Episode 34: DJ Eldon

Mike's interview with his old friend DJ Eldon. Recorded in Eldon's home in Albuquerque, NM on October 19, 2020. Topics discussed include: Meeting each other during the early 90s rave scene, born in 1959 in Albuquerque, growing up in a large Hispanic family, graduated top of his class at Del Norte, radio program at the University of Albuquerque, soul/r&b music, late night radio jumps, Neil Murray, Priests from the East, KUNM, FCC license, Eldon Otis Grier, on-air persona, Wolfman Jack, music director at KRZY, weekend on-air spot from midnight to 6am, meeting country music stars, The Caravan East, Willie Nelson, stagehand work, Waylon Jennings, University of New Mexico, Black radio, sending demo tapes, reel to reel editing, Frankie Crocker, seizing opportunities, moving to New York City, 220 Central Park South, Camp Rising Sun, Jeffrey Troy, Larry Levan at Paradise Garage (late 1970s), Richard Long sound system, good sound, David Mancuso at The Loft, creative mixing, Broadway dancers, locker rooms, baby powder, Body and Soul, Danny Tenaglia, Jim Burgess, playing in key and on beat, Jeno, Garth, Angel Marais, seamless mixing, personal vs. fan satisfaction, Marriott, cafe owner, long sets, London 1990, Beyond Ordinary, Toc and Nona, Industrial music, warehouse raves, resurgence of rave samples, housemusic.com, wallstreet.com, deep house, tea dance, rave inclusivity, tribal connections, outdoor raves, 9-11, musician producers, pandemic creativity, Jean Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, selling mixtapes, Mary Boone Gallery, subway noise, heartbreak, Andy Warhol, Studio 54, flash cubes, Crash, Francisco Clemente, subway graffiti, early Albuquerque graffiti, rave fliers, Mark Farina, DJ line-ups, dawn sets, 4am, hiring an architect, Tadao Ando, Tom Ford’s house, Frank Lloyd Wright, SAMO, Doze Green, the AIDS crisis, Area, the day job and producing raves. Search for "DJ Eldon" on Soundcloud and Mixcloud to hear a few of his mixes.