FUTURE HOUSEHEADS, THIS WAS TU’S HOUSE

Alan Nakagawa is an interdisciplinary artist based in Los Angeles who works with sound and media to engage history and archives. FUTURE HOUSEHEADS, THIS WAS TU’S HOUSE is a multidisciplinary homage to the Upstairs Lounge, an underground center of St. Louis house and dance music from 1994 to 2018. The Lounge was owned by Tu Tien Tran, a Vietnamese immigrant who became a central connector, leader, and community gatherer. Nakagawa has transformed a trailer into a mobile oral history studio and archive celebrating the DJs, bartenders, staff, and patrons of the Upstairs Lounge during its years in operation. Nakagawa has produced a limited-edition original LP of compositions titled Above the Scene, inspired by recurring stories and totemic objects at the Lounge highlighted through his interviews. After the triennial concludes, the oral histories Nakagawa has gathered will be donated to the St. Louis County Library.

All proceeds from Nakagawa’s Above the Scene LP will be donated to Metro Trans Umbrella Group, a community organization supporting trans, nonbinary, and intersex individuals. The Above the Scene LP can be purchased at Dead Wax, Circa Now Records, Vintage Vinyl, and Counterpublic.

This project is supported by a grant from the Vilcek Foundation.

Above the Scene LP:

Dan Clucas, Cornet

Tai Tran, LP Cover

Josh Levi, LP Graphic Designer

Trailer Soundtrack:

Alan Nakagawa, Above the Scene LP

Ron S., Soap Dispenser Remix

Michael Bishop, DJ Booth Remix

Trevor Matthews, Jade Room Remix

Don Tinsley, Missing Hardware Drive Remix

DJ Manifest, Joan of Arc Remix