Eli Escobar

New York-based DJ/producer Eli Escobar dedicates himself to facilitating parties utilizing an in-depth knowledge of house and disco, particularly everything that came out of his native city. Escobar spent the best part of a decade playing at parties and clubs around New York, refining his craft and becoming something of a local staple. However, he found global attention after the release of his debut full-length, Up All Night, in 2014; the record boiled down elements of disco into a consistently accessible album, while paying homage to the history of New York.

Despite starting piano lessons at the age of six, it wasn't until 1998, during his senior year in high school, that he discovered a love of hip-hop and ignited his career in music. He purchased turntables and set about using them with distinct natural talent; within a year he'd produced his first 12" hip-hop singles. From 1999 onward, he became dedicated to attending and playing at parties, unconcerned with releasing music until 2007, when his first dance music 12", "Money Lotion," appeared on Money Studies Records. Still prioritizing the performance aspect, he sporadically released singles over a seven-year period; they appeared on labels including Plant Music and Nervous. During that time, he cemented himself in the New York club scene, holding residencies, playing as part of the Tiki Disco Crew, and throwing his own parties under the Night People brand, which he started with fellow N.Y.C. DJ Blu Jemz. 2014 was a turning point for Escobar, as it saw the release of his debut full-length, Up All Night through Night People NYC, which branched out to become a record label. The album brought him to the attention of a global audience, and resulted in a much busier touring schedule, but also gave Escobar a taste for full-length records. In the run-up to his second album, 2016's Happiness, he was snapped up by Defected's subsidiary label Classic, reflecting his rise in popularity. He had produced so many new tracks for the record that he was able to release his third album the following year. 2018's Shout featured tracks that were closer to the original idea of disco -- i.e., live instrumentation -- than anything he'd previously released. Last Summer appeared in 2019 and followed a similar trajectory. ~ Liam Martin, Rovi