Dance culture has evolved at a rapid rate around the world; some countries faster than others, but each rich with their own unique history. Where some cultures have developed a very specific sound, Los Angeles has always been a diverse melting pot of musical ideas and groups. Amidst the musical diversity, however, one thing is certain, and it’s that Los Angeles has and always will have deep roots in the underground rave and house scene.
This Labor Day weekend will mark a very special occasion for the Los Angeles scene too. Sacred Grounds, one of the most influential house music collectives in LA, will be celebrating their twenty-year anniversary with none other than Doc Martin and Mark Farina. The two house veterans are gearing up for a 2 x 6 open format back-to-back, with a few additional surprises for the live set.
In light of this monumental occasion, we sat down with Sacred Grounds founder, Carlos Gdubbs, to get an expansive history lesson on 20 Years of House Music in Los Angeles. From his early foundations in the underground, we move through topics and stories ranging from his first official party to the territorial divide of the 90’s, eventually leading us to where we stand today, 20 years later.
Our discussion starts over a cup of coffee on a cool morning Downtown across from Exchange LA, with Carlos explaining to me some of the origins of our beloved scene. There’s a laundry list of major players who helped forge the landscape for house music in Los Angeles. People such as Marques Wyatt, DJ Dan, Barry Weaver, and Steve Loria, to name a few, all come up in the initial conversation, but one person who stands out to Carlos in the Los Angeles rave scene goes by the moniker, Mr. Kool Aid. I was just as surprised to hear such a name, but as Carlos speaks, the story begins to unfold.
“He’s one of the creators of the rave culture in Los Angeles,” explains Carlos. “He was one of the people to start bringing out guest DJ’s too. He brought out Markem X from Vancouver, and he was one of the first people to introduce Doc Martin to the scene.”
Over the years the infamous Mr. Kool Aid hosted numerous parties such as Apocalypse, Mickey’s Holy Water Adventure, and 808 State featuring artists who would go on to be considered the musical taste makers of the 90’s in Los Angeles and beyond.
The early 90’s was comprised of multiple promoters and groups that each played their part in developing a scene. People like Gary Blitz and DJ Trance, or Marques Wyatt with Club Brass, all played important roles in the formative years of house music in Los Angeles. Hell, even Gary Richards throwing a massive New Years Eve party at Knotts Berry Farm in 1992 had a major impact on the scene. It attracted media attention at the time, and surely facilitated in more widespread awareness of raves through the eyes of the public. As time passed, the scene grew more and more, becoming a musical and cultural phenomenon on the West Coast.
By the way, we dug up an article from the LA Times leading up to that “rave party” at Knotts. More than 20 years later, and that 1992 article still sounds like the media today. B