2240
Over looking the sparkling lights sweeping upward Juarez Mountain, Mexico from the Durango Street overpass vicinal the ballpark stadium, the ear catches pulsating thumps from the distance. In Las Plazaz, the Union Plaza district of downtown, sneakers trek along the community painted mural sidewalk. Ah, within sight, sits the destination, a brick and mortar painted with neon pink letters that reads, Club Here I Love You <3.
One could easily forget the date is all about love. Until los chicos wearing red dress shirts showcasing their arm candy, las chicas wearing skin-tight red dresses drift by. Oh yeah. It’s Saint Valentine Night. Capital date night. But sometimes you want to go, where nobody knows your name. And sometimes you want to go alone. So you end up standing before double-black doors and underneath a hanging black banner that reads, Here I Love You.
Late Nite Social Club
2300
“Noise levels within the room can cause permanent damage,” reads the paper attached to the interior of the entrance. No lie. The powered Void Acoustics emits the most immersive sound. The decibels register far too high for the 2000 square footage between four walls. Already, the music dances into the arms of funky four-counts. Onstage stands a spacious black DJ station where the Late Nite Social Club’s, Maci, Joe N, and Rob perform B2B2B. Where Maci and Joe kick jackin’ beats, Rob plays groovy bass lines meets disco samples. Not one to settle playing music, Rob entertains. One moment, his fingers twist knobs with suave. The next moment, his arms upstretched chopping the air, all the while his head bounces semicircles left to right. Watch him mouth the lyrics to Alex Virgo’s “Stop Myself.” He is kinetic energy, animating every note sung. Truly, he deserves the most-spirited DJ Award. He rocks the gathered crowd of fresh faces. Even his closing number, Chicago’s Local Options’ “After Glow,” released on Large Music is a most awarding experience that sends chills to think house music this hot is played in Sun City.
El Paso
Who knew? “El Paso had a house music scene long before we started this night.” Explains Joe Nava, co-owner of CHILY that opened three years earlier. No small feat in Union Plaza where bars and restaurants come and go in an eye blink. He continues, “We’re all ravers.” A glance towards the wall with the painted ivory outline of two flowers reveals no signs of the rave slowing down from the guy dancing in 15 inch wide-leg denim to a lady spinning in thick sole knee-high boots that appear ready to experience.
Mood II Swing
2405
Underneath the radiating glow of a neon pink heart, there stands the man of the hour. John Ciafone is one-half of the colossal outfit Mood II Swing. For the prior thirty minutes, his eyes observed all of the happenings. Dressed in a blue light sweater and blue denim, he stood patiently, appeared reserved and relatively unassuming as he now steps into his role as music conductor. Immediately, something feels awry.
The crowd? Nope. A sizable mass has gathered before the DJ altar, at the bar and mid-room.
The space? Nope. There is ample room to dance about freely.
The bar? Nope. The she and he team keeps busy pouring tequila that makes spirits happy.
The acoustics? Nope. Now the sound’s volume is adjusted and played at a comfortable level.
The music producer’s partner?
Yes! Actually, Lem Springsteen is missing.
Yet, something else feels awry.
Around the room, mouths are gape in mid-conversation, asses face the DJ, and fingers point towards the exit for an outdoor feeding of lung cancer. Even those annoying toys often held in the air filming are stashed in bags and pockets. Unlike minutes earlier, currently no one gives one fuck regarding the music being played. And that is most freighting. Behind the control center, John’s head is leaned to the right, listening to cue the next song. His hand reaches for the fader. He appears busily focused. He tries to engage the audience. By dropping heat, Kerri Chandler’s “Something Deeper” and then transitioning into the tepid, Toman’s “Waves,” feels akin to being pushed in the middle of the railroad track in front of Union Depot as the El Paso locomotive approaches. The DJ’s opening fiasco lies not in his lack of trying as is in his song selections. Again, music producers making giant leaps to touring deity is like someone trying to cross the border fence alongside the Rio Grande. You can’t fault them for trying.
Reinvented
After all, underground house music producers/remixers are living in an era of climate change. Today’s musicians must be visible-tangible to fans, available on digital platforms, and corporate sellouts-or they cannot make ends meet by making beats. Contrary to house music’s golden years when one of the hottest production teams known was Mood II Swing. John Ciafone and Lem Springsteen were the torch carriers of the NYC garage sound. Studio wizards, releasing hit-after-hit from underground artists to remixes of major recording label artists. Mood II Swing’s productions were artwork. People wanted to own a Mood II Swing, including the mainstream music industry. At the turn of the century the unforeseen occurred-climate change. Mood II Swing became disenfranchised with the business of music. Their musical output ebbed. Their working relationship dissolved. Solo projects released sporadically to little fanfare. Their music pushed to the memory of the forgotten. Where climate change teaches that a species must adept or dies: life teaches, live long enough and you will see yesteryear repackaged today. As evidenced during the twenty-tens when pimple-faced producers discovered the nineties sound of NYC garage in their bedrooms, Mood II Swing’s sound was resurrected on playlists, streams and in dance clubs. Soon after, Strictly Rhythm released their thirty-three-song opus that placed the twosome back on the map. Literally Mood II Swing-reinvented as touring DJs, which the two never were during their peak-traveled the world extensively playing together at global music festivals or playing solo at nightclubs in American cities.
