By Autobrennt
Music – whether making it, buying it or working in the industry – involves sacrifices. Taimur Agha knows this reality all too well. “I can’t afford to lose any more right now. I’m living on peanuts,” sighs Agha. Then, panning the impressive shelves of vinyl at halcyon the shop that surrounds us, he breaks into a grin and adds, “I need some records.
Less than a month ago Agha’s Halloween techno hoedown powered by his Blkmarket Membership team was crushed by the citywide crackdown on underground parties that night. The bust cost his team a fiscal dent and a slew of partygoer backlash that followed.
“It’s been a hard four months,” he said, admitting that he barely can sleep these days. It’s tough enough to be under taskforce threats but that’s not the only pressure he’s facing. In addition to co-running the famed underground Blkmarket parties, Agha is the musical director of the city’s newest club, District 36. He has been fighting an uphill battle with Manhattan’s tight legal grip on venues and nightclubs, hence the prolonged postponement of the club’s official opening. [Read More]