David Mancuso turned his own home into a members-only dance party called The Loft, opening with "Love Saves the Day" on Valentine's Day 1970. An audiophile obsessed with high-fidelity sound rather than a producer or technician, he programmed whole nights as one unbroken emotional journey — a philosophy that shaped nearly every DJ who passed through the room, including Larry Levan, Nicky Siano, and Frankie Knuckles.