Famed NYC nightclub Studio 54 launches record label
Marked in history as one of the world’s most famous nightclubs, Studio 54 has launched an official imprint called Studio 54 Music.
Opening its doors in April 1977, the NYC hotspot became a premier destination for actors, musicians, and party-goers alike to let loose. It hosted talent from Michael Jackson to Nile Rodgers and Diana Ross. While forced to shut its doors after a nearly three-year run in February 1980 after being brought down by drug-use and tax evasion issues from ownership, the club is praised for celebrating dance music culture at its highest.
The new record label will seek to bring back everything that encapsulated the club’s sonic influences on disco music and merge it with contemporary sounds. Its launch comes with the release of Night Magic Vol. 1, the label’s debut compilation EP that reworks four historic disco tracks. The releases include edits of “Got To Have Loving” by Don Ray, “At Midnight” by T-Connection, “Lovin’ Is Really My Game” by Brainstorm, and “Souvenirs” by Voyage, only three of which have been released so far. Primary contributors to the compilation include JKriv and Morgan Wiley from group Midnight Magic, who have worked with bands like LCD Soundsystem.
For more on Studio 54, the nightclub has its own channel on Sirius XM Radio as well as a documentary on Netflix that details its three years as a full-functioning business.
Featured image: Michael Norcia/Sygma/Corbis