Patrick Cowley didn’t just make music—he transmitted messages from another galaxy. With synths, sweat, and soul, he built the foundation of Hi-NRG and rewired disco’s DNA.

Born in Buffalo, New York, in 1950, Patrick Cowley moved to San Francisco in the early ’70s and became part of a new queer creative underground. While studying electronic music at City College, he began experimenting with analog synths, tape loops, and early sequencers—long before they became standard in dance music production.

His first breakthrough came as the musical mastermind behind Sylvester’s biggest hits. Cowley’s synth arrangements on “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” and “Dance (Disco Heat)” launched the gospel-disco legend into club superstardom. But Cowley wasn’t just backing Sylvester—he was quietly building a new sound: faster, harder, sharper, and electronic.

In 1981, Cowley dropped “Menergy”, a Hi-NRG landmark that fused sexual liberation with relentless rhythm. With unapologetically queer lyrics, pounding beats, and arpeggiated synths, the track became a club classic, especially in gay discos like San Francisco’s Menergy and New York’s Paradise Garage.

His 1982 follow-up “Megatron Man” took things further. It sounded like a spaceship landing in a sweat-drenched nightclub, bold, synthetic, and futuristic. Cowley was sculpting music for a world that didn’t fully exist yet, but one that queer club culture dreamed of nightly.

He also produced for artists like Paul Parker (“Right on Target”) and Frank Loverde (“Die Hard Lover”) and remixed disco and pop acts with his signature Hi-NRG style. His extended 15-minute remix of Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” is considered one of the best edits ever made.

Tragically, Cowley’s life was cut short by AIDS in 1982, making him one of the first known artists to die from the disease. Decades later, his legacy endures, not only through his music but also through the broader LGBTQ+ and electronic music movements that were shaped by his vision.

Cowley wasn’t just a producer. He was a prophet, showing the world what dance music could become when freedom, futurism, and queerness collide.

Trivia:

🚀 “Menergy” became a queer club anthem and symbol of early Hi-NRG.
🎹 He created long-form remixes before the term “remix” was mainstream.
💽 Posthumous releases like “Catholic” and “School Daze” reveal his experimental side.