About Rafe

REVELATION
The early 80s was an exciting time for urban music. Reggae was taking off, rap was just getting started, r&b artists were taking cues from new wave and exploring bold synthesizer textures, and downtown rock acts were experimenting with disco and funk rhythms. But the sound that Gomez connected with the most was the burgeoning jazz-funk movement that was popular in the U.K. “I found the jazz-funk vibe extremely appealing and highly commercial, and I got behind such artists as Central Line, Level 42, Imagination, and Shakatak – all of which ended up getting significant airplay on WBLS,” says Gomez.

INTRO TO THE MIX SHOW
Along with developing his ear for radio-friendly music, Gomez also had his first encounter with the production of radio mix shows. “Two d.j.’s who pretty much invented the radio mix show format happened to be at ‘BLS while I was there: Ted Currier and Jonathon Fearing,” Gomez says. “I was fascinated with the tricks and techniques that they used to play and blend music, and I was determined to take what I observed and apply it to the jazzy and funky music that I dug.”

ON THE WHEELS OF STEEL
After college, Gomez finally took his musical vision to the dancefloor. He spun in clubs throughout the New York/New Jersey area, including the hottest spots in the Hamptons. While he needed to spin the hits to keep the floors filled, he was determined to sneak his favorite jazzy and funky jams into the mix. “It was my mission to entertain as well as educate the crowds that I played for,” explains Gomez. “The trick was to find the times during the night when they’d be most amenable to sounds that they weren’t familiar with. Usually, these moments coincided with when they had consumed significant amounts of alcohol, so that’s when I hit ‘em with my tracks. They swayed and bobbed a lot, and some folks even fell down, but they all looked pretty happy, so I figured that they were feeling what I was playing…”

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