We Had Was the Club 268 20. Inverted Pyramid 280 21. Roxy Music 294 22. The Garage: Everybody Was Listening to Everything 302 23. The Planet Rock Groove 311 24. Techno Funksters 327 25. Taste Segues 337 26. Stormy Weather 343 27. Cusp of an Important Fusion 354 Part IV. 1983: The Genesis of Division 364 28. Cristal for Everyone 366 29. Dropping the Pretense and the Flashy Suits 392 30. Straighten It Out with Larry Levan 404 31. Stripped-Down and Scrambled Sounds 423 32. We Became Part of This Energy 442 33. Sex and Dying 453 34. We Got the Hits, We Got the Future 461 35. Behind the Groove 472 Epilogue. Life, Death, and the Hereafter 481 Notes 508 Selected Discography 538 Selected Filmography 552 Selected Bibliography 554 Index 560 A 560 B 562 C 566 D 569 E 573 F 574 G 576 H 577 I 579 J 580 K 581 L 582 M 584 N 587 O 588 P 588 Q 591 R 591 S 594 T 598 U 598 V 599 W 599 X 601 Y 601 Z 601 As The 1970s Gave Way To The '80s, New York's Party Scene Entered A Ferociously Inventive Period Characterized By Its Creativity, Intensity, And Hybridity. [this Book] Chronicles This Tumultuous Time, Charting The Sonic And Social Eruptions That Took Place In The City's Subterranean Party Venues As Well As The Way They Cultivated Breakthrough Movements In Art, Performance, Video, And Film--page 4 Of Cover. 1980 : The Recalibration Of Disco. Stylistic Coherence Didn't Matter At All -- The Basement Den At Club 57 -- Danceteria : Midtown Feels The Downtown Storm -- Subterranean Dance -- The Bronx-brooklyn Approach -- The Sound Became More Real -- Major-label Calculations -- The Saint Peter Of Discos -- Lighting The Fuse 1981 : Accelerating Toward Pluralism. Explosion Of Clubs -- Artistic Maneuvers In The Dark -- Downtown Configures Hip Hop -- The Sound Of A Transcendent Future -- The New Urban Street Sound -- It Wasn't Rock And Roll And It Wasn't Disco -- Frozen In Time Or Freed Into Infinity -- It Felt Like The Whole City Was Listening -- Shrouded Abatements And Mysterious Deaths 1982 : Dance Culture Seizes The City. All We Had Was The Club -- Inverted Pyramid -- Roxy Music -- The Garage : Everybody Was Listening To Everything -- The Planet Rock Groove -- Techno Funksters -- Taste Segues -- Stormy Weather -- Cusp Of An Important Fusion 1983 : The Genesis Of Division. Cristal For Everyone -- Dropping The Pretense And The Flashy Suits -- Straighten It Out With Larry Levan -- Stripped-down And Scrambled Sounds -- We Became Part Of This Energy -- Sex And Dying -- We Got The Hits, We Got The Future -- Behind The Groove -- Epilogue. Life, Death, And The Hereafter. Tim Lawrence. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. As the 1970s gave way to the 80s, New York's party scene entered a ferociously inventive period characterized by its creativity, intensity, and hybridity. Life and Death on the New York Dance Floor chronicles this tumultuous time, charting the sonic and social eruptions that took place in the city’s subterranean party venues as well as the way they cultivated breakthrough movements in art, performance, video, and film. Interviewing DJs, party hosts, producers, musicians, artists, and dancers, Tim Lawrence illustrates how the relatively discreet post-disco, post-punk, and hip hop scenes became marked by their level of plurality, interaction, and convergence. He also explains how the shifting urban landscape of New York supported the cultural renaissance before gentrification, Reaganomics, corporate intrusion, and the spread of AIDS brought this gritty and protean time and place in American culture to a troubled denouement. As the 1970s gave way to the 80s, New York's party scene entered a ferociously inventive period characterized by its creativity, intensity, and hybridity. Life and Death on the New York Dance Floor chronicles this tumultuous time, charting the sonic and social eruptions that took place in the city's subterranean party venues as well as the way they cultivated breakthrough movements in art, performance, video, and film. Interviewing DJs, party hosts, producers, musicians, artists, and dancers, Tim Lawrence illustrates how the relatively discrete post-disco, post-punk, and hip hop scenes became marked by their level of plurality, interaction, and convergence. He also explains how the shifting urban landscape of New York supported the cultural renaissance before gentrification, Reaganomics, corporate intrusion, and the spread of AIDS brought this gritty and protean time and place in American culture to a troubled denouement. In Life and Death on the New York Dance Floor Tim Lawrence examines the city's party, dance, music, and art culture between 1980 and 1983, tracing the rise, apex, and fall of this inventive, vibrant, and tumultuous scene.