This post is part of our Disco 101 program, an in-depth series that looks at the far-reaching, decades-long impact of disco. Curious about disco and want to learn more? Go here to sign up. Already signed up and enjoying it? Help us get the word out by sharing it on Facebook, Twitter or just sending your friends this link. They’ll thank you. We thank you.If you need to funk up your day but quick, heres your ticket: The French-born DJ François Kevorkian, a longtime New Yorker and legendary resident of Paradise Garage and Studio 54, has put together a list of more than 100 of his favorite "danceable and funky" records—nearly 12 hours in all. Covering disco, soul, electro-funk, and styles much further afield, the playlist ignores genre distinctions in order to focus on the all-important feel of funk: Thus we get Ian Dury, King Sunny Ade, Wally Badarou, and Can alongside Bar-Kays, Bootsy Collins, and James Brown. His selections are nicely balanced between oldies-but-goodies and the kinds of obscurities that only fanatical crate-diggers are likely to know. And while you could dance to all of it, the mix of tempos and moods—from snapping electronic cadences to deep-in-the-pocket live grooves—makes the playlist just as well suited to working, working out, and road-tripping. Consider your mind freed; the rest is up to you.
