Walter Gibbons.

I've been researching the career of Walter Gibbons lately. His work remains largely unknown, but his unorthodox remixes of disco hits paved the way for house, trance, and the various electronic dance musics of today. Gibbons, like Kool Herc, used two turntables (and two copies of the same record) in order to extend drum breaks ad infinitum. Dancers went nuts and Salsoul Records understandably hired him to remix their disco releases. Gibbons was influenced by dub reggae and (as David Toop points out in Ocean of Sound), his remixing techniques came to be known as "New York Dub."

Gibbons later remixed a number of tracks for Arthur Russell, a cellist whose work runs the gamut from avant garde compositions to funky dance songs. I've included one of those pieces here.

"Doin' the Best that I Can (Walter Gibbons Remix)" - Bettye Lavette

"Salsoul 3001 (Mixed by Walter Gibbons)" - Salsoul Orchestra

"Let's Go Swimming (Walter Gibbons Mix)" - Arthur Russell