Patrick Cowley (1950–1982) was a pivotal figure in electronic dance music. After moving to San Francisco in 1971 to study music, his synthesizer techniques led to collaborations with disco icon Sylvester, producing hits like "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)." Cowley pioneered Hi-NRG music, known as "the San Francisco Sound." His life ended prematurely on November 12, 1982, due to AIDS-related illness, shortly after his 32nd birthday. Cowley's journal, 'Mechanical Fantasy Box,' offers a candid exploration of his sex life from 1974 to 1980, coinciding with his rise to fame. It details his journey from lighting technician at the City Disco to creating a groundbreaking remix of Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" and performing with Sylvester at the SF Opera House. The journal vividly describes experiences in '70s SoMA sex venues, ecstatic moments in Buena Vista Park, and the creation of "pornophonics" in his Castro apartment. Accompanying the text are 25 original illustrations by artist Gwenaël Rattke, three street maps of significant locations, and four collages of photos and notes Cowley inserted into the journal. This work captures the vibrant spirit of a man navigating the landscape of gay liberation in the post-Stonewall era.
