ORBIT: AMPLIFY Playlist—Kevin McKay
Over the past few months, electronic artists have celebrated the musical contributions of Black artists by compiling ORBIT: AMPLIFY playlists. The playlists have succinctly spotlit productions from Black artists and artists of color that have influenced these artists’ careers, and on a simpler level, kept them moving and grooving.
Following respective ORBIT: AMPLIFY playlists from Kyle Kinch, DJ 4rain, Whethan, Cuppy, CeCe Rogers, Martin Badder, Loud Luxury, Akira Akira, Anabel Englund, Brando, Major Lazer‘s Walshy Fire, Crazy Cousinz, Party Favor, and VNCCII, Kevin McKay curates Dancing Astronaut‘s ORBIT: AMPLIFY Playlist for the week of September 26.
McKay, who rang in the 500th release (Summer Of Love) of his dignified house holding, Glasgow Underground, in September, takes streamers through a diversified, 20-song stock of the productions that have shaped his own creative ear. The storied house fixture delineated his ORBIT: AMPLIFY Playlist, telling Dancing Astronaut,
“To me, dance music is Black music. When I think of the origins of dance music, I think about the records that shaped what would become disco. All the big records from that time in the early ’70s I can think of are by Black artists: O’Jays, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, MFSB, Manu Dibango, Eddie Kendricks. When I think about disco and its origins, the artists are overwhelmingly black: Larry Levan, Frankie Knuckles, Donna Summer, George McCrae, Gloria Gaynor, Diana Ross, Chic. And when I think about house and techno, it’s the same again: Frankie Knuckles, Loleatta Holloway, Marshall Jefferson, DJ Pierre, Rochelle Flemming, Larry Heard, Juan Atkins, and Kevin Saunderson.
This playlist perfectly describes my influences in dance music, and it entirely consists of Black artists. Of course, dance music is (and always has been) multi-cultural, and I could make another playlist that would feel the same with music of many different origins. However, a great producer once said to me that making music is like ‘standing on the shoulders of giants.’ These are my giants.”
McKay’s hand-selected assortment of ORBIT: AMPLIFY originals canvasses cuts from Romanthony, Carl Craig, Mr. Fingers, Prince, Ten City, Donna Summer, and many more. Stream below.
Categories: Features