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Time Line
1982 Prelude, West End and others, with artists like Visual ("Somewhere Somehow"), Peech Boys ("Don't Make Me Wait"), D-Train ("You're The One For Me") and Loose Joints ("Is It All Over My Face"), release early NY club records that form the backbone of the future of house music. Jesse Saunders starts mixing the early house records. 1983 Tony Humphries enters the NYC club and radio circuit with his influential mix show on KISS-FM. Ron Hardy and Frankie Knuckles reign supreme on the turntables at the Powerplant and Warehouse respectively, with Farley Keith makin' noise at the Playhouse. 1985 The Metroplex label launches a new sound with Model 500 (aka Juan Atkins), blending European Kraftwerk-ian sounds with British New Wave. (Atkins more alternative tracks go back to '81-'82, with "Clear".) Larry Sherman launches Trax Records, the label responsible for many of the early house classics by Marshall Jefferson, Larry Heard and Frankie Knuckles. Later became infamous for consistently noisy pressings as well. * Rocky Jones and partners found DJ International, Chicago's other classic house label, original home to Joe Smooth, Fingers Inc. and Chip E, and the first purveyors of hip house. * The suicide of local club personality Jesse Valez works to unite the competing elements within the Chicago house scene. * Marshall Jefferson's "Move Your Body (The House Music Anthem)" becomes a benchmark track, crowning MJ the undisputed king of house. He works with producer Vince Lawrence on many of the early hits. * JM Silk's "Music Is The Key" becomes the first major Billboard house hit. * Larry Sherman and Rocky Jones meet at MIDEM and, with the help of promoter Louis Pitzle and the "Rappin Lawyer" JB Ross, sell acid house to the UK media by arranging for the British press to tour Chicago and report back to a trend-hungry London scene. Laying the foundation for house in New York, Easy St. Records releases early classics like the Paul Simpson-produced "You Don't Know" by Serious Intention and "Ma Foom Bey" by Cultural Vibe. * Dhar Braxton's "Jump Back", a typical NYC club record, tears up the underground during Sleeping Bag's heyday. Phuture's "Phuture Trax" is the pioneering song and Roland's TBR303 the machine behind the sound. Sleazy D ("I've Lost Control"), Adonis, DJ Pierre and BamBam define the acid sound in Chicago. * Acid house goes across the pond, to be transformed forever. [see New Beat; Techno; Rave-Hardcore] 1986 Darryl Pandy's "Love Can't Turn Around" crosses over, exposing house music's Philly roots and legitimizing the sound. * Barney's, owned by Ray Barney, distributes many of the early Chicago labels like Westbrook, Dance Mania and Bright Star. * The Hot Mix 5 label shows the other side of early house - DJs makin' dope tracks on a dope label. * Master C&J, Adonis and Jamie Principal, among others, round out the Chi Town scene. * Liz Torres, one of house music's first divas, releases her first single, "Can't Get Enough". * Robert Owens, Larry Heard and Ron Wilson form the classic house group Fingers Inc., and originate DEEP HOUSE, a Chicago derivative that is much fuller in nature, tempered with strings and horns, with inspired male or female vocal performance, as defined by "Mystery Of Love" and "Can U Feel It". * Crossover hit "Jack Your Body" signals great things to come from Steve "Silk" Hurley. Vaughn Mason's bassline in "Jack The Groove" rocks the dancefloor. Touch unleashes the masterpiece, "Without You", on Supertronics . Afrika Bambaataa introduces Screamin' Rachael to Soul-Sonic Force rapper Prince Ikey C: the world's of rap and house meet, laying the foundation for hip house with "Fun With Bad Boys". Disco DJ legend Walter Gibbons resurfaces as Strafe with "Set It Off", an instant club classic on Jus Born. * David Morales, Chep Nunez, Robert Clivilles and David Cole make themselves known with the huge underground hit, "Do It Properly", by 2 Puerto Ricans, A Black Man, And A Dominican. 1987 Todd Terry establishes himself as sampler extraordinaire with Royal House's "Can U Party?" * Chep Nunez reigns as editor extraordinaire on the New York scene. * DJs Frankie Bones and Tommy Musto team up to form Musto & Bones. (Their 1990 LP, The Future Is Ours, spawns the major club hit, "All I Want To Do Is Get Away"; individually, they go on to become prominent international remixers and producers.) Derrick May on Transmat and Kevin Saunderson on KMS form the heart of the techno sound. The two soon become idolized in the UK. May's "Nude Photo" and "Strings" establish him as the techno guru and become modern day classics. "The Sound" sees Kevin "Reese" Saunderson team up with Santonio for another club classic. Blake Baxter's "When We Used To Play" rounds out the hits for the year. KC Flightt out of New York scores the first hip house hit with "Let's Get Jazzy". * Maurice's "This Is Acid" is released to become the major "crossover" acid house hit in North America. On Sept. 27, the Paradise Garage, the quintessential "garage" club, closes its doors forever. Famed DJ/producer Larry Levan is out of a job. * Abigail Adams' Movin' Records gives homegrown New Jersey artists like Park Ave. ("Don't Turn Your