Retro Russ

Retro Russ is from ‘back in the day’, he discovered soul and funk from the age of fourteen and started collecting the sounds from then on in…

He did his first gig around the same time and subsequently followed this by a series of one-off’s over the next few years, playing funk and ‘proto disco at local youth clubs.

In 1976 he sneaked himself into The Royalty in Southgate, north London before, at the age of 18, getting ‘known’ in the West End club scene. Back then there was an explosion of disco and Retro Russ got to know all the leading DJ’s of the day, helping them on the decks occasionally, enjoying the energy of disco and always staying one step ahead of the pack, buying the latest US and European imports.

By 1981, the scene had become too commercial and Russ, tiring of hi-energy, synth music and just plain ‘pap’, decided to hang up his disco shoes. However, he continued to add to his record collection, often buying other disillusioned DJ’s 12″s who’d had enough of the scene! Consequently, he amassed a huge quantity of disco, soul and funk, covering the “golden period” of the late 1970’s.

Fast forward 20 years or so and Russ, after having raised a family, started doing house parties once again! He continues to play the popular disco, but his first love is disco’s deeper hard edged sounds. In October 2003, he was asked to ‘fill in’ at a music night at a North London pub, which became a regular one and began to bring his ‘rare-groove’ 12” disco.

A regular of Summer Soulstice over the years, Russ also plays out at various clubs and bars both in London and abroad, as well as lots of private parties where people want to hear the original house music! After several years broadcasting on Unknown FM, Russ now hosts his ‘Discoliscious’ show on Delite Radio.

It’s all about disco baby…