With FKA Twigs bringing Ballroom to Brooklyn all over again last week, it only seemed right to commission a mix to get us ready to bust some shapes this weekend. Step forward Manchester DJ/producer/writer The Niallist aka CVNT TRAXXX, who recently put on a Vogue workshop/club in Nottingham, featuring dancing (and teaching) from Ben Milan and David Magnifique of the House Of Lady Di, and music on the night from himself, Rushmore (House Of Trax), Aerial Djs and NiKu. “The mix features some of my favourite tracks from the last couple of years, some of which I think people will recognise but in a slightly different context.”
A club kid since the 90s, The Niallist first fell in love with Vogue via house. “It was the NY-based diva/bitch tracks which I loved as a kid, and especially Malcolm MacLaren’s Deep In Vogue”. Although the culture is popping up increasingly in music, film and TV, Vogueing and Ballroom has actually been doing quite nicely all by itself for years, thankyouverymuch. “It’s always been a thriving underground culture even after Madonna turned her back on the scene,” The Niallist points out. “It just has its moments when it crosses over into mainstream awareness, like now, with the popularity of Vogue Knights in New York, the adoption of voguing by FKA Twigs and drag queens dipping on RuPaul’s Drag Race. Then you have dancers like DaShaun Wesley, Javier Ninja and Leiomy Maldonado appearing on TV, touring the globe, and even becoming memes (the upcoming Magic Mike sequel features voguing from DaShaun, Javier and even Channing Tatum!) Of course, a lot of this ground work was built by musical pioneers like MikeQ and Vjuan Allure releasing Ballroom music on high-profile labels (Fade To Mind and Mad Decent/Night Slugs, respectively) but another big factor is all the alienated queer kids out there, in particular qtpoc, discovering an art form that finally accepts them for who they really are. Voguing is a beautiful and complex representation of often overlooked (or ignored) queer identities.”
Hear more of this at Realness, hosted at a secret location in East London on June 5. Hosted by the House of Lady Di with soundtrack (strictly Ballroom and New Way House) from CVNT TRAXXX and Rushmore. But for now, press play and get ready to strike a pose….
Tracklist:
Roxy, Intro
Romanthony, Bring U Up (MikeQ Remix)
Sugar Shane, Runway
DJ Haus, Cold As Ice / Roxy: Curtains For You (Acapella)
LPZ, Think For Yourself (CVNT TRAXXX Remix)
Brenmar & DJ Fade, Outta Sight
Gregg Evisu, Gimme A Runway
Roxy & Ride Committee, Guess Who (Maria Dark Remix)
Trumpet & Badman, BRANDY (Acapella)
CVNT TRAXXX, Feminine Destruction
Ruffneck & Yavahnn, Everybody Be Somebody (Acapella)
Mykki Blanco, Haze.Boogie.Life (Hannah Holland Edit)
Kevin Jz Prodigy, Bees In The Trap
Lil Wayne, Bitches Love Me (Remix)
Chelley, I Took The Night (DJ Sliink Remix)
Vjuan Allure, Double Up
J Timerlake, Suit N Tie (Qween Beat Remix)
MikeQ Ursula / BEEK, Like This (Acapella)
Poisonous Relationship, Nite Birds (MikeQ Remix)
Divoli S’Vere, Runway
Ciara, Body Party (Kiff Remix)
http://www.mediafire.com/listen/2e3mxk2hia39uv0/Dark_&_Stormy_Mix.mp3