Dance Music in LA... Where Do We start?
Cover photo credit: Flippers Magazine Party, credit Jim Frank via Blind Magazine
Edited & Published September 10, 2026 by Vivian Hamilton
Written by Alejandro Cohen, KCRW's Music Director
If we’re talking about the tradition of dance music in clubs, we could begin with disco. Los Angeles was once a center of disco culture in the 1970s, and that spirit never really went away. It moved underground; disco drums gave way to 808 Drum Machines, and the sound kept mutating, but the impulse remained the same: people gathering together for music and movement.
Today, dance music can mean disco, house, techno, and countless subgenres branching out from there. And in Los Angeles, there is no shortage of options.
The challenge is often figuring out where to go. If you’re not careful, you can end up somewhere that simply doesn’t match your vibe, your energy, or your people.
Think of this guide as a way in to finding your vibe.
No “7 Days Of…” guide is complete without a soundtrack.
This member-exclusive mix is by no means a definitive history of dance music. It’s simply my own take, with much of the music connected directly or indirectly to Los Angeles.
You’ll hear music from some of my favorite LA dance labels, including Adult Contemporary, Sentrall, ESP Institute, Sisters of Sound, and 100% SILK, among others.
I’ve always leaned toward the dreamier, more psychedelic side of dance music rather than the straight-up banger, but I hope this makes a good soundtrack for your weeklong exploration of dance music in Los Angeles.
Check it out on the KCRW app.
Monday: Dress the Part
If what you’re looking for is a full-on raver outfit, Dolls Kill on Fairfax will get the job done. Outrageous clothes and a shopping experience that can sometimes feel like the rave has already started.
Dolls Kill via IntuArch
If your style is less maximalist but you still want something playful, cool, and dance-floor friendly, head to Meals in Highland Park. Created by the same people behind 69, Meals takes inspiration from food and turns it into clothing.
While you’re on Figueroa, spend some time exploring the vintage shops along the strip. One favorite is The Bearded Beagle, where you can still find good pieces at relatively reasonable prices.
Another option is Virgil Normal in Silver Lake, which carries its own designs alongside a rotating selection of independent brands.
Get started in DJ culture by becoming one.
If becoming a DJ feels a little daunting, The Beat Junkie Institute of Sound in Glendale is here to help. Founded by the legendary Beat Junkies, BJIOS is dedicated to preserving and advancing the art of DJing and turntablism through professional training and community. Their introductory DJ classes meet Monday evenings, making them a great way to start the week.
BJIOS via Serato
Soundtrack for Monday and the week.
Make KCRW’s Dance24 the soundtrack for your Monday and beyond, one of KCRW’s newest streaming channels, playing music 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all curated by KCRW DJ SiLVA. Tune in for a few minutes, and you’ll quickly realize: the party never really stops.
Tuesday: Stay in and get educated
If you really want to trace the beginnings of dance music, we could go all the way back to the rhythm of a heartbeat in the womb. But let’s start somewhere a little more practical.
Head to Skylight Books in Los Feliz and pick up a copy of Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey.
Skylight Books via Spectrum News 1
Another very entertaining read, although you may have to hunt for it online, is Bez’s Freaky Dancin’: Me and the Mondays.
For something more visual, dive into the design language of rave culture through collections of old flyers and ephemera: Illegal Rave Flyers of the ’90s and Antenne Books: Rave Flyers.
Don't feel like going out? Settle in with one of these films that offers another entry point into dance-floor culture. Paris Is Burning:
a landmark document of New York ballroom culture.
24 Hour Party People
is a film about Manchester's popular music community from 1976 to 1992, Factory Records, the Haçienda, and a highly entertaining version of dance-music history.
Party Monster
gives a look into New York club-kid culture at its most excessive.
SILK
– For something much more LA-specific, this independent documentary tells the story of 100% SILK, one of the city’s most distinctive underground dance labels.
And for Spanish speakers, explore Ruta del Bakalao, also known as Ruta Destroy, the legendary late-’80s and early-’90s club movement centered around Valencia, Spain.
Learn about the origins of acid house with Soul Jazz Records’ fantastic compilation Acid: Mysterons Invade the Jackin’ Zone – Chicago Acid and Experimental House 1986–93.
Wednesday: Dance Is Exercise, Too / Ease Into The Night
Why not turn your love of dance into your workout?
Pony Sweat in Frogtown gives you the chance to go to the disco and get in shape at the same time. Their morning class will get you moving and prepare you physically for the weekend ahead.
Pony Sweat
Get on the Black House Radio train and make their YouTube mixes the soundtrack for your day.
Ease into the night.
In the evening, head to Mignon. It’s not a dance party by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s Wednesday and you need to pace yourself. Remember: this is a marathon, not a sprint. Mignon gives you the right playlist to ease into the week, ideally with a glass of wine and a cheese board.
