David Mancuso
David Mancuso (* October 20, 1944) created the popular "by invitation only" parties in New York City later known as "The Loft". The first party "Love Saves The Day" was in 1970. Before that, he was playing records for his friends on a semi-regular basis as early as 1966, and these parties became popular that by 1971 he and Steve Abramowitz, who worked the door, decided to do this on a weekly basis. His parties were similar to rent party or house party.
Mancuso pioneered the "private party", as distinct from the more commercial nightclub business model. In the early '70s, Mancuso won a long administrative trial when the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs found that he was not selling food or beverages to the public and therefore did not need a NYC "Cabaret License".
Mancuso's success at keeping his parties "underground" and legal inspired others, and many famous private discothèques of the 70s and 80s were modeled after The Loft, including the Paradise Garage, The Gallery, and The Saint. Mancuso helped start the record pool system for facilitating the distribution of promotional records to the qualified disc jockey.
By the late '70s Mancuso's abandoned audio mixing, beatmatching and pitch-shifting, in favor of an "audiophile" approach to sound reproduction.
In 1999 and 2000, David Mancuso and Colleen Murphy produced the compilation series "David Mancuso Presents The Loft" Volumes One and Two on Nuphonic.
In 2003, Tim Lawrence's book "Love Saves the Day: A History of American Dance Music Culture, 1970-1979" was published. This book is a comprehensive study of Mancuso's life. Mancuso and The Loft also appear in Josell Ramos' 2003 documentary Maestro about 70s underground club DJs.
On September 19, 2005 Mancuso was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame for his outstanding achievement as a DJ.
On December 23, 2006 a nightclub named after Mancuso opened in Tübingen, southern Germany.
In May 2008, David Mancuso, with the help of Goshi Manabe, Colleen Murphy and Satoru Ogawa, launched his own audiophile record label The Loft Audiophile Library of Music. The music is mastered by Stan Ricker.
Maestro
Maestro, tells the story of how a group of people found refuge and a call for life outside the mainstream. What evolved was a scene that set the ground work for what was to come in dance music culture worldwide, a rare insight into the secret underground world. It's the first time this story is told in a motion Picture, included in the film are pioneer dance music DJs and producers, "founding fathers", its center being Larry Levan, as well as high-profile DJs of today. Opting for a more personal and candid approach, MAESTRO shows the true history of the people through a realistic creative aesthetic. Tracing the underground's dance origin, MAESTRO brings out a real understanding of this intense lifestyle, and the lives they lived and died for.
External links
- The Loft.com ( X Site down 3/2011 )
- The Loft.org ( X Site down 3/2011 )
- David Mancuso profile at Jahsonic
- David Mancuso interview at DiscoMusic.com
- Mancuso club in Tübingen, Germany
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