One of the most acclaimed releases of 2008 is the self-titled debut by Hercules And Love Affair, the disco/house project masterminded by New York DJ Andrew Butler. Released in the US on the influential DFA imprint, the album is noticeably less rock-oriented than many of the other artists on the label’s roster.

“I think that with a lot of the previous releases on DFA, the focus has been on fusing a live rock ‘n’ roll sound with dance music,” proffers Butler. “This project is probably a more traditional dance record in some respects. And also, there’s an intention for it to be a listening record. The other extreme on DFA is more geared towards experimentation, so it might differ a little bit in that sense too. There isn’t a terrible amount of experimentation or improvisation on the record, the songs are very structured.”
In the first issue of Hot Press this year, Dublin native Marcus Lambkin – who releases his music on DFA under the name Shit Robot – cited Hercules And Love Affair as one of the artists to look out for in 2008.
“That’s so cool, I love Marcus,” enthuses Andy. “He’s so sweet and always doing a kind turn. I’m a big fan of his as well. I’ve only DJed with him once, but I’ve met him a couple of times in the office and around the studio. I enjoy his music and his sensibility. He’s an artist who you can tell has deep roots and a real interest in dance music history. That kind of stuff just speaks to me, so I love his productions for that reason.”
Although disco music is usually associated in the mainstream with the Bee Gees and Saturday Night Fever, DFA artists have explored a grittier side of the genre, which has its origins in late ‘70s/early ‘80s punk-funk.
“Yeah, DFA has in the past couple of years tapped into an interesting moment in disco history,” says Andy. “Lines really got blurry and punk bands were playing disco. The Clash, Kid Creole and those bands incorporated a kind of punk-funk aesthetic at different moments. At the time, this was just considered club music, and part of disco. If Larry Levan would play it at the Paradise Garage, it counted. There’s a spectrum to the sound that people aren’t really aware of.”
Interestingly, Andy commenced his own DJing career in his native Denver aged 15, when he began spinning discs in a leather bar run by a hostess called Chocolate Thunder Pussy.
“It was a little crazy,” he smiles. “There was a handful of older gay men who had really amazing record collections. They were either DJs or music lovers, so I kind of got a crash course in house music and club culture. Almost immediately, they were like, ‘Let’s get him a gig.’ So they got me a gig at this leather bar, and I think I had to play at 10pm. I was the first DJ on and they had to sneak me in.
“So I played my set, and actually a somewhat well-known Chicago DJ at the time came on after me. In hindsight, I’m terrified at what I played before him. I still sometimes see him; he lives in New York and he’s a Wall Street guy now. Of course, later on the police came and I had to be escorted into the bathroom until they left. It was that kind of night!”