From the early days of late night house parties to DTLA warehouses & abandoned train yards, to nighttime radio shows, clubs, and even high school parties, the sounds of hard-house, hardcore, jungle, drum & bass, hip-hop and more roared out of city-block-wattage soundsystems. Cross-genre sets spun by local DJs to huge crowds of sweaty crews, all battling it out on the dance floor from open to close. From the latest mixtapes in the cars to the newest imports spun by the DJs, a party would often be an all day affair, each part playing a role in nights that couldn’t come fast enough.

The music was welcoming to all, with those on the decks mirroring the crowds entranced by the beat. DJs creating spaces that celebrated the cultural makeup of Los Angeles through affordable tickets, diverse selections, and no judgment policies that catered to crowds from all walks of life. In the SGV, parties catered to the Latino & Asian communities that call the valley home, turning hip-hop heads into house heads after one fateful night on the dance floor.

Hosted by
Spiñorita aka Angela Ramirez

Featuring Interviews with
Gina Gonzalez
Sarah Wolfson
Rick Escamilla
Richard Vission
R.A.W.

Deep Routes is a radio series produced by dublab in partnership with Metro Art and with support from California Humanities and the Eastside Arts Initiative. Deep Routes explores the music histories embedded in the Los Angeles landscape and the transit topographies that connect them. You will hear interconnecting dialog from different music scenes, themes of identity, and civic themes that correspond to LA neighborhoods, featuring in-depth interviews with local artists, business owners, and community leaders. Fundamentally we aim to identify lesser told oral histories, and the ingredients required to allow musical cultures to prosper.

This program was made possible through support from the Eastside Arts Initiative and California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Visit California Humanities website for more info at: calhum.org.