The Warehouse (1977-1982) was a legendary nightclub in Chicago that cemented its place in history as the birthplace of house music. Located in a former factory, with Frankie Knuckles acting as a resident DJ, it acted as a sanctuary for Chicago’s LGBT+ community, with the most of its audience consisting of black and latino gay men.
A lot of pieces of the puzzle needed to blend together for the birth of a new genre: a fairly-popular radio show by the name of Hot Mix 5, a group of producers willing to experiment with creating a new sound, and a record label that was willing to accomodate them (Trax Records). All of those pieces were inspired by the sound of Frankie Knuckles’ sets at the Warehouse, however they will come after the Warehouse has already closed its doors.
What Frankie Knuckles played at the Warehouse was not house music. It was disco, it was R&B, it was italo disco and various other genres that all mashed together into one inspire something new. In this playlist, you’re not gonna hear what we might now refer to as house music. Instead, you’ll hear the music that inspired its birth.
