BeatRoute Magazine BC Print Edition April 2018

BPM
ELI ESCOBAR
EVERYONE TO THE DANCEFLOOR AND OUT ON THE STREETS
HOLLIE MCGOWAN
Photo by Kenny Rodriguez
Eli Escobar looks back to political reactionary music of the ’70s on his latest release, Shout.
In November of 2016, the election of U.S. President
Donald Trump created a ripple of fear, anger, and
resentment felt throughout the world. Among
those who were deeply troubled by the election
was renowned New York DJ and disco house
producer, Eli Escobar. He did what any good
artist would do during such a tumultuous period,
which was to turn to his creative outlets to release
emotion and voice concern regarding the grim and
unstable political climate.
“I was feeling a lot of pain, anger and confusion,
and the best way I knew how to deal with it was to
make music,” reflects Escobar.
There exists a long history between music and
politics, which has resulted in masterpieces that
have transcended the years with messages of
peace, love, and harmony over powers that seek to
divide cultures and breed hatred, each generation
echoing the words of their creative ancestors. For
Escobar, the 1970s in particular were a goldmine
of politically charged music, strong messages
presented in the most beautifully composed
tracks.
“I’m very influenced by the music of the ‘70s,”
Escobar says. “During that time, artists were really
talking about the problems of the world, the inner
cities, war, social and racial injustice. We haven’t
seen another era in music so focused on mirroring
the outside world since, and [Marvin Gaye’s]
What’s Going On was probably the first high
profile album of that decade which really set the
whole thing in motion. I did not set out to emulate
this period or make political statement with [my
2018 album Shout], but what I did do was make
music directly influenced by modern day America.”
Shout tracks like “Nightmare Rag,” “The People,”
and “Goin’ On?” clearly illustrate Escobar’s
sentiments regarding the current state of affairs.
On “The People,” lyrics explicitly address the
POTUS, making a call for justice as a solid house
beat enters the track and carries the rest of
the tune forward. The album itself is filled with
dancefloor worthy tracks that leave one feeling
just as excited about the rhythm as they do about
being politically engaged.
“I feel a solidarity with all of the nightlife scene
here in New York,” tells Escobar. “I believe most
everyone here wants to be on the right side of
history, and that’s one of the beautiful things about
nightlife and dance music. People who believe in
equality for all tend to come together on the dance
floor!”
Eli Escobar performs at Open Studios on April 13.
18
April 2018