In the reading nook, DJs El Nick DGO and Ynfynt Scroll (Nick Ramirez and Rodrigo Diaz, respectively) stood behind the sound system, curating all-night b2b sets of a unique brand of Latin club fusion and creating a singular vibe to behold.
The party is Cooliteo, named for the dynamic duo, collaborators Ramirez and Diaz. And it’s one of the most exciting additions to Dallas club culture in a long time. And of all places, Cooliteo began with a chance meeting at Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014 at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.
“We met because they got a bunch of DJs from Dallas to go to play [at the Super Bowl] for some reason, I don't know why,” says Ramirez. “We met in a cab, and he was just like a really cool-looking dude. I was like, ‘Dude, what do you do? Like, why are you here?’ And he started showing me his tracks.”
Diaz, whose family immigrated to the U.S. from Peru when he was 3 years old, started DJing at the age of 18. His earliest gear set-up was a Winamp (one of the earliest MP3 player interfaces), run through a Dell computer plugged into a boombox. Over the next 10 years, he evolved into a full-blown vinyl head, throwing techno-heavy parties in Denton and Dallas with the DJ collective Track Meet. He made a name for himself overseas on European tours and played a critically acclaimed set in Bogota, Colombia, for the global cultural fixture Boiler Room TV.
Ramirez, born and raised in East Dallas, has been DJing for nearly 20 years, since the age of 12. Starting with talent shows and house parties, he played his first big gig at the revered Lizard Lounge in Deep Ellum (which closed in 2020 after an almost 30-year run) when he was just 17 years old. Soon after, he began headlining for global names such as Afrojack and scoring sets at Dallas’ destination EDM festival Lights All Night.
Ramirez and Diaz both spent a few years living in South America before coincidentally ending up back in Dallas at the same time. And about six months ago, they began their collaboration on a trip to Mexico together.
“Cooliteo the name actually came from when we were on a bus going from from Mexico City to San Luis Potosi,” says Ramirez. “And we were just working on a collab track, and we started chopping up the coolee [dance riddim] sample, which is a sample that comes from like Jamaica or something. It was popularized by Nina Sky on that 'Move Ya Body' track.”
Before they knew it, they’d created six original tracks during that five-hour drive, making it apparent that they had tapped into something special as a duo. They put their own spin on the sample’s title, and Cooliteo was born.
It’s not easy to describe the duo’s sound. To call it a Latin dance party feels reductive. Cooliteo takes styles from all over Latin America and fuses it with U.S. favorites. At one of their parties, you might hear St. Louis rapper Sexyy Red’s single “SkeeYee” mixed over an uptempo Brazilian favela funk beat, or viral pop sensation Sabrina Carpenter’s signature coos backed by moombahton rhythms, even classic cumbia vocals over techno instrumentals.
“We call it baile pop. Because that kind of doesn't exist. It's not an actual thing [in the electronic music world],” says Diaz, “but on a weirdly essential and fundamental level, on a spiritual level, it really does kind of encompass what we do. Baile funk is a type of Brazilian music, baile means ‘dance' in Spanish, and we remix that shit with pop, so [baile pop] kinda makes sense.”
That crossover appeal draws a wide audience of dance music fans. Cooliteo want their parties to offer a little something for everyone. They want Dallas club circuit regulars to be able to bring their middle-aged tías. They want house music heads to intermingle with the top-40 girlies and reggaeton stompers alike — for an equally good time to be had by all on the same dance floor. The duo is building community by fusing dance music sub-genres and creating a space for all electronic music subcultures, strengthening an often sectarian Dallas nightlife scene by bringing together diverse crowds in unity.
This diversity allows Cooliteo to bring their party to any type of venue, but the initial takeoff has begun in Oak Cliff’s Bishop Arts district, which the duo considers the most exciting neighborhood in Dallas.
“I think the challenge overall is that Dallas is very closed off to people proposing their own parties. It's like, ‘Hey, I have this party series and I want to play at your venue.’ And [clubs] are like ‘No. Our Fridays are like this or our Saturdays are like that,’" says Diaz, “So one of the difficult things about Dallas is like getting where you fit in. Thank God we have Bishop Arts. I think it's the most poppin’ place. But in terms of venue choices, I wouldn't say a lot of it revolves around our ideals or what we'd ideally love to do, it’s about whoever will let us play.”
There was a line around the block to get in at Cooliteo's gig at Lady Love Lounge in August.
Ronnie Heart
The local nightlife industry would do well to take note of what Cooliteo’s doing. With their ability to reach such a broad audience, El Nick DGO and Ynfynyt Scroll could easily take Cooliteo to out-of-state markets where they’ve established success, but they’re passionate about investing in the elevation of Dallas dance culture. And for that, we should consider ourselves lucky.
Cooliteo plays 9 p.m. – 1 a.m., starting Friday, Sept. 27, at Lady Love Lounge, 310 W. Seventh St. Then, they hit the road for Atlanta’s Bad Sunday block party on Sunday, Sept. 29.
