Listen to Discothèque
Crisco Disco
NEW YORK CITY, USA
1975 - 1985 (APPROX.)
Whipped cream foam, a suede jacket, the scent of cedar, blood orange, the lyrics burn-baby-burn as your heart floats in a fluffy vanilla sky, the night you fall in love in the Meatpacking District.
Crisco Disco was a significant LGBTQ+ nightclub that opened in a multi-level converted warehouse in the Meatpacking District. Its most iconic architectural feature was inside: a mock giant can of Crisco that served as the DJ booth. The club had no liquor license, so patrons purchased tickets that could be exchanged for drinks, or you could BYOB (if you knew the right people).
Hacienda
MANCHESTER, UK
1982 - 1997
A warm shock to the system, honey-colored light, a red-apple heart with an electric synth beat, violet eyes, a utopia for misfits, wallflowers in bloom, almond tree blossoms on a crisp autumn night.
“A lot of people thought the Hacienda was a bit of a weirdo club. Other clubs had a dress code, but in there you could do absolutely whatever you wanted, dress exactly how you wanted. It was like a utopia for us. We felt at home.”
— BEZ (PERCUSSIONIST, DANCER, HAPPY MONDAYS)
Paradise Garage
NEW YORK CITY, USA
1978 - 1987
Mouthfuls of purple rain, a taste of blackcurrant and honey, a blooming orange blossom, rapture in an 8-track, that sacred second between songs, violet and amber lights, a cyclone on the dance floor.
"The Paradise Garage was like church. People who came from all over the tristate area and beyond to spend the weekend at the Garage. That was the congregation, and Larry was the minister. He was preaching through his records. You always knew what type of mood Larry was in depending on what he played. If he was pissed at somebody he'd send them a message through whatever it was he was playing. And if he was feeling good, people knew he was feeling good. He was the Pied Piper. Nobody did it better.”
— BERNARD FOWLER
Les Caves du Roy
SAINT-TROPEZ, FRANCE
1967 - PRESENT
Sun-drenched shores, a pulsing beat, a breeze of salt and sea, the sunset surrendering to dusk, a stairway to heaven, a haze of opulence, myrrh and musk, neon light piercing the night, a dawn that never comes.
Steeped in history and founded on love for French actress Brigitte Bardot, Lebanese businessman Jean-Prosper Gay-Para built Hôtel Byblos and its on-site nightclub, Les Caves du Roy, in 1967. Once an exact replica of the eponymous venue at the Excelsior hotel in Beirut, Les Caves du Roy has been a has acquired mythical status since its opening; hosting international royalty, movie stars, singers, rock idols, and writers, including Brigitte Bardot, Mick Jagger, Grace Jones, Bono, Beyoncé, Jack Nicholson, Cher and Elton John.
Kinky G
LONDON, UK
1989 - 1994
The tongue twist of a maraschino stem, sweet stained lips, cherry cream pie, milky waves of cumulous clouds, bourbon vanilla icing, a silky confection, an insatiable craving, a dessert of debauchery and glamour.
Kinky Gerlinky was a club night in London's West End, known for its extravagant and inclusive atmosphere, a sanctuary of self-expression where misfits and the magnificent mingled. It was less a venue and more a temporal loop where reality blurred into unrestrained euphoria. Regulars included Boy George, Leigh Bowery, Vivienne Westwood, Jean Paul Gaultier, Naomi Campbell, and Sinead O’Connor. Founded in 1989 by Gerlinde and Michael Costiff and musically led by DJs such as Princess Julia, Tasty Tim, and Rachel Auburn, who all played a crucial role in creating the unforgettable atmosphere.
Mudd Club
NEW YORK CITY, USA
1978 - 1983
A warm fever pitch, swirling vanilla clouds, a peach-flavoured cocktail, the balmy breeze of paradise, a Maplethorpe flower, elegant, depraved and frozen in time, a night that you don’t want to end.
“If you started saying, ‘How long do we have to wait?’ that was a strike against you. If you said, ‘Is there a line?’ that was a strike against you. If you said to me, God forbid, ‘Studio 54 lets us in,’ that was the kiss of death. A teenage Basquiat going wild on the dance floor, Jeff Koons approaching the door as a still-unknown. Jim Jarmusch pressed against the wall nursing a beer and Mapplethorpe flaunting full leather, straddling the edges of notoriety and fame. There were no rules and no grand plan: the vibe was anything goes.”
— RICHARD BOCH, MUDD CLUB’S DOORMAN
Upstairs
LONDON, UK
1959 - PRESENT
Soft pink lipstick shimmering through raindrops, a hint of freesia in the air on fresh wet pavement, the sound of jazz piano, warmth with a faint scent of clove, a burning voice that croons what have you done to my heart?
Upstairs at Ronnie’s, or Ronnie Scott’s, was founded in 1959 in the heart of Soho by musicians Ronnie Scott and Pete King. The club is renowned as one of the most historic jazz venues globally. By bringing New Orleans jazz to London and capturing some of the 1950s speakeasy spirit, the club epitomized prestige, class, and sophistication. Notably, Jimi Hendrix’s last public performance took place at Ronnie Scott’s in 1970.
Chez Castel
PARIS, FRANCE
1969 - PRESENT
The blink of a Godardian eyelash, the pages of Proust, smoky curls of incense, the spark of a lemon drop cocktail, Parisian tongues and art deco jade, amber flames crackling to the sound of spilled champagne.
“J’aime les filles, de chez Castel,” sang Jacques Dutronc in 1983, paying homage to the private club Jean Castel established and eponymously named. Originally a convenience store in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the labyrinthine bar spanned three floors and was known for its free-flowing champagne. Internationally renowned, it witnessed the best of the 1960s and 1970s in Paris and was frequented by icons such as Salvador Dali, Mick Jagger, Françoise Hardy, Serge Gainsbourg, and Jean-Pierre Cassel.
Le Baron de Paris, Tokyo
TOKYO, JAPAN
2006 - 2015
A siren’s song in sapphire waters, a fresh sprig of jasmine growing through a crack in blue asphalt, spinning happy flowers of a Murakami kaleidoscope, unfolding and opening to you like tuberose in spring.
This Tokyo club was opened following the success of the legendary Le Baron in Paris. Like its predecessor, it became renowned for attracting socialites, celebrities, and even royalty… if they could find it. The club was hidden down an alley in Aoyama, identifiable only by a small neon ‘B’ at the entrance. Inside, you were met with a velvet interior and a tiny dancefloor that everyone managed to fit on. The night typically started around 1 AM, and if you were lucky, you’d sneak in some karaoke in one of the secret rooms.
Milk!
MANNHEIM, GERMANY
1990 - 1993
A lush jungle of sound, tense snares, hot skin, leather, hard white strobes, obsidian cliffs, knotted trunks of juniper, a dense forest floor, dancing between trees as the sun sears the horizon and paints a tangerine sky.
“When it opened in 1990, its genres of choice were still a joyous, chaotic mass of many different sounds ... but soon most German clubbers started stomping to a techno beat, while a fiercely loyal crowd, known as the notorious 'Milk! Posse', liked their beats broken, their bass heavy, their pianos anthemic and their hands in the air. Thus the club embarked on a mission that laid the foundation for drum & bass and other breakbeat styles in Germany.”
— FINN JOHANNSEN, ELECTRONIC BEATS