• Bill Brewster - RA Podcast 151 •

DJ historian Bill Brewster digs deep for this week's RA podcast.



Originally hailing from Grimsby in the North of England, Bill Brewster's first passions were football and music. Already amassing a substantial record collection whilst he was writing for football magazine When Saturday Comes, he was then approached to write for Mixmag, eventually becoming the one of the editors at their New York branch. It was there that he met writing partner Frank Broughton, with whom he compiled the hugely successful How To DJ (Properly) and Last Night A DJ Saved My Life books.

The duo's most recent venture into the literary world is a collection of articles and reviews by Rolling Stone scribe Vince Aletti, who was among the first journalists to write about disco. Brewster also runs the popular DJ History site, which apart from serving up interviews and features from some of the legends of dance music, acts as a hub for eclectic selectors worldwide through its forum. Where else would you get to read a dissertation from disco intellectual Daniel Wang, or have Ian Dewhirst school you on the history of the most expensive record of all time?

The popularity of the forum, especially in London's disco-loving community, has contributed to the success of Brewster's Low Life parties. But it's the music that keeps the crowds—and guest DJs—coming back. (He's even managed to coax the much-bootlegged French disco wizards Arpadys into playing their first ever live show at Cargo on April 30th, which coincides with the release of a compilation of their archived material on the Tubetracks label.) As with every Low Life event, Brewster will be taking to the turntables to showcase how a real veteran DJ plays (properly), but you don't have to wait until then for a history lesson from the man. This week's RA podcast sees Brewster jumping back and forth through the decades with a wide variety of disco and house treats, with a few curveballs along the way.


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