Words by DJ Rekha
In the early 1990s Bollywood songs–though visually captivating–needed some 4 on the floor beat supplements to make them palatable for second-generation desi crowds in the then-emerging South Asian club scene. Tracks like “Party in the Ghetto” and India’s “River Ocean” were incessantly used as musical beds to tame and give measured rhythmic structure to the overly dramatic orchestral feel and soaring vocals of these Indian movie songs. No less visually captivating (if not practically x-rated!), the video for Johnny P’s crossover smash “Look Good,” yielded a dance club mix (Metro Club Mix) that fit nicely into this canon. Cutting out that track to make the crowd shout, “Look Good,” was a nifty DJ trick that I probably over-used. My most distinct memory of hearing this remix was on the well-intentioned but sparse and past its prime, dancefloor of Danceteria (yes, Madonna’s old stomping ground) post-India parade in New York in 1993. The fake ID massive were clearly at a competing event–but I know the song was rinsed in both places, thereby earning it the honor of being one of the first 100 records in my young-but-growing DJ crates.