Around the 1981 release of his first album, Megatron Man, Cowley was hospitalized and diagnosed with a then-unnamed disease. Beyond that partnership, Cowley worked with new wave band Indoor Life (among other artists), and co-founded Megatone Records, which notably released his groundbreaking solo music as well as records from Sylvester and Paul Parker. He honed his craft at the local City College (where he co-founded the Electronic Music Lab) before his reputation as a synth and production whiz got Sylvester's attention. Born in Buffalo, NY, Cowley arrived in San Francisco in 1971. Some may have found the pioneering artist through commercially successful collaborations with Bay Area disco queen Sylvester-including hits like 'You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)' and 'Dance Disco Heat'-or his fabled 18-minute remix of 'I Feel Love.' Others could've come across Cowley's solo work in the disco bins, grabbing 12-inch singles like 'Menergy' and 'Megatron Man' or vinyl compilations with hard to resist titles like Patrick Cowley's Greatest Hits Dance Party.Ī little research helps connect the dots.
For those not present while the late San Francisco producer's Hi-NRG sound ruled underground gay dance floors in the late-'70s and early-'80s, his work can be discovered in bits and pieces.
