Keoki

A veteran of the U.S. dance scene, storied DJ and producer Keoki is at least as well known for his flamboyant personality as for his ecstatic blend of techno, trance, breaks, and electro. His mix CDs, often credited to Superstar DJ Keoki, were inescapable during the '90s, with Disco Death Race 2000 (1996) and Inevitable Alien Nation (1998) being two career highlights. As a producer, he released the trance album We Are One (1993) with High Lonesome Sound System, then scored a massive club hit with his 1996 single "Caterpillar." The track appeared on his 1997 full-length Ego-Trip, which was co-produced by Dave Audé, who returned for 2001's Jealousy. Keoki explored his electro, punk, and new wave roots with mix CDs like 2003's Kill the DJ, and collaborated with Decoding Jesus for the 2009 electro-house album Talking to Yourself. He's kept up his busy work schedule as an in-demand DJ, and has surfaced with singles such as the 2025 house track "Kaleidoscope."Keoki Franconi (born George Lopez) was born in El Salvador and raised in Maui, Hawaii. After moving to mainland America in the mid-'80s and working an airline job in New York City, he became a busboy at the infamous Manhattan club Danceteria. After persistently asking the manager, he landed a DJ gig at the club, and he dressed extravagantly, dubbing himself Superstar DJ Keoki. Associated with the Club Kids nightlife movement, he worked behind the decks at numerous celebrity-filled parties, and quickly became a star of the burgeoning rave scene. In the early '90s, he released two 12" singles with Nicolai Vorkapich as Disco 2000, and collaborated with West Coast trance duo High Lonesome Sound System (Michael Kandel and Tom Chasteen, of the Exist Dance label) for the 1993 full-length We Are One. After issuing several underground mixtapes, Keoki signed to Moonshine Music and became one of the label's flagship acts. His debut mix CD, A Superstar Journeys by DJ (1994), was quickly followed by All Mixed Up (1995), showcasing his fusion of trance and breakbeat house. His cheeky single "Caterpillar" appeared in 1996 and rocketed up Billboard's club charts. It was included on numerous compilations, and even briefly popped up in an episode of The Simpsons. Two more mix CDs, Disco Death Race 2000 and The Transatlantic Move, appeared during the year, and the aptly titled full-length Ego-Trip, co-produced by Moonshine co-founder Dave Audé, arrived in 1997. The following year's Altered-Ego-Trip included remixes by several of the U.S. rave scene's other biggest names, including the Crystal Method, Rabbit in the Moon, and DJ Dara.Keoki delivered two more mixes for Moonshine, Inevitable Alien Nation (1998) and djmixed.com/keoki (2000), before releasing his second solo album, Jealousy (2001). Again co-produced by Audé, the album included a cover of Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Relax," which was issued as a single. Misdirected Jealousy: The Remix Album (2002) featured mixes by Hive, GusGus, Deepsky, and others. As Moonshine shuttered, Keoki found a new home at Hypnotic, and blended electroclash with punk and new wave on 2003's Kill the DJ. KeokiClash focused even more on the electroclash movement, and 2004's The Great Soundclash Swindle blended industrial, techno, and glam rock. Additionally, Keoki appeared on the soundtrack of the film Party Monster, a dramatization of the Club Kids story, in which Keoki was played by Wilmer Valderrama, and Macaulay Culkin starred in the lead role as Michael Alig. Keoki's 2009 album with Decoding Jesus, Talking to Yourself, went in an electro-house direction, and the two producers released the single "Sleazee" (with David Christophere and Melleefresh) in 2010. Keoki has continued to perform at clubs, parties, and festivals around the world, and he's ventured closer to tech-house with singles like "Solar" (2019) and "I Am" (2022). "Kaleidoscope" appeared on legendary Chicago house label Trax Records in 2025.
© Paul Simpson /TiVo