Figure · cross-linked record
Eli Escobar
New York house and disco DJ, producer, and founder of Night People; co-founder of the Williamsburg club Gabriela
Biography
Eli Escobar is a New York DJ and producer whose career is usually traced to the city's 1990s club and party scene. He is associated with the Night People parties he started with fellow NYC DJ Blu Jemz (later the Night People label, which released his 2014 debut album Up All Night) and with the Tiki Disco crew, alongside releases on labels including Phonica, Razor n Tape, and Defected's Classic. He has held residencies including Le Bain, House of Yes, and Battle Hymn, and in December 2023 he co-founded Gabriela, a Williamsburg club named for a late friend, with Cafe Mogador owner Rafael Ohayon and partners from House of Yes.
Sonic profile
Escobar's sound is usually described as warm, song-led New York house and disco, sample-rich, drum-machine-driven productions and sets that move from classic disco and boogie through house, often framed as carrying the city's dance lineage forward. His range is frequently noted as wider than the floor suggests, taking in radio, edits, and curveball selections.
Rooms they shaped
Le Bain
2010–present · Meatpacking District, Manhattan
Resident DJ, In residence since Le Bain's 2010 opening; originally Night People (Saturdays), then co-founder of Dance Dance Dance (Wednesdays). His 15th anniversary at the venue was marked in September 2025.
Elsewhere
2017–present · Bushwick, Brooklyn
Resident DJ, NYC DJ; listed as an open-to-close resident in Elsewhere's club programming.
Black Flamingo
2015–2025 · East Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Resident DJ, Among the founding-era resident DJs; appeared regularly through the club's run.
Flash Factory
2016–2017 · Chelsea, Manhattan
Resident DJ, Battle Hymn resident.
Gabriela
2023–present · Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Owner, Co-founder; NYC house and disco DJ who plays the room regularly
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