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Darkness has crept up to slowly reveal its face. Black. Devoid of light. That traces around and about the atmosphere. Invisible. Upward, the stars keep watch over night. Night’s all seeing eye, the moon is lucent, keeps watch over the people, the party, the property.
Where there shines additional sources of luminescence. Artificial. Blues. Reds. Purples. Illuminates the stage. Revealing movement. Shapes and sizes. Figures. Standing in awe. Before eyes. The spectacular takes place.
Onstage. Overhead, hangs a state of the art audio speaker rig that intermingles with leafy branches falling from suspended pots. A lighting tower holding several performance spotlights rotates 360 degrees before casting shadows dancing on the lush greenery surrounding the backdrop of brick and window. Underneath a giant disco ball, reflecting. In front the foliage. Stands two individuals. The more gregarious of the two sports a Perfect Season gold jersey as the more hushed, deadpan personality wears a maroon tee, the colors of both garments compliment the other. Instantaneously, the figures appear united. Their music. Through song, slider, and pitch control. All for the love of house. All for the love of music. Kenny Dope the Broken Beat King with his adoration for hip hop and reggae is fused with King Louie’s Latin house, percussions, and vocal roots. As one collective mind. Each acknowledges the other. A head nod here. A head shake there. Even a whisper or two at times. Their intuitive language although unspoken reads as one. They’re inside jokes. The winks. The laughter. The two are a front. A force to be reckon. A musical military. Where before, they were individual masters at work, together they become gods at work.
Deities. They’re super powers on display. Their force is wholly realized. When Lood’s featuring the late Donnell Rush “Shout-N-Out” causes abrupt pandemonium. The first track played sends veteran dancers into hysteria. Their torsos bent over, lips snarled revealing ugly faces.
Instantly, the atmosphere changes. – Feel the magic. The culture shifts – View the sea of muddied faces. Where did all these people come from? The ground transforms. – The once background patio now resembles a 200,000 square feet amphitheater. Listen to the amplified voices of the packed tight to full capacity. The virgin of ears, their first Masters At Work live performance, inquirer. What’s all the fuss?
To fully understand the scope and impact that is Masters at Work. Time travel back to 1990 when NYC Garage ruled. Folklore tells the name Masters At Work was conceptualized and given to Kenny Dope Gonzalez and Little Louie Vega by Todd “Da God” Terry. However, Kenny Dope clarifies in his bio on Resident Advisor, the name originated when he and Mike Delgado threw neighborhood parties and later loaned the moniker to his music mentor Terry. In return, Terry introduced Gonzalez to Bronx’s Little Louie Vega who worked with an upriser named Marc Anthony. Kenny and Louie’s claim to fame soared remixing Debbie Gibson’s “One Step Ahead” on Atlantic Records of that year. Forward on, their calling card went throughout the lucrative music industry. Everyone had to have a MAW remix. Up-and-comers Mood II Swing, they mentored. Vega’s all night studio sessions became legend, a revolving door of vocalists and musicians ranging from Carole Sylvan, Michael Watford, to the Puerto Rican Princess of Salsa India.
Of course, in one of those all nighters Barbara Tucker recorded “I Get Lifted.” The Bar Dub that Kenny Dope plays on loop or is Louie Vega cueing his & The Martinez Brothers’ featuring Marc E. Bass “Let It Go” (TMBLV Dub)? Who cares? Who plays what song is less important. More interesting are the several bodies experiencing sporadic bouts of fits, feet kicking up dust, and fingers swiping the concrete on Honey Dijon’s featuring Annette Bowen & Nikki-O “Downtown” (Louie Vega Extended Raw Dub Mix).
Peak hour arrives courtesy the Queen of Night Life Loleatta Holloway’s “Dreaming’” (a cappella) riding over the Kenny Dope Remix of MAW’s “The Ha Drop.” The ballroom anthem heavily sampled, reworked, flipped, and re-edited, over the many decades.
That rawness, the grit of MAW’s signature NYC garage sound has been copied the world over. Albeit, imitation is the highest form of flattery as their imprint was solidified a global phenomenon in that final decade of the 20th century. The duo continued to release music as both production partners and individually. Anyone remember the cult classic Bucketheads’ “The Bomb! (These Sounds Fall Into My Mind)?” The two Puerto Rican heritage/New Yorkers for life portmanteau the Nuyorican Soul moniker. They’re masterpiece of the same name released on Talkin’ Loud in 97’. That featured the sensational release “It’s Alright, I feel It!” with mind blowing vocals from diva Jocelyn Brown. That has you Holy Ghost dancing. Mid song, when the drum solo kicks ass. Mouths emit screams that travel upward the heavens. Your arms are stretched in the air, hands open to receive, as Brown decrees, “Everything will be alright.” Can you feel it?
Music is more than a feeling. Music is healing. Where expectation and manifestation vertex. Here, people are not caught up in the moment. People are having a moment with the music. The crowd swept into an energy unseen thus far.
Rewind the hands of time back to the turn of the century, when the MAW released their final long-playing album “Our Time Is Coming.” That spawned the classic “Work” featuring Trinidadian vocalist Denise Belfon who commands “Go down,” the dancers slow wind to the ground over by the restrooms number 2. Where youthful faced braid wearing security guards the entrance to the stage. Earlier, the movement of dance originated by the artificial arcadian on the left of the backyard in front of the courtyard covered with faux green turf. The movement snaked to the left, then right, like the derrières defying gravity and bouncing upward at Belfon’s command, “Come up.” From there the dance moved in front of the stage – a rarity as most dance rituals crop towards the rear spaces behind throngs of standees – when Brooklynite Tony Touch yells “Apaga La Luz,” not in person, but on the OG Main Mix.
