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Does disco belong together with current dance?

N

nd2023

Banned
I happen to enjoy both disco and current dance. What's your opinion about a dance station that mixes disco and today's dance hits in regular rotation? Do you think that would be a trainwreck or some good programming? What about a current dance station that has a disco mixshow once a week?
I know that Pulse 87 makes fun of KTU for playing disco, but if a station like KTU mixed disco and current dance in about a 75% current-25% disco ratio, I would like that format.

I'm enjoying the disco mixshow "Studio 108" on WEBE 108 tonight, its regular format is AC. I wonder if there are any all-disco stations on FM. Are there any other AC stations that have a disco mixshow?
 
Look to me Disco is old music. I enjoy listening to some Classic Rock and some Oldies music from the 50s-70s, but I sure as hell don't want to hear it on a Dance station outside of specialty shows. The same pretty much goes for 80s even though I love the music that came out in that decade. We're almost done with the Y2K so even hearing 90s music is no longer all that relevant, especially since Dance music adapts to new technologies. As such, the sound of the music changes and makes older music sound dated.
 
CHRles said:
We're almost done with the Y2K so even hearing 90s music is no longer all that relevant, especially since Dance music adapts to new technologies. As such, the sound of the music changes and makes older music sound dated.
Click to expand...

Yeah the music of past decades is no longer relevant, since the music didn't sell it's soul like in this decade to cater to top 40.

"This fresh track was recorded using the latest in synthesizers, and has that bubble gum sound!" "Yeah but it sucks!" "Who cares?! It will sell!"
 
Nick said:
I happen to enjoy both disco and current dance. What's your opinion about a dance station that mixes disco and today's dance hits in regular rotation? Do you think that would be a trainwreck or some good programming? What about a current dance station that has a disco mixshow once a week?
I know that Pulse 87 makes fun of KTU for playing disco, but if a station like KTU mixed disco and current dance in about a 75% current-25% disco ratio, I would like that format.

I'm enjoying the disco mixshow "Studio 108" on WEBE 108 tonight, its regular format is AC. I wonder if there are any all-disco stations on FM. Are there any other AC stations that have a disco mixshow?
Click to expand...

WKTU (1996 - 2006). The ratio skewed about 75/25....favoring classic dance. I always thought the skew should have been opposite. I don't have a problem hearing older music here and there, if anything it makes sense to an extent....legacy. But you're also talking about two different demographics and I just can't this happening....AGAIN, so to speak. Though regarding 'KTU after '06 they have come along from the beginning of the tweak, only because they murdered the heck out of Gloria Gaynor, Donna Summer and The Bee Gees.

The only station dedicated to disco is on satellite radio...The Strobe on Sirius/XM.
 
technodj said:
CHRles said:
We're almost done with the Y2K so even hearing 90s music is no longer all that relevant, especially since Dance music adapts to new technologies. As such, the sound of the music changes and makes older music sound dated.
Click to expand...

Yeah the music of past decades is no longer relevant, since the music didn't sell it's soul like in this decade to cater to top 40.

"This fresh track was recorded using the latest in synthesizers, and has that bubble gum sound!" "Yeah but it sucks!" "Who cares?! It will sell!"
Click to expand...

The latest in synthesizers? What are we in the early 80s or something? Most Dance music is generated via computer software programs.
And please, there was PLENTY of Dance music in years past that could be seen as manufactured and geared towards a Top 40 crowd. Why do you think Disco suddenly died in the very early 80s? Also, a lot of the Freestyle and Euro records were VERY commercial sounding. Some of the House records coming out of New York or Paris are also catered towards crossing over.
Dance music is oftentimes seen as very disposable, just like other forms of Rhythmic music.
 
CHRles said:
The latest in synthesizers? What are we in the early 80s or something? Most Dance music is generated via computer software programs.
Click to expand...

It doesn't matter what it's made on.  Shit is still shit.  The latest in technology doesn't make it better.

And please, there was PLENTY of Dance music in years past that could be seen as manufactured and geared towards a Top 40 crowd. Why do you think Disco suddenly died in the very early 80s? Also, a lot of the Freestyle and Euro records were VERY commercial sounding. Some of the House records coming out of New York or Paris are also catered towards crossing over. Dance music is oftentimes seen as very disposable, just like other forms of Rhythmic music.
Click to expand...

Song lyrics playing in my head: "It's all just a little history repeating"
 
Yeah, but everyone interprets music differently. So what may sound like shit to you and me, might sound awesome to someone else.
Conversely, just b/c a song isn't geared towards a Top 40 crowd doesn't mean that it won't be perceived as shit by some people.
Your screen name is even a good example - Technodj. Some people, especially in America are repulsed by the word Techno. They'll tell you they listen to everything but Techno, and that it's just a bunch of beats and noises looped together with no meaning. At the same time, there are techno purists, and to them the words Techno DJ can only mean someone that spins the type of music that came out of Detroit in the 80s, and is supported by the likes of Sven Vath, Carl Cox, Richie Hawtin, Derrick Carter, or Chris Liebing.
So what exactly is it that you spin?
 
