New York DJs at their most adventurous

The sea of humanity on the Mayan floor for the first-ever pairing Sunday of two of New York City’s most beloved mix masters, DJs Junior Vasquez and Peter Rauhofer, was an impressive sight from upstairs.

The heavily male throng densely packed the floor, prompting many dancers to show their stuff on the steps of the balcony. The result was a jubilant spirit throughout the venerable downtown club.

As the ringleaders of the party, Rauhofer and Vasquez were quite up to the task. Each delivered six-hour sets, with Rauhofer going first.

The Austrian-born Rauhofer, best known for his work under the Club 69 moniker as well as remixes for the likes of J.Lo, Madonna and the Pet Shop Boys, brings a seductive, edgy style to his house mix.

Though his populist skills were in effect (an extended dance remix of Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful” proved an audience favorite), Rauhofer’s use of tunes with heavy beats and gritty Marlena Shaw-esque vocals gave his mix a sexy and almost subversive style.

The Philadelphia-born Vasquez, a dance music legend for his early club work at Sound Factory and Twilo, also mixed things up effectively.

Using a slow build that began with a long metallic percussive instrumental, then segued into a grinding tune that featured the refrain “I’ll take you back to the deep, dark jungle,” Vasquez showed his diversity early and often. Blending jazz, salsa and house into one long groove, he tapped into the more exotic reaches of dance.

On a night when both were in peak form, the pair’s adventurous approaches complemented each other perfectly.