New York house legend DJ Carlos Sanchez passes away

House legend Carlos Sanchez has unforntately passed away according to reports on his social media pages.

Since the 1980’s, Sanchez had been a pioneer in the New York City house scene, spinning at some of the most iconic clubs and being a driving force for the city’s electronic scene for more than 40 years. Producing under his name and also Carlos Sanchez Movement, he released on such labels as Razor & Tie, Maxi Records and Pride Records to name just a few. Giving a lot to the NYC scene, many are paying tribute including Sal Paradise who tweeted:

‘Gonna miss you. A beloved figure in our scene I was lucky to have gotten to know over the years. R.I.P. Carlos Sanchez. This is devastating news, the NY house family is hurting.’

Another producer from NYC, Disciple, stated:

“Carlos Sanchez was a supporter for those who might have lost their way. For me, he was a confidence booster. If you were around him and heard him play music, his sets always made you dance. As a DJ he made you want to get better. He inspired me because he got paid doing what he loved. He came from the Grandmaster Flowers generation of DJs, but his music was more relevant now than then, in my opinion. His personality always lit up a room. You wanted to be around him because his energy made you feel good.”

Not only was Sanchez a producer and DJ, but he also taught as a professor at Pace University, teaching a course about world music and the underground. In the past, he had also worked as a manager at Disco-Rama, Downtown Records & The Eight-Ball Shop. Also influencing the running of clubs like Leviticus and Save The Robots as a booker, it wasn’t just behind the decks where he influenced the scene.

No cause of death has yet been revealed, but it’s been known that he has been diagnosed with Kidney Failure back in 2018, and fellow DJs had been fundraising for his treatment. As the music world, and the NYC scene, mourns this extremely sad loss, you can listen to one of his productions down below.

Image credit: press