Exclusive: Gemini Disco's 'Goodbye Gemini' DJ Mini-Mix

By Patric Fallon Mon., Aug. 30 2010 at 2:39 PM

Categories: DJ Mini-Mix

Gemini Disco's final party flier.

Really, Gemini Disco needs no introduction. The monthly party has been running circles around the classic disco, boogie, and house scene for four years, getting bigger and better with each installment of its well-decorated shindigs. Back in the day, Gemini used to jump off at Li Po Lounge, but it has since relocated to Underground SF and effectively taken over the Lower Haight club with well-dressed party-goers and talented DJs slinging tasteful tunes. But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.

Gemini is calling it quits, and this Saturday, September 4, will be its last hurrah. Derrick Love, promoter and resident DJ since the beginning, and the rest of the Gemini Disco gang (Vin Sol, Nicky B, and Le Dinosaur) bid farewell to their beloved party and all of its fans with this mini-mix he made exclusively for SF Weekly. While we are happy to have him share these special tunes with us, we are sad to see one of our favorite dance nights bite the dust. Get into Love's Goodbye Gemini mix after the jump before saying au revoir at the last get-down this weekend.

Instead of doing any sort of historical narrative of the development of Gemini Disco, we decided to set up a 20-minute snippet that represents the diversity, energy, and feeling of Gemini Disco. Since there were never really any aural documents of Gemini Disco's greatness, this mix will be the only thing that will represent the party in 3000 years when alien archeologists come and excavate the ruins of San Francisco.

Pulp Fiction

This is one of my favorite movies.

Bill Brandon - We Fell In Love While Dancing

I've had a 45 of this record forever, and I always wanted to use it. Unfortunately, my copy has cue burn, so I've never been able to play it out or use it in any meaningful way. On the other hand, however, Vin has somehow managed to find two copies of the 12". The probability of that happening is something close to not likely. It's probably the most fun $1200 12" of all time. I love the message of the song; I'm all about message music. Like the O'Jays.

Visions - Is This Real?

The title kind of speaks for itself as to why I chose it. I picked this one up at Tweekin' Records. I think it was after a Gemini Disco, actually. Anyway, the front of my copy has a sticker that says something like, "1992 JUAN ATKINS DEEP HOUSE CLASSIC, SUPER DOPE." I agree.

Northend - Kind of Life

This is a great record with a positive vibe that I think really speaks to everyone. The only question I have is, what kind of life do we live and what kind of love do we give? That is a serious question that I think we all have to ask ourselves, because the singer never really gives a clear picture of what he means by that.

Aural Exciters - Chinese Rap

If anybody has Sandy's number please text me.

Skatt Bros - Wok The Night

The real name of this song is "Walk the Night," but I think if I just highlight the fact that it kind of sounds like "Wok The Night," you will have a hard time thinking of it any other way. Sort of like when you see the arrow in the FedEx logo. You do know there is an arrow in the FedEx logo, right? You can see it if you look closely at the "Ex".

Free Enterprise - Make It On My Own

Interesting to note: this is one of Bobby O's first records. I thought it would be clever to mix an early Bobby O record with an early Patrick Cowley record. Is it? I'm not sure. YOU BE THE JUDGE. LET'S RECONVENE AT THE NEXT TRACK!

202 Machine - Get Up (Rock Your Body)

Okay, so I'm not entirely certain if this is or is not a Patrick Cowley record. Some commenter on YouTube says yes. I think that is a reliable enough source of information.

Alexander Robotnick - Obsession For the Disco Freaks

Have you seen those clips of Alexander Robotnick making music in his home studio? Go look up "The Analog Session - Fun Fare" on YouTube. I guarantee you will feel good about the world if you do.

The Units - High Pressure Days (Rory Phillips Remix)

If you are the sort of person that follows me on Twitter (twitter.com/derricklove, BTW) or watches the videos I post on Facebook (and given that I have about 2500 friends, I imagine that there are about 300 of you), you would know that I recently posted the 7" original mix of this song. There were a lot of comments on that post. Those involved in the exchange who thought I was crazy will now understand what was going on.

Quest - Mindgames (Dub)

Astute listeners will notice a meta-narrative to the mix. I enjoy using words like meta, post, and proto. It makes everything sound better. Try using meta, post, or proto the next time you say one of your favorite words. Examples: meta-burger, post-mailbox, proto-sexual, etc. I would call this record a proto-house or post-house record, but it is neither. Perhaps it is a meta-house record.

Level 42 - World Machine (Dub)

I bought this record for three dollars at Amoeba. It's not worth more, but I think I already got my money's worth out of it. It's in one of my Japanese record collector books (instant quality indicator!). You know the ones with the articles and the pictures? I can't read the articles, I just look at the pictures.

Cristina - La Poupee Qui Fait Non

When we guest DJed with Juanita More! at Vandam, people were literally doing conga lines to this song. Considering most of the audience were in outlandish costumes, this was no mean feat and was incredibly visually impressive. To give you an example: someone showed up to the party wearing a medieval knight helmet. New York is a hell of a place. I'd love to see San Francisco get to a point where someone can just show up to a party in a suit of armor and it's considered some sort of avant garde fashion statement. If you did that here, now, people would just think you were some weirdo from the SCA.

The Winners - Get Ready (Reprise) (Black Cock Re-edit)

METAPOCALYPSE.

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