Thursday: Go Record Shopping / Start Early, Stay Late
f you want to understand what’s happening in contemporary dance music, a good record store is still one of the best places to start. Spend part of the day at Stellar Remnant, an independent underground electronic-music record store in Downtown Los Angeles founded by DJ and producer Ed Vertov.
Later, head to Animal LA, a new queer bar in the Arts District where some of the city’s best DJs regularly take over the booth. They open at 2 p.m., so you can begin your evening very early or stay until 2 a.m. Or, if Thursday already feels like your weekend, do both.
Animal LA via gayety
Make Friday your big night
Head to Homage Brewing in Chinatown for food, drinks, and DJs. The space regularly hosts excellent local and international selectors from the contemporary dance scene, and you may be pleasantly surprised by just how dance-floor friendly a brewery can become. They open at noon.
For many people, Friday is the big night out. If that’s your goal, look no further than Sound Nightclub. The name tells you something about the priorities. Sound is widely known for having one of the better-sounding rooms in LA club culture, paired with a consistently strong lineup of local and international DJs.
Sound Nightclub via timeout
Soundtrack for the day
Earlier this year, Fatboy Slim took over KCRW for five hours, delivering the kind of mix that can carry you through an entire night.
Saturday: Choose your own adventure
Saturday is where things really open up. There are many, many options, and ultimately the right one depends on you and where you feel you belong.
First there's Hood Rave,
a Black queer party that somehow manages to feel exclusive and inclusive at the same time.
Secondly, there's A Club Called Rhonda, which is, by now, an LA cultural institution. Queer at its core, but welcoming to anyone who arrives with the right energy.
Next we have Take It Outside. Created by LA dance-music fixtures Heidi Lawden and Masha Mar, with a mission to take the party outdoors, particularly during the summer months.
CATEGORY Party - A newer rave on the scene with roots in self-expression and rotating themes worth dressing up for.
Simon Says
– For anyone chasing a little of the fantasy, glamour, and abandon of Studio 54.
Certified Groovers
is for when house and techno are your thing; Framework
is for a larger-scale experience and a wider audience; Lights Down Low
is for those looking for something a little more hedonistic, often in a warehouse setting.
Shelter, Into the Woods, Tunnel, and the list goes on.
Take it outside via instagram
LA also has a thriving world of renegade parties: unofficial dance events held outside traditional clubs, sometimes in parks, industrial spaces, and other unexpected locations. Finding them requires a little research and a degree of commitment, but that’s part of the adventure.
Out of respect for the privacy of those communities, we won’t point you directly to specific events. If you’re curious, the guide linked above offers an introduction.
Let KCRW soundtrack your Saturday night
Did you know that every Saturday beginning at 6 p.m., KCRW turns the evening over to dance music?
6 p.m. — SiLVA
8 p.m. — Jason Bentley
10 p.m. — John Tejada
Midnight–5 a.m. — Dance24
Whether you’re having dinner, getting ready to go out, taking a disco nap, or moving from one party to another, KCRW can stay with you all night.
Tune in at 89.9 FM or through the KCRW app.
Sunday: End the week on a high note
By now you’re probably still recovering from Saturday night, so we’re giving you the daytime off.
In the evening, Zizou is a great option if you’re looking for a mellower disco atmosphere with a distinctly French and European sensibility. It feels familiar and slightly exotic at the same time.
Grab dinner, have a few drinks, and let Zizou be the final stop on your seven-day journey.
zizou via infatuation
If you somehow have any energy left, your exploration of dance music doesn’t have to end. Love Injection has an incredible New York publication devoted to the history, culture, people, and evolving world of dance music. Test Pressing is all things Balearic. If you consider Café del Mar in Ibiza a spiritual home, Test Pressing will feel like home.
Then go home and fall asleep to one of the ultimate after-hours chill-room records: The KLF - Chill Out.
Keep Exploring
Some more recommendations from KCRW's dance music afficianado SiLVA:
Never Be Alone Again: How Bloghouse United the Internet and the Dancefloor - Lina Abascal’s book on the bloghouse era and the moment when the internet and dance floor collided in a very specific, very chaotic way.
Going 808 - Visit the Vintage Synthesizer Museum in Highland Park and get up close with the machines that helped shape decades of electronic music.
Wax Wednesdays - Get back to the fundamentals at KCRW’s own Peanut Butter Wolf’s Gold Line Bar, where vinyl culture is always at the center.
Feel the Drum and Bass Before the Weekend Hits - DnB takes over Hollywood at Jungle on Thursday nights.
Dance Under the Disco Lights - Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is there when you’re ready to unleash your inner disco queen.
