Q&A: New York DJ Eli Escobar set to visit El Paso nightspot The Garden for afternoon party

El Paso

Eli Escobar has been DJing in the city he was born and raised in, New York, for over 20 years. Growing up in the "city that never sleeps" definitely had its advantages, from listening to some of the best hip hop DJs on the radio as a kid in the 1980s, to attending and later spinning at some of the city's top nightlife spots and parties in the 1990s. These days, he plays in the city as the resident at Manhattan's Le Bain, which sits atop The Standard hotel, and at his crew's Tiki Disco parties held in various parts of New York, but mostly at Brooklyn's The Well during the summer months. I myself missed Eli last time he came to El Paso in 2012 and was turned away at the door at LeBain last time I was in New York - if you've ever been to NYC, you know how "particular" the doormen can be about who does and who doesn't get in, especially in Manhattan, so no hard feelings. Luckily, you don't have to book a flight up to New York this summer to hear Eli spin his deep crates filled with classic disco, 90s house, exclusive edits and remixes - he really does do it all. He is set to take the stage at Downtown's The Garden on Saturday as part of the Day Time Disco party which starts at noon. Tickets are $18 for the party, or you can pay $25 for a two-day ticket which includes entrance to Mesa Music Hall on Friday to see Detroit techno and avant-pop wiz Matthew Dear perform. Information: eventbrite.com. Eli was kind enough to take time from his day to do a quick email Q&A session:

Q: You grew up in New York in an era that is considered the height of the city's nightlife, who are some of yourearliest influences as a DJ and why?

A: Well, unfortunately I was too young to go clubbing in the 80's (although there was lots of rollerskating!) but I was tremendously influenced by the music on the radio. In particular, WBLS. As for going out in the '90's, I would have to list Frankie Inglese, Stretch Armstrong and Danny Krivit as my favorites. I attended their parties most frequently and my focus was always on the music. I was still young and learning, picking up all sorts of important lessons. In Frankie's case it would be, no one cares about technique if the music is perfect. Which it always was. In Stretch's case, perfect music AND technique are even better! And as far as Danny K, I felt out of all the house dj's in NY, I could relate to his style the best because he did not limit himself to one sound, tempo or era. I think I carry that with me to this day.

Q: Not only do you host a popular internet radio show, but you also DJ out several times a week locally and on the road. How do you stay fresh and focused from gig to gig?

A: I imagine if I had to really think about it, then maybe I would be coming to the end of the road in this profession. I love getting new music and I love exposing it to people. I also love playing music people know and seeing them sing along or dance their way into heaven. So as long as I still get that excitement and have the desire in me, I should be ok!

Q: You are also constantly working on music, be it remixes or original productions. Can you always find something in just about any song to remix or do certain songs call out to you?

A: It really depends. When I get a remix offer and I love the song, the ideas just start forming instantly and I almost HAVE to make the remix at that moment. It's usually very easy. Other times, I'll have to listen and see if I hear anything I can focus on and sort of reinvent the song based on that one portion. A few times, I have just failed miserably because the original song just gave me no inspiration. That happened once with the Pussy Cat Dolls and I just never turned it in because I didn't want anyone to hear it. haha!

Q: Very few DJs nowadays are as diverse as you. You can go from playing some old school disco and r&b, to house or deep techno. Plus you started off as a hip-hop DJ. Is that something you consciously set out to be when you first started or something that just happened?

A: You'll hear a lot of DJ's from my era and before say this, but it is absolutely true. In New York City, in the 80's and 90's and even early 00's, you had to know how to play everything. When we went record shopping, we hit all the stores. From Beat Street to 8 Ball and Rock And Soul to Dance Tracks. In the course of one night, you had to run through it all! I never really liked Dancehall but I had to start collecting records so I could do two sets a night. And then I ended up loving it, and at this point even like playing dancehall sets more than old school rap! Thank god I came up in that time because the advantage it gives us is so valuable.

Q: What are some recent music releases and some upcoming releases you are working on for this year?

A: I just finally started a record label called Night People NYC with my old friend Blu Jemz and we put out a full length album of mine. It was vinyl only for a while but the digital release (with a few bonus tracks) is coming out in 2 months. We have a lot of cool 12 inches and EP's on the way so look out for us!