The Specials, Talking Heads, Dennis Brown, Tones on Tail, Toots & The Maytals—all it takes is one trip to La Cita on a Friday night immersed in the non-stop barrage of amazing dance records to get hooked on Punky Reggae Party. This panoramic polyglot of sound comes courtesy of the Dub Club DJs partnering with the Part-Time Punks squad to play sonic connect the dots. While they’re drawing lines from Grace Jones to the Clash to Sister Nancy, an up for it crowd of party people keep the dance floor jumping.

DJ Boss Harmony was kind enough to take time out of his vinyl excavation schedule to give Metromix the inside story behind the hottest dance party in Los Angeles right now.

It's been said that LA has one of the best party scenes in the country right now. Do you agree?
For me, it's all about the music, not who's in the place. If the DJ is doing "irony" or playing Top 40, especially with a computer, I'm out the door, and fast! Many of these so-called "hot spots" are really boring. On the other hand, there are a lot of great clubs and promoters with amazing DJs that are really faithful to the music. For the past 2 years, it's been overwhelmingly fun. Between Dub Club, Punky Reggae Party and Part Time Punks, I'm happy. Not to mention all the amazing live bands I've seen this year, like Konono No.1, Antibalas, ESG and the Slits. Yeah, L.A. is great.

What is it that initially got you into being a DJ?
I got into collecting records at least 3 years before I started DJing. Those first records were punk indie 45s and reggae records. There are a few key people and events that got me going in different directions over the years. Back in high school around 1991 I discovered a late-night radio show on KXLU called "Skankshaft." They played garage punk, soul, Jamaican ska and rocksteady. That was how I first heard the Skatalites. I went nuts for that mix of sounds.

How would you describe the music you play?
Right now I play my initial, most long-term musical obsessions: punk and reggae. These genres are very broad, mind you. Those labels mean a lot of different things to many different people.

What's the craziest thing that's ever happened while you were spinning?
Prince going through my records and pulling his own albums out for me to play! Prince and James Brown—that's all he wanted me to play. Or when Thom Yorke asked me to play his ambient and barely audible Aphex Twin CD at an after party for Radiohead. He disappeared, and people were looking at me, like, WTF? More recently and way more mind-blowing, having H.R. of Bad Brains toast while I played instrumental ’60s reggae versions at Dub Club.

What's the one record that's guaranteed to get your crowd dancing if all else fails?
In a past life, it was 'Smooth Operator' by Big Daddy Kane. Now it's 'Damaged Goods' by Gang Of Four for Punky Reggae Party, or 'Keep On Jumping' by Marcia Griffiths for Dub Club.

What's the one thing you want to tell Los Angeles?
Awareness is on the rise. Stay positive! Fight off the bullshit and the manipulative mainstream standards of living. Raise standards! Be yourself.

DJ Boss Harmony Top Three DJ Tracks August 2007?
1. "Freedom" by Earl 16
2. "Heater" by X
3. "Every Wolf" by the Slickers (recorded @ Black Ark)

*But if I could get a copy of "Circle One" by the Germs, that record would definitely be number one!

Scott T. Sterling is Music editor for Metromix Los Angeles.