DJ Interviews: Nicky Siano (Ispira Records)

Jeannie Hopper and Nicky Siano discuss the beginning of the New York club scene past to present. They get into the Zen of DJ-ing and the alchemy of beats and bodies on the dance floor. The interview is interspersed with selections from Siano's label Ispira Records and his stellar 'The Gallery' collection released on Soul Jazz Records.



Siano was the owner/designer/DJ of the legendary seventies dance palace THE GALLERY, a club that inspired The Garage and Studio 54, for which he was one of the original DJs. He inspired and launched the careers of Grace Jones, D.C. La Rue, Loleatta Holloway, Larry Levan and Frankie Knuckles. It was no coincidence that when Steve Rubelle opened Studio 54 he chose Siano as one of the two original DJs. Continuing his work at The Gallery on the weekends, Siano weaved his magic during the week at many legendary clubs, including Le Jardin, The Grand Ballroom, Galaxy 21, The Limelight, Enchanted Gardens, Hurrah, The Botel, The Buttermilk Bottom and, of course, Studio 54. In 1977, he became the first DJ to produce a record -- the underground classic "Kiss Me Again" on Sire Records, which went on to sell more than 300,000 copies.



From 1984 until 1998, Siano worked with people with AIDS. He wrote the best selling AIDS manual "No Time to Wait" in 1993. To this day, Siano considers his work with PWA's his most important work.



Ispira Records was started in 2004 by Siano, with its first release "Smoking it" by Automagic becoming a dance floor staple at the Loft and many other major clubs around the world.

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