Listening Party for the “Above the Scene”

Above the Scene is Nakagawa’s portrait of Upstairs Lounge (1994 – 2018), a St. Louis underground dance club that was home to the city’s vibrant dance and house music community.

The LP is part of inter-disciplinary project, “Future House Heads, This Was Tu’s House” which consists of 1) an installation/ mobile oral history studio, 2) a database of Upstairs Lounge community history and 3) Above the Scene (LP), a sound portrait of Upstairs Lounge.

Upstairs Lounge’s proprietor, Tu Tien Tran organically built Upstairs Lounge with the St Louis music community as an underground club that was as welcoming as it was secretive. The main ethos was creative freedom and eventually it became a go to spot for DJ’s from around the world. In 2018, Tu Tien Tran passed away suddenly and within months Upstairs Lounge closed.Upstairs Lounge’s proprietor, Tu Tien Tran organically built Upstairs Lounge with the St Louis music community as an underground club that was as welcoming as it was secretive. The main ethos was creative freedom and eventually it became a go to spot for DJ’s from around the world. In 2018, Tu Tien Tran passed away suddenly and within months Upstairs Lounge closed.

Nakagawa was introduced to the legacy of Upstairs Lounge in early 2025, having been invited to participate in the 2026 Counterpublic Coyote Time. Since then he has taken a deep dive into the history and music of House and beyond and has documented the oral histories of fifty-seven Upstairs Lounge DJs, staff, family and patrons. Each track on Above the Scene is a music portrait of an object that was referenced in many of the oral history recordings he conducted. For instance, many DJ’s recalled the building of the suspended DJ Booth, the first of its kind in St Louis, so there’s a track titled DJ Booth.

Inspired by all of the oral histories, a dozen books about dance music culture and early House music purchased during his research, Nakagawa built music tracks. All music on this LP is composed and performed by Nakagawa, except the Cornet tracks which are by Dan Clucas.

In between tracks are excerpts from the fifty-seven oral histories. Future House Heads, This Was Tu’s House is part of Nakagawa’s oral history-based project for the 2026 Counterpublic Coyote Time, a triennial exhibition reimagining the possibilities of art in public life. Special thanks to Nora Khan, Curatorial Collective, Counterpublic 2026. 2026 Counterpublic Coyote Time takes place this year from September to November across St Louis, MO.

Purchasing the LP at the event:

It’s well documented that House Music was originally created by the Queer African American community in Chicago. To honor its origins, the profits from the LP sales will go directly to Metropolitan Trans Umbrella Group (MTUG), a St Louis Trans community service non-profit.