The 5 Best DJs In New York
DJ Huggy Bear
DJ Huggy Bear on SoundCloud
@DjHuggyBearNYC
Queens-born Stephen Barr, aka DJ Huggy Bear, brings his own deeply-felt brand of emotional resonance to genres from soul to jazz, groove and funk. A regular at the Tippler Bar for the after-work crowd on Thursday nights, guest appearances in the lobby at the Hotel Chantelle down on Ludlow, and hipster's dream Ace Hotel on Saturday nights, Huggy Bear woos his s.r.o crowds with nostalgia-laden sets ranging from 6-7 hours long. "I'm a play the whole song type of guy" says Huggy. "I like to get into the artist and bring the crowds back to their high school days." Huggy Bear is available for private bookings; pricing available on request.
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Mike Mortician and Mike Decay
Aficionados of psychobilly music hope to catch a glimpse of our boys Mike and Mike performing at the Coney Island Museum every now and then, but know these purveyors of voodoo rockabilly always show up for their regular gig at the tiki bar at Otto's Shrunken Head on the last Saturday night of every month. "Everything's based on the blues" says Mike Decay. "A good DJ doesn't pigeonhole themselves in a genre, they just let the music take them where it wants to go." These guys have been going at it for over nine years now, to very appreciative New York crowds.
Related: NYC's 4 Best Tiki Bars
Gina Turner
DJ Gina Turner on Facebook
New York born Gina Turner made her bones in the Boston and LA club scenes, going on to become the darling of techno house music in Oslo, Brighton and Paris. Gina's astonishing hands lend pure joy and individuality to tech and minimal house music remixes world-wide; lucky for New York she brings her own sexy sound to some of our hottest dance clubs as a guest DJ. Her collaborations are legendary; Gina and DJ Laidback Luke birthed Nouveau Yorican, a new, Latin-inspired shuffle tech house sound that will have you shaking your money-maker on the dance floor for hours. You can often find Gina behind the decks at Pacha, where a state-of-the-art, German-imported Dynacord alpha concept speaker system rocks the crowd on four sumptuous levels. Call for dates.
Beg to Differ
Beg to Differ on SoundCloud
Beg to Differ on Facebook
Disco royalty Nick Chacona and Roy Dank have been DJing together as Beg to Differ for almost a decade. We caught up with Nick to find out what he's loving music-wise and where fans can catch the uber-duo in NYC. "I've been really into Neon Indian, Small Black, John Talbot, Pional and the lot of the mid-90s U-star stuff lately as well as traditional Indian devotional music from Bajan and Kirtan. My own music is in a state of positive purgatory, with a bunch of works in progress waiting to come together." Fans can find Beg at a variety of venues over the next couple months, including Le Bain.
François K
Francois K on Facebook
A seasoned denizen of New York's underground club scene, François K has been DJ'ing at New York's most infamous dance halls since the 80s, including long-time stints at Paradise Garage, Studio 54 and Les Mouches. Over time his unique style evolved, embracing a futuristic, electronic blend of dub, hip-hop, disco and house. Fans can't wait for the weekend to end so they can watch this legendary DJ do his stuff every Monday night in the Meat Packing District's premiere dance club, Cielo. Impeccably run, Cielo boasts a world-renowned sound system designed by UK-based Funktion One, and a sophisticated take on electronic music and the people who love it.
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