“Bop, bop, bop, – bop, bop, bop, po.” The drums speak. “Bop. Bop.” Listen closer. “Bop. Bop.” Their message beating in the pulse. The drums go deep. Deep into the heart of the Motherland. The standout tune arrives when the familiar rhythm dissipates and only the percussions are left to perform. Onstage, a woman dressed in a blue denim jacket and white tank shimmies her shoulders in perfect sync on every count. When Caiiro’s “The Akan” drops in full the temperature explodes. Heaps of coal dances on heads. The outdoor space, a boiler room in its former life, is aglow of red from strobes beaming into space. There on the upper level wall, behind the control center, are coded messages dancing in circles.
52-19 Flushing Avenue is a stalwart, having served purpose for over a century. The building has survived the prohibition, the Great Depression, two distant world wars, 9/11 and a recent pandemic. Once a glass factory, turned door company, Knockdown Center is now an art space by weekday and party central on weekends. Some of the best events in the tri-state are held at the address. Despite the surrounding residential noise complaints and their disdain for drunken debauchery, and the recent cellphone theft rings-Knockdown is magic. A venue most cities would heart to embrace within their vicinity.
“My neighbors are listening to great music whether they like it or not.” The old meme rings true for the residents nearby Knockdown. Who are treated to the “Harr-ruff” and bass lick on Themba’s “Who Is Themba?” and when the drum’s sputtering breaks down into 4 counts on Ivan Afro5’s “Strange” (Peek Afro Re Up) sonic shrills charge the soundscape over the property’s perimeter and blesses households near and far.
A Strictly Rhythm tee bounces over here. An Expansions In the NYC tee appears over there. Familiar faces shine bright wattage. The stage lit. Beams from strobes reveal a motley cast of characters. Wives two-stepping in circles. Cups held in the air. Promoters with their recording paraphernalia filming the swaying mass. Sound engineers pressing buttons on the several hardware components. The duo’s entourage are partying onstage.
The scene resembles time before the avid vinyl collector and “Latin Lover” seemingly went on hiatus, unofficially, several months after releasing “Our Time Is Coming.” Perhaps their time coming was not foretold as dyadic masters, as their time coming as singular talents. Their accomplishing “to do” lists. Vega Records. Elements of Life. Producing neo soul crooners. There was a gramophone win. A televised pre-performance at the Big Game. And so much more to their storied testaments of individual pursuits. At the right time, fifteen years later, their MAW Records catalog relaunched on download and streaming sites with River Ocean’s featuring India “Love & Happiness (Yemaya Y Ochùn),” “Yay!” Screams a dancer wearing a white lace top and white pants with fist held in the air, “Voices In My Mind” (MAW Unreleased Bass Mix), invigorates and Kenlou’s “The Bounce” rounds out the surprise playlist after a seven hour day of dance. Whew. Gonzalez keeps the music playing with his Kenny Dope Mix for Jersey’s Raheem DeVanghn’s first single released, “Guess Who Loves You More.” He too having received a GRAMMY nomination for his contribution with the Newark born singer. That’s Vega and Gonzalez ever involved with heavy tour schedules, production demands, and running music labels. If there was ever a blueprint of how to be successful and have longevity in underground dance music. Kenny and Louie have written volumes.
“I hope you enjoyed the surprise Masters At Work set.” Vega tells the crowd, microphone in hand. The host with the most. An afterthought lingers in mind. Naw, naw. The party was not supposed to end this way. No one said anything about a surprise MAW takeover. The people were unprepared. But it happened. Everyone survived. Some more than others. And no one is mad. Louie always has a surprise or two up his sleeve. He winks.
“Give it up for my pawtna, Mr. Kenny Dope.” A rousing chorus of cheers and claps drowns out the bass and brass on Oscar Sulley & The Uhuru Dance Band’s “Bukom Mashie” (JKriv Edit).
These brothas came out for my birthday.” Vega says with love. Hold up. Birthday? Insert needle drop scratch sound effect. This momentous event is actually King Louie’s born day celebration? Can’t tell whose special day it is when the celebrated celebrates the sold-out crowd with an impromptu gift of magnitude proportions. Now that’s class. “We about to take it (the party) inside, right now.”
First, a handshake and stop to meet Kev on the way to the food truck. “Honey, you need anything? He is asked. Thank you but no, Kev smiles. His heart warmed as he wheels in front the merchandise table that appears to have sold 80 percent of its product. “Expansions In The NYC” hoodies, tees, 12 and 7 inch vinyl. After several hours of dancing, you limp to the food truck. Famished. The line of ten wide-eyed hunched youth disperses into the black. Sold out! At 10:05 pm? Damn! The thought of not munching on a home baked crispy tortilla chip can’t ruin the vibe. Of another perfectly executed event. Every detail in place. No detail left out of place. So do it big or go home! Is how you throw a proper blowout for royalty who has completed another earth cycle around the sun. ¡Salute! Glasses raised. Happy Birthday to the King!
wrds: aj dance
grphc: aj art
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Tags: #dancefloormagic #housemusicexcellence, afro house music, deep house music, Deon Cole, disco music, elements of life, Expansions In The NYC, garage music, gospel house music, house music dancing, KENNY DOPE GONZALEZ, Knockdown Center, Louie Vega, Maspeth, masters at work, MAW Records, New York City, nuyorican soul, NYC disco, NYC garage music, Queens NYC, soulful house music, Vega Records