0034
Thirty-four minutes and seven songs later heard are the sound of blocks clapping, a brushing against a washboard, the clanging of spoons and an auto tuned vox singing. The familiar sound of trappings and snaps wakes shoe soles stuck to the soiled floor. Bodies sway. The dance commences. Atjazz and Jullian Gomes,’ “Don Esquire” energizes the atmosphere. So does the next track played. That swings dancing feet back in time when the E-mu SP-1200 ruled garage music. Choppy sliced vocals with staccato synth jabs plasters smiles on faces. Mood II Swing’s “I Need Your Luv (Right Now) (Lem’s Church Mix)” oscillates towards a homerun as Karizma’s “The Power” pulls to the fore. Lush piano keys and sparkling chords illuminates the dark room much like the shining star aside Franklin Mountain.
The music played should come with a “Warning,” as when the percussions drop on Italy’s Peppe Citarella featuring Brutha Basil’s Mijango Afro Remix produced in Mexico. Honestly, the gathered predominately Spanglish speakers would have enjoyed additional Afro-Latin vibes if explored, “Deep, Deep Inside.” Barbara Tucker’s commanding vocals are met with cheers of approval. The soul of NYC house pulsates on the Hardrive track. And when the beat drops, the beat goes hard with weightier drums that sink hearts to the floor. Voices yell. Everyone loses his or her shit. John scores!
A seasoned selector knows how to pull both old and new treasures from his thumb drive. Evidenced by playing the latest DFT D59 3D release, Mark Di Meo featuring Liz Jai’s “Surrender.” The Dario D’attis Extended Remix morphs into peak hour music. If it worked once, then work it twice-Atjazz and Jullian Gomes’ “Big Bad Crazy” release, track number six, “Love Me,” laced with additional mids and one bottom-heavy bass lick kicks ass. Across the floor, one dancer commands the space between two sofas, dropping to his knees and falling onto his back performing a Supta Virasana. A video recorder appears. The camera’s flash becomes a mobile spotlight. Phones rush in the air. Spectators glee.
“Pick me up. Pick me up, up, up, up, up.” The party’s-should be-most recognizable vocal refrain should excite. However, when Mood II Swing’s “Closer” (Swing to Mood Dub) drops, the anthem falls on deaf ears. Talk about the most floccinaucinihilipilification moment of the night.
Tellingly, this crowd did not do their assigned Mood II Swing homework. So let this be a teachable moment. Heart-pounding dubs + Driven instrumental tracks = John Ciafone. His repretoire shines brilliantly amongst them. The reason why he is labeled Mood II Swing featuring John Ciafone on so many song titles. Perhaps, the reason he too was asked to play this Valentine affair. His hip-hop beat making background steers a music set devoted to the trackier and techier and tougher elements of electronic music. The fist pumpin’ in the air, bro’ feel good house ilk. Except when playing Moon Boots featuring KONA’s, “So Precious,” where breathy vocals eclipse harder beats.
“C’mon, get up. Let’s dance,” a dancer wearing a fedora beckons a stunning self-professing “older househead” dangerously dressed in a blue denim short jumper seated on the leather sofa. As he grabs her outstretched arms, she jokingly replies, “You want me to die?” Alas, she gives in to Sylvester’s “Dance (Disco Heat)” that pulls most of the party patrons onto the floor. The Louie Vega Re-touch Main Mix has the people “swingin’, swayin’, movin’, groovin’, slidin’, glidin’ as backing vocalist Cindy Mizelle commands everyone its “time to get up.” Surprisingly, when the drums disappear and the organ plays solo the house lights flash on.
“But the music is not ending.” One young darling observes. El papis with long gray beards step and shuffle alongside those young enough to be their children to the disco of Serge Funk’s “You and I.” An out-of-towner topped by a fedora, a baby-face cutie with dyed blonde roots, and his brunette friend draped in a dress, adjacent a black ball cap and black shades wearing figure form a minor dance circle. The motley crew showcase their finest; b-boy footwork, pop-up squats and the SpongeBob? Who knew? As the music fades from existence, the SpongeBob dancing darling proclaims with the brightest wattage, “I’m so happy.”
0200
Agreeing so, the quiddity of house music brings forth happiness. Happiness that comes to a close after John Ciafone’s rebound winning two-hour set time that flew by entirely too quickly ends at 2 am mountain standard time. “TIME TO LEAVE. NOW.” The lone bouncer entering the premises shouts to lingerers moseying towards the exit. But not before handshakes, hugs, goodbyes and nice to meet you(s) are exchanged. Outdoors, in the still of the night, standing in front of the hanging black banner, one feels the love. Cheers to Late Nite Social Club for another ten years of pumpin’ house music in El Paso.
wrds: aj dance
grphc: aj art
Share this:
Tags: afro house music, CHILY, Club Here I Love You, EL Paso TX, funky house music, house music, house music dancing, Joe N, John Ciafone, Late Nite Social Club, Maci, Mood II Swing, Rob, Sun City