Nightclubbing

Montréal went wild for disco in the '70s, and the best place to hear it was the Lime Light –specifically, the ultra-exclusive third floor, where Robert Ouimet held court. Ouimet presided over some of the best nights Montréal ever witnessed, according to partiers from both sides of the city's English-French divide. This time, we hear from Ouimet himself, along with Lime Light owner Yvon Lafrance and local DJs for whom Lime Light was an unparalleled music education.

All of the parties we feature on Nightclubbing are a big deal. But none of them was literally big like Uncle Jamm’s Army was – during its ‘80s heyday, they packed the Los Angeles Sports Arena with thousands-strong crowds. On this episode of Nightclubbing, you’ll hear from many of the members and DJs whose careers began at Uncle Jamm’s Army – from Egyptian Lover and Arabian Prince to Ice-T – and get a sense of how these events rocked Los Angeles on a massive scale.

The Music Institute lasted for only 18 months in the late ‘80s, but the downtown Detroit afterhours club is a huge part of the city’s musical legacy and a key moment in techno history. It helped launch the careers of Alton Miller and Chez Damier (who cofounded it with George Baker), and it’s where Derrick May staged some of the boldest DJ sets of his career. This time on Nightclubbing, we hear from the club’s founders, along with some choice insight from Derrick May himself.

Studio 29 was only open for about five years, but for a certain contingent of young people in late-'70s/early-'80s Bombay, the lavishly appointed discotheque provided a lifetime of memories. The brainchild of Sabira Merchant, the Marine Drive club brought modern DJ culture to a city whose nightlife had previously been dominated by live bands and orchestras. On this episode of Nightclubbing, we hear about about the glitz, glamour and wild outfits that characterized a night out at the club.

Unless you’ve been to Birmingham, England's House of God, you’ve probably never been to a party remotely like it. It was known for ultra-hard techno, punctuated by pyrotechnics, projections of hardcore pornography and a guy called MC Zit verbally abusing the crowd. While HOG has never taken itself too seriously or done much to broaden its appeal, its influence stretches well beyond Birmingham's. Hear the story of the club, as told by the minds behind it and guests like Paula Temple and Neil Landstrumm.

The late David Mancuso (1944–2016), an introverted hippie who grew up in an upstate New York orphanage, wasn't quite who you’d imagine running the most influential club night in history. But in a succession of downtown Manhattan spaces outfitted with audiophile soundsystems and innumerable balloons, Mancuso hosted a safe space for many marginalized communities that was musically way ahead of the curve. On this episode, we hear from François K., Tim Lawrence, Colleen “Cosmo” Murphy, Douglas Sherman

Introducing Nightclubbing, the Podcast where Todd L. Burns and Julia Aslop take an audio journey into the best nightclubs the world has ever seen.