To a generation of Scottish clubbers, Death Disco has become a rite of passage.
Hosted in Glasgow venue the Arches, the night has launched careers, kicked off relationships and entertained thousands upon thousands of fans. On December 7th, though, all this is set to come to one final, explosive finale.
Deciding to quit while the going is good, Death Disco draws to a halt with a guest slot from Jacques Lu Cont, an appearance from Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shaears and much, much more. By way of a tribute, ClashMusic asked some of the team behind Death Disco to provide ten classic tracks to outline the history of the night.
– – –
Niall Walker, Arches Marketing Manager and one of the founders of DEATH DISCO:
1. Justice vs Simian Mobile Disco ‘We Are Your Friends’
Justice DJed at DD back in 2006, just as this tune was breaking commercially and just as the night was really ballooning in numbers. It just felt so right when they played it and every chanted along with their arms in the air – like one big happy family of friends.
2. Friendly Fires ‘Paris (Aeroplane Remix)’
The ultimate summer tune from a few years back – when Aeroplane played this at DD in June 2010, every single face on the packed dancefloor had a huge beaming smile. ‘One day we’re gonna live… in Paris’ they all sang along to the words, but they were thinking ‘Right now, I’m happy right here….’
3. Mylo ‘Drop The Pressure’
Okay, it got overplayed, but at the time, when that bass kicked in I swear even the concrete floor of the Arches was bouncing up and down.
DJ Mingo-Go, DEATH DISCO resident DJ:
4. I strongly consider the Skatt Brothers 'Walk the Night' to be THE Death Disco signature tune. I'm the only standing original resident from the club, and I first enjoyed this song when I was 10 in 1979. I realised that it was becoming a scene hit when 2 Many DJs played it at a club I residented with them in London. They were in shock to see actual vinyl of it. And when they played the first sold-out DD, they invited me up with them to play it. One of the best DJing moments of the club, and, of my life!
5. Glasgow dance merchants DEN HAAN and 'Release the Beast' is another one that in the past few years always got a huge crowd reaction. Anything that has chants like "HOOO HAAA" in the middle just makes it that little more camp which goes down with the DD camp.
6. PATRICK HERNANDEZ 'Born to be Alive' has also got to be an anthem for the club. People shout it up to me, and I've had it requested in other clubs because people realise I'm the Death Disco DJ…that always is a wonderful thing to experience. And….it's another song I've been dancing to since I was in single digits!
7. ELO 'Don't Bring me Down'. Again, it's caused some outrageously singing along with the crowd. Whenever the crowd is singing and shouting along when you're DJing, you know you're on to a winner. DD has always been SONGS rather than BEATS orientated in my opinion. And this band is one of my absolute favourites!
JOHNNY WHOOP, DEATH DISCO resident DJ:
8. Blackstrobe – Italian Fireflies
This tune was out a few years before I landed a residency at Death Disco, pretty sure I heard countless guests play it countless times at DD and it always got the right reaction. Black Strobe played live at DD one year, and if I remember correctly their set in the main arch was wild!
9. Krazy Baldhead – Crazy Moth3f2ck8z
This track has a lot of kick to it!! The first time I heard this Tommie Sunshine was guesting at DD. I'd done my warm-up set and was topping up on Jack D at the bar when I heard the kick drum drop, I nearly lost the plot. Then the 'Energy Flash'-esque synth hook came in and I pretty much did lose it! I got the name of the track from Tommie at the end of the night, which was difficult because of the numbers in the title and my intoxication levels, and bought it on Vinyl a week later. I partied on after that DD and I phoned Tommie to go to Optimo the next night but he declined. Boo. I still went…
10. Felix Da Housecat – Silver Screen Shower Scene
I couldn't have a list like this without having Felix in it, he is one of those guys like Erol and Optimo that pretty much wrote the script and paved the way for electroclash and for some of the foundations that nights like DD were built on. This tune still gets a reaction 11 years after it's release.
– – –
DD XXXMas – the final, ever Death Disco – takes place on December 7th.