Going back to the original question, I think the answer is that it depends. A city like NY can certainly sustain a station that mixes in a "disco" track alongside of todays hits as is evidenced by KTU and their fantastic ratings. The question then becomes how many of these tracks do listeners want to hear. I think playing maybe 1 every 2 or 3 hours would be ok,in this city, as the songs are still anthems to the upper demos which is there target audience.

As for playing "classic" dance (anything older than 3 years), that certainly should be at least 2 tracks an hour. Those are the songs that keep listeners locked in as they are familiar to them. Again the number varies by market and what the listeners want to hear.

jp
 
<<The only station dedicated to disco is on satellite radio...The Strobe on Sirius/XM.>>

That fortunately, is not true, considering that The Strobe is really a top 40 station playing disco music. It is the same artists, over, and over, and over. Not to prolong the subject, but popular disco songs I have never heard on there include "When Love is New" (Arthur Prysock), anything by James Wells, "West Side Story" (Salsoul Orchestra), "Life Goes On" (Faith, Hope, and Charity). With the library they do not play, I have a hard time calling them a disco station.

Anyway, where there are real disco stations are on the internet.

http://radio-disco.com/

http://radiotime.com/station/s_78381/Diva_Radio_Disco.aspx

And I don't think there is common denominator enough to merge disco with today's dance in answer to the original question.
 
Nick said:
I happen to enjoy both disco and current dance. What's your opinion about a dance station that mixes disco and today's dance hits in regular rotation? Do you think that would be a trainwreck or some good programming? What about a current dance station that has a disco mixshow once a week?
I know that Pulse 87 makes fun of KTU for playing disco, but if a station like KTU mixed disco and current dance in about a 75% current-25% disco ratio, I would like that format.

I'm enjoying the disco mixshow "Studio 108" on WEBE 108 tonight, its regular format is AC. I wonder if there are any all-disco stations on FM. Are there any other AC stations that have a disco mixshow?
Click to expand...
 
The problem with Disco is that people automatically think of Saturday Night Fever. It was not always that oversaturated into the mainstream. It's just like NKOTB....they were played SOOO much that everybody eventually grew to hate them for being force fed on every channel. Prior of Disco exploding, it was an underground movement that was very much like House Music. "Four on the Floor" Kick Drum, 120-130BPM, 7 minute 12 inch versions, and irresistable basslines and melodies. If you really search, there are some "not so well known" disco records that were WAY ahead of their time. Giorgio Morodor was a mastermind producer and is very much responsible for paving the way, for the style of dance music today. But these are not the records that are remembered (especially with the new generation of dance heads) so therefore YMCA does kinda stick out coming out of 4 Strings. But if programmers knew to be a little selective, then a track like "I Feel Love" would make a perfect segue with any dance record.
 
I think you need to look at this on a case by case basis. Who's your audience? Are they 18 to 24? Then maybe not. The music is now 30 plus years old. I saw the Tramps play this summer and one of the singers was using a walker. Do you hear the king of Rock n Roll on a rock station these days? Most oldies stations are playing music from the late 60's to 70's, while some are even playing 80's music. With my station some of our students dont remember 90's music period, while our older listeners love it. Is 80's dance music relevant with current dance music? Again it comes back to the programmer. Is the station able to work 4 decades of music?
 
Dancerev889 said:
I think you need to look at this on a case by case basis. Who's your audience? Are they 18 to 24? Then maybe not. The music is now 30 plus years old. I saw the Tramps play this summer and one of the singers was using a walker. Do you hear the king of Rock n Roll on a rock station these days? Most oldies stations are playing music from the late 60's to 70's, while some are even playing 80's music. With my station some of our students dont remember 90's music period, while our older listeners love it. Is 80's dance music relevant with current dance music? Again it comes back to the programmer. Is the station able to work 4 decades of music?
Click to expand...

Excellent reply
With regards to Georgio Moroder/Donna Summer's "I Feel Love". That song was ahead of its time, and most of the other futuristic sounding, synth-laden Disco records only charted on the club charts at best. That means they didnt become hits, weren't played on the radio, and thus people don't know/remember them, and you thus can't play them on a current Dance station.
 
look at the ratings... see what is commercially successful... KTU's mix of dance currents and recurrents, rhythmic pop, freestyle and dance classics has them with the 2nd highest Cume in the country (more than 5.5 million) and one of the top 3 ratings too!
 
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