The Odd One Out: The Birth Of CID’s Love For Dance Music

Anyone who self-identifies as a dance music fan likely remembers their unique introduction to the fast pace synthesized sound. Maybe you were reluctantly dragged to your first rave. Maybe your favorite pop artist did a crossover track that dropped you down the rabbit hole. At first glance, the immensely diverse genre can seem repetitive, robotic, and unoriginal. But with as little as one experience, we quickly learn the distinct power for connection, engagement, and stimulation it holds. It’s primal, tribal, and abstract. Many develop their affinity for this high-energy music later in life as they are introduced to the boisterous environments of clubs, nightlife, and festivals. For Carlos Cid aka CID, this fondness was born as a young child.

Cid family parties were musical events where Euro-dance tracks commingled with salsa, bachata, and merengue. Adolescent Carlos found himself undeniably drawn to the Euro-dance sounds most, and despite limited exposure as a pre-teen in New York, the surge of late 90s and early 2000s dance music in the US found a home in Cid’s heart.

“I was very young, but there was this era of Euro-dance hits in the US. Whenever we had family parties those are the songs I would start dancing to… After that, Daft Punk, when ‘One More Time’ just exploded, I was like ‘What is this? This is awesome!’” CID shared with Gray Area.

"One More Time” is arguably one of dance music’s most impactful songs. For Carlos, that impact would change the course of his entire life.

“There was a point in seventh grade where I was like, ‘I want to be a DJ.’ And New York was not very dance music-driven. Everyone was listening to hip hop, but for some reason, that’s just how I was,” he laughs. “I gravitated towards anything electronic. At first, it was trance and at the time in New York, it was this hard house sound. And that was the beginning for me. I didn’t have a taste. I didn’t know what was out there. I was just being fed what was popular. From there I developed my taste.”

Our families are the most impactful presence in our lives in our earliest years. It’s common knowledge that everything from emotional regulation and relationship styles to speech patterns and mannerisms can be subconsciously implanted into us by family. For CID, family gatherings instilled a love of dance music that would grow into a full-on career.