If you like a boogie and haven’t heard of The Disco Express, what dance floor have you been hiding under? The revered label and club night orchestrator have been taking over the London disco space since their inception in 2017, and now have global ambitions.

Originally a monthly loft party in a former Shoreditch railway station, The Disco Express is now a global phenomenon with residences in Berlin, New York, and a wider influence on the international dance music scene, leaving their imprint in Paris, Milan, Rome and more.

As they celebrate their seventh birthday with a series of with a three-pronged party across Rome, London and Paris, we catch up with TDE’s team, talking origins, the transition from events into label, and what disco artists you should be listening to…

Read the full interview…

How did The Disco Express first begin?
The Disco Express began as a monthly loft party in 2017, taking place at Shoreditch Platform in East London. The venue was a former train station so we decided to play off that theme and created a monthly disco night.

It was the perfect setting for intimate and hedonistic disco parties, styled like a New York loft. We hosted anyone from Dave Lee to Crazy P, Glenn Underground, Tiger & Woods, Jamie 3:26, Eli Escobar, Jacques Renault, Kon, Mafalda, COEO, Fouk, Toy Tonics, Felix Dickinson and many more.

Over the following years before the pandemic, the venue and residency really built a great reputation. There was a big demand to experience the vibe and see these great artists in an intimate venue. We often had queues bending round the corner!

We’re now seven years into the project and are celebrating this Spring with a three part event series at Alcazar in Rome, Metropolis in London and Sacré in Paris.

Where does the passion for disco come from?
Probably when my Dad gifted me a bunch of dusty records. At the time I was just starting out as a DJ, so having those records really sparked my interest, especially in 70’s / 80’s. disco, funk n’ soul. Since then, I’ve collected the records of my favourite labels Prelude, Salsoul, Epic, Philadelphia International and Casablanca.

What provoked the decision to start the label?
It was always in my mind to evolve The Disco Express from party into a record label. Lockdown in 2020 definitely accelerated that. When everything closed, our mindset was to be as creative as possible, producing music, art and interesting content. Now we’re just shy of 70 releases, its been a crazy transformation.

What is the core ethos of the label?
Inclusivity, equality, community and creating original disco music for 21st century dance floors.

How do you view the state of the modern global disco scene?
In pockets of the world, the disco scene is thriving. If you go to London, Berlin or Paris for instance you’ll experience a myriad of disco nights, DJs, artists and producers. In other cities like New York or Rome for example you definitely feel this buzz and resurgence. There was once a time disco was deemed uncool, but with fashion things come and go. I definitely think we’re witnessing another big wave of disco music. It’s clear to see in the pop charts nationwide and the music the top 1% of commercial artists are making.

For me its great, we need more disco in the world. The very essence of it is enriching and only spreads good energy. Long may it live!

What disco artists should we be listening to?
Wow, thats a good question. For me I’ll be biased and tell you about a few of the amazing artists we’re working with at The Disco Express..

Magnolia, Sparkling Attitude, Doche, The Wild Violets, Golden Gate, Bustin’ Loose, Georges, Larry Houl, Art of Tones, Generoco, Sam Karlson, Luke Delite, Rikky Disco and many many more.

What’s amazing is how cosmopolitan the label has become in such a short time. We’re now collaborating with artists anywhere from Australia to Brazil, China to Mexico, Sweden, Ecudaor and beyond. It’s kinda mad when you think about it, only three years in.

What goals does The Disco Express have in the future?
Our main goal at the moment is to host a party every weekend, worldwide. At the moment we’re on course which is super satisfying. Other than that, our goal is to release more vinyl (all the rest have sold out!), get a few more global residencies under our belt and ultimately leave a legacy with our music that new generations can discover in years to come.