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[title]London Pride is finally here! And what do the LGBTQ+ community do best? A night out on the tiles, of course. London has literally tonnes of incredible queer clubs and club nights, and let’s not forget that dance music genres like House, Disco and Acid House originated from the LGBTQ+ scene. So we asked five of London’s best queer DJs to recommend some absolute essential bangers for an epic Pride night out in the capital. Grab the speaker, pour yourself a G&T and whack these on before heading out, they’re guaranteed to get you in the mood.
Cormac
‘Unlimited Capacity For Love’
‘There are many faces of Grace Jones, and all of them are fierce. This came out in 1982 and the lyrics are as relevant today as ever. She's singing about our nature to war, but also about our immense capacity for love and redemption. It’s relevant to our LGBTQI+ struggles and successes. Love gets us through right? Production-wise, it's what I would call an original cosmic disco ballad. I don’t always get the chance to play this track, but when I do you know we’re up for an especially good night together.’
Jodie Harsh
‘My House’
‘I’m going to blow my own trumpet and pick one of my own! “My House” is my pride anthem because it seems to be a good place to end my shows on a high, especially at pride events. The line in there, “everybody’s welcome in my house”, was a last-minute addition to the track and kind of became its main hook that everyone chants along to. Those five words sum up my entire modus operandi. The track’s a bloody banger, too!’
Gideön
‘Aaron Carl Lives On’
‘Featuring Aaron Carl's iconic words and wisdom, he’s a personal hero of mine. The track is a homage to the unsung, underrated black queer champions of House music. I released this track as part of a wider goal to re-establish the lines of queer musical tradition at the heart of House, lost to AIDS and the capitalist desecration of dance music itself. My aim with the HOMO-CENTRIC label is to both acknowledge and revere the original LGBTQIA+, Black and Latin pioneers of House – their DNA permeates all subsequent journeys in the genre.’
Horse Meat Disco’s James Hillard
'It's Raining Men'
‘For Pride I think you have to go camp or go home. And what better song could there be than The Weather Girls' “It's Raining Men”? Martha and Izora who were originally Sylvester's backing singers really give it to you (you also can't have a Pride playlist that doesn't feature the queer legend and trailblazer that is Sylvester). It never fails on any dance floor, but especially during Pride.’
Hannah Holland
‘Paris' Acid Ball’
‘This track is queer herstory right there, it’s acid house, sampling the cult 1990 documentary “Paris Is Burning”. Tried and tested since 2010, this tune always hits the spot. I made this as an homage to the film about the New York ballroom community, which has had such a huge effect on the landscape of LGBT+ culture worldwide.’
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