With all the world’s music just a click away, the idea of a cult album – one that can be passed around like a secret – is almost an anachronism. But since its release, DJ Sprinkles‘ 2009 deep house album Midtown 120 Blues has proven itself a true cult phenomenon. You won’t see it next to Disclosure on EDM-oriented “deep house” playlists, but those who know it love it. And as many fans as it acquires, it will never truly be mainstream.
This owes in part to its difficulty to access. The album was reissued in 2014, but only on CD. It’s absent from iTunes and Spotify. This means finding a free digital copy is an ordeal.
And not everyone vibes with Sprinkles’ slow-burning music, which is a far cry from the pop-ready take on deep house that currently dominates DJ mixes.
“I’ll switch it on for people who like that kind of music,” said Nathan Ratchen, a Portland native and house fan. “But people either really identify with it or it doesn’t vibe with them, it’s too slow for them.”
Yet the album’s limited reach also owes to political reasons. Midtown 120 Blues is a treatise on how house music’s queer origins have been forgotten by the mainstream. As such, this album is not designed for mass appeal.
Its tracks are broken up by short speeches from Sprinkles (a trans-woman with roots in the New York queer club scene), pertaining to these themes. If you want to put on Midtown 120 Blues just for the grooves, you’ll run into a speech sooner or later. No matter how much mass appeal the album acquires, it will always be a political work.
As such, it has helped house fans get wise to the music’s context.
“I didn’t know dance music had that context,” said Ian Harris, a University of Oregon student and Sprinkles fan. “It’s meaningful in that way, even though I can’t speak to the issues.”
William Winston, a DJ at University of Puget Sound’s KUPS, runs a show called “Madonna-Free Zone,” named after a Midtown track. As on Midtown, Winston’s show approaches dance music from a political angle, alternating tracks with political commentary.
“Often times I will use (Sprinkles’) quotes within the songs to inform people of what they’re hearing,” Winston said. “Our generation is prone to social justice, so I think people are interested.”
Thanks to people like Winston and general word of mouth, it’s likely Midtown 120 Blues‘ fanbase will grow beyond anything Sprinkles expected.
But Marke Bieschke, a San Francisco-based nightlife writer, sees no issue with this. As a queer club regular, he’s familiar with the issues on which Sprinkles speaks. But he sees Midtown 120 Blues‘s popularity as a boon.
“I think it’s awesome if straight college guys are listening to this record from a trans DJ that’s based on an anti-capitalist political viewpoint,” said Bieschke. “Even if people just want deep house grooves, it’s great they’re listening.”
Midtown 120 Blues will likely never hit the mainstream, due to its limited availability. But even if it’s destined to remain a cult concern forever, it’s proven an effective piece of political art. As such, perhaps it’s best for as many people to hear it as possible.
Follow Daniel Bromfield on Twitter @bromf3