Starck Trax

January 17, 2011

This mix is inspired by the legendary but short-lived Starck Club in Dallas, US. Starck ran from 85 – 89 and aside from being designed by Philippe Starck, is infamous for being reportedly the first club where Ecstasy was in wide use. In the early years, regular DJs Rick Squillante and Mike DuPriest (both now sadly deceased) would spin a mixture of European synth sounds from the likes of Section 25 and La Dusseldof (Chris & Cosey and SPK also both played live early on at Starck), together with US proto-Garage artists like Colonel Abrams, presaging the House Movement. Moreover, when rave culture was in its infancy in England, DuPriest was known to spin early UK Acid House acts like 808 State and Baby Ford as well as Chicago and Detroit tracks. Unlike England however, Starck's crowd were mainly rich young Republicans and mirrored New York’s notorious Club Kids more than the working-class day-glo hippy-casuals of early UK rave. And whereas Danny Rampling’s Shoom was held in a disused gym in South London, Starck’s interior launched the international career of its namesake.

My mix features mostly music from the Starck era but I also cheated slightly with a few selections which came after.''

Tony F. Wilson January 2011

http://discrepant.net/podcast/starck-trax

Tracklist:

Chris & Cosey: Driving Blind

Zsa Zsa La Boum: Something Scary

2AM/FM: The Final Approach

Bam Bam: Where's Your Child? (Suck Mix)

Polygon Window: Untitled

33 1/3 Queen: Searchin

Bam Bam: Give it to Me

J.T.C: Take 'em Off