New Books Network: Soundscape NYC – “From Stonewall to Studio 54”

Release Date: September 10, 2025
Host(s): Ryan Purcell, Christy Soares
Guest: Nikki Siano (legendary DJ, producer, pioneer of New York’s disco and dance scene)

Episode Overview

This episode of Soundscape NYC, part of the New Books Network, features an in-depth conversation with Nikki Siano, the influential DJ who helped shape New York’s club culture in the 1970s. From his days at the Loft and founding the Gallery, through behind-the-decks stardom at Studio 54, Siano offers a firsthand account of how music, nightlife, and activism converged during a pivotal time for queer and marginalized communities in New York. The discussion weaves through his creative process, technical innovations in DJing, the social role of music, the aftermath of Stonewall, and the evolution—and commercialization—of disco.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Spiritual and Creative Roots of DJing

• Meditation, Flow, and Music:
  Siano describes his daily practice of meditation, largely inspired by A Course in Miracles, and how this translates into the way he approaches music and DJing.
  • “Daily meditation opens a channel to your creative self… the Christ mind, what people say… creativity comes from there.” — Nikki Siano (06:18)
• Music as Flow and Healing:
  He equates the states of musical ecstasy and meditation, explaining that when writing songs, lyrics sometimes “just flow out” when connected to a higher creative state (06:45–07:19).

2. Origins in New York Nightlife

• Early Club Scene:
  Siano started frequenting the Loft at age 15, becoming a member, and later opening his own club, the Gallery, at just 17 (07:41–09:32).
• Community and Generosity:
  The early clubs emphasized a sense of family and inclusivity. The Loft was “David Mancuso’s home,” while the Gallery was “a place to dance and blow your mind,” distinguished by its careful design, sound, and spirit of collective creativity (10:13–12:28).

3. Building the Gallery and Influencing Club Culture

• Creative Experimentation:
  Siano collaborated with Larry Levan and Frankie Knuckles, who started working for him at the Gallery’s opening. The club became a hotbed for creative experimentation in sound, lighting, and decor (13:06–13:25).
  • “We were all creative people. In a cauldron where creativity was welcome… like being in a Broadway theater and you have all these assets. Use them.” — Nikki Siano (13:26–14:50)
• Sound System Innovation:
  Siano pushed for new sound experiences, introducing bass horns and using three-way crossovers, going beyond what had previously been done at the Loft. His quest for the perfect system led him to collaborate with Alex Rosner and pay over half the club’s budget for a custom system (17:22–19:24).

4. DJing as Art: Style, Influence, and Innovation

• Pioneering Techniques:
  Siano discusses beatmatching, EQ, and the importance of song selection and crowd rapport. He prioritized storytelling and emotional journey over technical perfection (20:49–23:56).
  • “The selection of the song was more important than whether it matched or not… These DJs who play 126 to 128 all night long are boring. I want to hear 90, 98, 105… all the way up to 134.” — Nikki Siano (22:46)
• Playing Entire Night-long Sets:
  He values the DJ set as a journey, with a clear beginning, middle, and end, and sometimes “another beginning… and another end,” intentionally shaping the set’s arc (24:16–25:19).

5. Music and Queer Liberation

• Clubs as Spaces of Solidarity:
  The episode delves into how clubs post-Stonewall served as spaces of freedom, community, and activism for queer people and people of color, connecting music (especially early R&B and soul) to broader social change (28:40–32:13).
• Stonewall Recollections:
  Siano recounts witnessing the Stonewall riots firsthand, describing both the protests and the laws then criminalizing same-sex dancing (29:07–33:49).
  • “There was a law… that said two people of the same sex could not dance together on the dancefloor. And that’s what they were arresting people for all the time.” — Nikki Siano (33:37)

6. Political and Social Activism

• From Nightlife to AIDS Advocacy:
  Siano describes his transition from DJ to AIDS activist after losing many friends in the 1980s. He emphasizes being called by “spirit” to act whenever needed, both in music and activism (33:58–34:56).

7. The Evolution (and Commercialization) of Disco

• When ‘Disco’ Becomes a Brand:
  Siano laments how, post-1975, music became more formulaic as ‘disco’ was branded for mass consumption. He continued to prioritize underground and innovative tracks, even at the career cost of being fired from Studio 54 for his unconventional choices (35:04–36:54).
  • “I got fired from Studio 54 for playing that fucking [Trans Europe Express].” — Nikki Siano (36:34)

8. Stonewall to Studio 54: A Personal and Cultural Narrative

• Bridging Two Worlds:
  Siano is actively writing a book titled I DJ: Stonewall to Studio 54, connecting the queer, community-based origins of club culture with its later commercialized heyday. Both spaces, he insists, drew their energy from the marginalized people who created them (37:05–39:42).
  • “Studio 54 was a gay club… But nightlife started… queer and it was people of color and marginalized people… That spirit is what fueled the music industry into creating disco.” — Nikki Siano (37:34–39:02)

9. Studio 54: Glamour, Production, and Resistance

• DJing at Studio 54:
  He shares stories, including DJing the famed Bianca Jagger “White Horse” party, maintaining his style despite pressures to conform (41:27–41:35).
• The Message in the Music:
  Siano reminds listeners that early ’70s dance music was rich in social messages, whereas, by the late ’70s, lyrics grew lighter as disco went mainstream (42:07–43:23).
  • “That music told us we were growing and changing through the chaos.” — Nikki Siano (43:19)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Creative Flow and Spirituality:
  • “Daily meditation opens a channel to your creative self.” — Nikki Siano (06:18)
  • “When I’m writing a song, it’s flowing through me.” — Nikki Siano (06:52)
• On LGBT Liberation at Stonewall:
  • “There was a law… that said two people of the same sex could not dance together… that’s what they were arresting people for all the time.” — Nikki Siano (33:37)
• On being fired from Studio 54:
  • “I got fired from Studio 54 for playing that fucking [Trans Europe Express].” — Nikki Siano (36:34)
• On the Message of Early Club Music:
  • “Go back and listen to those 1972… these songs spoke to us. We were at a turning point in our lives because there was so much chaos… We survived it because that music told us that we were growing and changing through the chaos.” — Nikki Siano (43:07–43:23)

Important Segments and Timestamps

• [05:23] Nikki Siano joins the conversation
• [06:18] Spirituality, meditation, and their role in creative life
• [07:41] Early exposure to the Loft, the birth of the club scene
• [10:13] Comparing the spirit of the Loft and the Gallery
• [13:25] Collaboration with Larry Levan and Frankie Knuckles at the Gallery
• [17:22] Discussion of club sound systems (Alex Rosner, Richard Long)
• [20:49] Siano on DJing style and the art of musical storytelling
• [29:07] The Stonewall riots: personal recollections
• [33:37] Laws prohibiting same-sex dancing and the struggle for rights
• [35:04] The shift in ‘disco’ and commercialization of dance music
• [37:05] Siano on his memoir ‘From Stonewall to Studio 54’ and connecting the two eras
• [41:27] Studio 54, Bianca Jagger’s White Horse party
• [42:07] The social/political messages of early dance music

Final Reflections

The episode closes with both hosts reflecting on Siano’s ongoing legacy, the experience of seeing him DJ live (Ryan attended a recent gallery-inspired event), and the enduring importance of the clubs as spaces of both personal and collective transformation. Listeners are encouraged to revisit early underground club tracks for their deep social messages, and to consider the cycles of chaos and creativity shaping culture—then and now.

Next episode preview: Interview with historian Lucas Hildebrand about post-Stonewall gay nightlife in NYC.