Icy Lake: A Night Slugs x Fade to Mind Short Film

Summary

Icy Lake is a haunting, iconic track from the '90s, created by the duo Dat Oven, blending tribal house with eerie digital clicks. Its dramatic debut at New York's Palladium nightclub marked a pivotal moment in house music and voguing culture. The track’s eerie voicemail sample, left during a personal moment by Billy Jarecki, became a cultural enigma. Reverberating through the underground scene, it resonated deeply with the ballroom community and influenced emerging genres like grime. Its re-release decades later cemented its legacy, continuing to inspire club culture and the voguing scene into the present day.

Takeaways

• 😀 Icy Lake is a unique mid-90s track built on a tribal house beat, designed for vogue dance battles and runway performances.
• 😀 The song Icy Lake was rediscovered via a dark YouTube video and will be re-released by Night Slugs and Fade to Mind after nearly two decades.
• 😀 The video that led to the rediscovery of Icy Lake documents the final night of a New York club, Palladium, in 1997, a hotspot for iconic figures like DJ Junior Vasquez and performer Kevin Aviance.
• 😀 Icy Lake’s production involved the now-defunct duo Dat Oven, with Jeffrey Graton and Shunji Moriwaki creating the track using early music software called Vision.
• 😀 The track became legendary for its unique, cold, and eerie sound, including an iconic electronic 'click' that later became associated with the grime music genre.
• 😀 Icy Lake features a mysterious voicemail message, which started as a joke from Billy Jarecki, and became a key element of the track's eerie appeal.
• 😀 The Palladium was a giant club where Icy Lake played an integral role, with a vibrant music scene where people partied all night long, dancing and embracing diverse musical styles.
• 😀 Icy Lake is remembered for its mysterious and haunting qualities, and it became a touchstone for the underground NYC club culture of the 90s.
• 😀 The vogue dance scene and its associated culture, including runway shows and performances, were deeply intertwined with the music, as seen in the connection to Icy Lake's release at Arena in the Palladium.
• 😀 The legacy of the music and club culture from the Palladium lives on, influencing dance scenes today, with people still celebrating this vibrant, boundary-pushing history of self-expression.

Q & A

What is the song *Icy Lake* and what makes it unique?

Icy Lake is a song from the mid-90s that combines tribal house beats with a haunting, eerie sound. Its unique characteristics include its cold, icy tone and its association with the underground vogue and ballroom scenes. The track gained attention for its distinctive, almost mysterious vibe that resonated with the culture at the time.

How did *Icy Lake* come to be rediscovered after almost two decades?

The song was rediscovered when Total Freedom, a DJ and producer, stumbled upon it in a YouTube video from a 1997 Junior Vasquez set at the Palladium. This set included footage from Arena, a famous New York club night, and the track was eventually re-released by the Night Slugs and Fade to Mind labels after this discovery.

What role did the Palladium club play in the song's legacy?

The Palladium was a crucial venue for the song’s legacy, as *Icy Lake* became a popular anthem during Arena, a major club night hosted there. The club was central to the New York dance scene in the 90s, and its vibrant atmosphere helped the track gain recognition within the ballroom culture, making it an iconic part of that era.

Who were some of the key figures involved with *Icy Lake* and its cultural impact?

Key figures include Junior Vasquez, a legendary DJ who played the track at Palladium, Kevin Aviance, a prominent host and performer in the ballroom scene, and producers Shunji Moriwaki and Jeffrey Graton of Dat Oven, who originally created the song. Their contributions helped shape the cultural significance of the track.

What does the 'click' sound in *Icy Lake* represent, and how does it connect to the grime genre?

The 'click' sound in *Icy Lake* is a sharp, electronic noise that has been described as sounding like pieces of ice breaking. This sound would later become iconic in the grime genre, particularly with the artist Wiley, creating an unexpected connection between *Icy Lake* and the emerging British urban music scene.

What was the inspiration behind the creation of *Icy Lake*?

The inspiration behind *Icy Lake* came from Shunji Moriwaki's interest in dance music and the use of computer software to create it. Despite having no formal musical training, Moriwaki and Graton created the track using software called Vision, which allowed them to craft the song's distinct, icy sound.

How did *Icy Lake* fit into the broader cultural and musical context of its time?

Icy Lake became an anthem in the New York underground club and ballroom scenes, especially among the LGBTQ+ community. It was a track for voguing battles and runway performances, and its icy, haunting tone matched the raw, intense energy of the dancefloors of the 90s. The track's experimental nature also resonated with emerging genres like grime and house music.

What is the significance of the voicemail message featured in *Icy Lake*?

The voicemail message, which begins with 'I just thought I'd call before I throw myself into the icy lake,' was a spontaneous recording made by Billy Jarecki during a family vacation. The bizarre and cryptic message became a key part of the track's mystique, contributing to its enigmatic, haunting quality.

How did the atmosphere of the Palladium influence the experience of hearing *Icy Lake*?

The Palladium’s vibrant, high-energy atmosphere greatly amplified the experience of hearing *Icy Lake*. The massive crowds, intense performances, and the larger-than-life culture of the club made the song an essential part of the emotional and physical experience of being on the dancefloor, amplifying its connection to the community and the nightlife scene.

What is the lasting impact of *Icy Lake* on the New York club scene and beyond?

Icy Lake has had a lasting impact on the New York club scene and the broader underground music world. Its influence continues to resonate, with references to the track and its sound appearing in contemporary club nights, especially in the vogue scene. The song remains a nostalgic touchstone for those who experienced the 90s ballroom culture and has inspired new generations of dancers and musicians.