Beyond The Booth # 1: Eli Soul Clap

Before disco was disco
there was a beat.
The beat of the wind blowing through trees,
of the ocean waves lapping on the shore,
of birds wings flapping,
and then…

The beat of our ancestors
singing together,
playing together,
dancing together.

Moving in devotion,
to each other,
to the seasons,
to the spirit,
to sound,
to Nature.

Then Earl Young played the beat.
He planted the foot,
the four four kick
that became the Philly Sound
and then…

The root of disco.

And the tree grew.
The trunk: David Mancuso at The Loft.
The branches: Nicky Siano at The Gallery.
The leaves: Larry Levan at The Paradise Garage.

And the fruit and seeds spread around the world:
Chicago house
Detroit techno
UK hardcore
Euro trance

And it continues on every dancefloor,
all connected by the beat,
the beat older than time itself,
the sacred beat of the dance of life.