Or you might just shrug. To those who know, Krivit’s accolades are unquestioned, and his position in the pantheon is secured (at time of writing, he’s wrapping up a Japanese tour, following a string of US shows and a quick jaunt over to Europe). To those who don’t, his name probably doesn't ring a bell. Krivit’s ceaseless evolution and obsessive focus on music over all else had made him a moving target, difficult to commodify. He’s had influential, even essential records, yet never a breakout hit. He’s played in every club, yet has never quite had a star turn as a resident. Rather, he’s a consummate artist and one of the greatest DJs you’ll ever see. 718 Sessions is his love letter to the city, and music, that made him.
Krivit’s roots go back to the late ‘60s, when his father was managing jazz trumpeter Chet Baker. His musical industry connections led a young Krivit to meet Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and other luminaries, opening his mind to creative possibilities. His DJ career began precociously in 1970, when he was only 13 years old. By the time he was 18, he had become the resident DJ at a handful of clubs, working constantly around the city and hanging with disco innovators Larry Levan and Nicky Siano.
Recalling a guest slot at Larry Levan’s Paradise Garage, he says “I was a little in awe of the soundsystem: I didn’t want to fuck with it too much. He was working the system while I was doing my mixes: really tweaking it and beefing it up. When I came on he had a switch underneath that he flicked which basically took the limiter off and he said, “Only for you.” So I felt really privileged. He really supported me.”
Levan had hoped to mentor Krivit, but his sprawling, marathon mixing sessions (which could extend for weeks of all-night, drug fueled experimentation) required too much of Krivit. He needed to be steering his own ship, not hanging around in someone else’s orbit. The sessions were “so stretched out I didn’t have patience. In general, he wanted me to get involved, but the thing was I was DJing for a living. Working at the Roxy and other places. I always had a weekend job.”
Perhaps he dodged catastrophe; while many of his peers succumbed to the destructive side of hedonism, Krivit was able to remain centered. In time, he was able to participate in a cascade of revolutions that would shape and reshape dance music: the overlapping developments of hip hop and house music. Embracing the expressive power of scratching, Krivit earned the nickname “Danny Rock,” and played alongside some of hip-hop's foundational DJs. Meanwhile, his budding studio practice at the dawn of the ‘90s was perfectly in step with house music’s reimagining of disco’s core principles in a new, futuristic form.
The first 718 Sessions took place in 2002, following an in-store party that Krivit and longtime collaborator Benny Soto threw at the now-defunct record shop Halcyon. It began as a monthly-ish event, focused squarely on music by and for New Yorkers. “This is the party I feel most musically free in,” says Krivit. “I've spent my whole life in NYC, and this is a true New York crowd. Often when I play certain songs, you can tell, at certain parts, it's a shared experience. A New York experience. I get some great crowds around the world, but this is unique and my favorite crowd to play for.” The Brooklyn identity was key, too. When naming the series, "718 Sessions stuck. 212 Sessions just didn't seem to cut it!”
The relationship with the audience is central to Krivit’s vision. “718 Sessions is the crowd that comes to these parties in New York. Unless they can come with me… I don't care what you call it, but it ain't gonna be a 718 Sessions party!” That said, the list of guest artists reads like a who’s-who: Frankie Knuckles, Osunlade, Joe Claussell, Timmy Regisford, Kenny Dope, Honey Dijon and many, many more have stepped up alongside Krivit over the years. The mutual respect and deep sense of affinity is palpable. “When I started DJing, everybody paid attention to the words,” he said in an interview, “and all the DJs I knew told a story with the songs they played. It's something I do too, but not consciously. It's just the way I think about music and the way it comes out.” Taking a more pensive tone, he pauses. “Afterwards when I look back, there's a very clear story,” he reflects. “Mostly of love and positivity.”
718 Sessions opens their summer season with sets from Danny Krivit and Benny Soto, celebrating Soto’s birthday.