HORSE MEAT DISCO

Initially established in 2004 at The Eagle, an innocuous gay bar in London’s Vauxhall, Horse Meat Disco (HMD) has evolved into a powerful force in queer and club culture as a whole. Co-founded by James Hillard and Jim Stanton, and encompassing residents Severino and Luke Howard, the crew continue to maintain not only the weekly Sunday party, but a number of residencies in cities across the world, alongside a kaleidoscope of club appearances, festival dates and specially curated mixes.

Taking inspiration from a diverse, counter-cultural history of clubs and DJs, as well as from the sprawling, ever-expanding musical collections of its resident crew, the sound of HMD is impossible to place. Nonetheless their style is undeniable, as is a popper-scented air of sheer authenticity which has helped propel the group to international fame. Rooted in hedonism, rhythm, freedom and emotion, a Horse Meat Disco set reinforces everything invigorating about disco, as comfortable as shattering old-school mirror ball cliches as basking in their light.

A typical HMD set blends classics, italo disco, house, oddities and punk funk, to conjure their initial spirit of “a queer party for everyone”, including, but not limited to, “Homos and Heteros, club kids, bears, fashionistas, naturists, guerilla drag queens and ladies who munch.” They have made appearances on every notable club scene in the modern world, as well as those beyond, and have long been a key fixture at festivals including Glastonbury, Boomtown and Love International.

They previously held a weekly residency on Rinse FM; where the Horse Meat Disco train rolled across the airwaves to serve as a pre- and post-club Sunday lunch accompaniment. A series of expertly curated and acclaimed compilations for reissue label Strut helped further cement HMD’s formidable but communal reputation as disco masterminds, spreading their sound and many enviable obscurities into front rooms and record bags across the world.

Their 2020 album “Love and Dancing” marked their first full-length studio release, featuring a mix of original tracks and collaborations which received widespread acclaim for capturing the true essence of disco, whilst also pushing its boundaries. The album was the culmination of seven years’ work, fashioned from demoes the four had been working on simply for the love of making music. Free of cover versions and lazy samples, it is documentary evidence that disco has a present and future every bit the platinum-grade equal of its storied past.

After decades of crate digging, globetrotting and partying; the HMD story continues apace. With brand new original music on the skyline as well as a brand new compilation coming in 2025 – watch out as HMD have no intention of slowing down with their release schedule…