Love") and Vicky Martin ("Not Gonna Do It") much needed exposure. * Ace Mungen's Ace Beat launches the careers of Blaze and Jomanda, among others. * The Bassment Boys' "Love Don't Live Here Anymore", on Jump St., marks the birth of the Boys as notable artists and producers. * Quark releases Blaze's "If You Should Need A Friend", the feel-good song of the decade. Ten City's "Devotion" and CeCe Rogers' "Someday" foreshadow house's future, further paying homage to its Philly roots. Closely following the developments in Chicago, the UK scene sets the example for the next six years, mirroring US trends, but reinterpreting them for the UK market. Acid, garage, ambient and techno all get the UK treatment. * "House Arrest" by Krush typifies UK pop house. Artists like T-Coy ("I Like To Listen") and clubs like the Hacienda faithfully promote the true house sound. 1988 Acid house takes over as forgettable records are mass produced to capitalize on the trend. * Worldwide megahits "Theme From S'Express" by S'Express and M/A/R/R/S' "Pump Up The Volume" are the quintessential early UK pop house records. "Work It to The Bone" by LNR becomes a club anthem and gets picked up by Profile - for the first time, a small Chicago indie record gets picked up by a much bigger label. * Raze's "Break 4 Love" gets sexy on the dancefloor and clocks dollars. The UK's much-hyped "Summer Of Love": ecstacy, 2,000 people at concerts in out-of-the-way spots...rave culture sees its early start. The music, a mix of house, techno and Euro sounds, becomes a lifestyle. "Respect" marks Adeva's big time entry into the diva market, putting the focus on Smack Music's production skills--the Jersey sound gains strength. At DJ International, early house pioneers like Mr. Lee ("Get Busy"), Tyree Cooper ("Turn Up The Bass") and Fast Eddie ("Yo Yo Get Funky") take the hip house ball and run with it. Frankie Knuckles jumps ship to NYC. * Beginning with "Feel The Love" by Tech Trax, NuGroove goes on to become king of the NYC underground with the Burrell Brothers at the helm. Jellybean houses Whitney Houston's "Love Will Save The Day" into a pop hit, while C&C do Natalie Cole's "Pink Cadillac", two early examples of house's pop potential. * Andrew Komis puts Canada on the house map with Big Shot Records' megahit, "Come Get My Lovin'" by Dionne. Kevin Saunderson teams up with Paris Grey to form Inner City, in the process taking techno to a whole new commercial audience--"Big Fun" leads the way. 1989 The Techno Trio (Saunderson, May and Atkins) heads to the UK to open up remixing shop, translating the Detroit sound into dollars for artists like Sharon Dee Clarke and Deee-Lite. * An original UK techno sound is developing through artists like A Guy Called Gerald ("Voodoo Ray") and 808 State ("Pacific"). * Back in Detroit, the second generation of techno artists are honing their skills: Carl Craig, Marc "MK" Kinchen and Members Of the House, among others. Direct from Belgium, Thomas de Quincy and Felly invade the world as Technotronic with "Pump Up The Jam". * Madonna's heavily housed hit, "Vogue", further displays the mainstream crossover potential of the sound. "Tears" by Frankie Knuckles takes world by storm--what a difference a city can make. * Kraze's "The Party" scores another hit for Big Beat. The Bassment Boys come round with siren Ultra Naté's "It's Over Now". * Blaze get a ticket to Motown. Jive Records invests in the Chicago sound by opening a studio. * Lil' Louis scores with the huge sleaze hit, "French Kiss". The Italians explode onto the scene with the piano-driven sound exemplified in the worldwide hit, "Ride On Time", by Black Box. A plethora of unoriginal imitation tracks are created to try to cash in on the newfound Italo house hype, a trend largely fuelled by the UK music press. Garage counterstrikes as the acid fad passes. Dave Lee, aka Joey Negro, makes Republic Records the choice UK house outlet with songs like Joey Negro's "Do What You Feel". * No Smoke's "Koro Koro" and Bang The Party's "Bang Bang You're Mine" make dancefloors move on both sides of the Atlantic and represent the beginnings of a true UK sound. 1990 Ambient house strikes. [see Ambient House] * Larry Heard becomes a newfound hero in the UK music media. With records like Black Box's "Everybody, Everybody", the Italians start to strut their production skills and pop sensibilities, gaining massive commercial success worldwide with a unique sound, creating the huge Media Records empire with groups like the 49ers and Capella. * Irma releases underground anthems from Soft House Company ("What You Need") and Key Tronics Ensemble ("House Of Calypso"). * Flying Records (Digital Boy) and DFC (Ricco) round out the Italian label picture. * The Italian underground is dominated by an abundance of sleepy ambient efforts, as in DFC's Ambient House: The Compilation. Mirage Enterprises distributes the best of the new Chicago labels: House'N Effect, Tempest, House Jam - Chicago's in the house and always has been! * ID Productions, soon to become a serious production and remixing force, forms with E-Smoove, Maurice Joshua and Steve Hurley. * Smash Records, backed by PolyGram bucks, legitimizes the contemporary Chicago sound with Cookie Watkins' "I'm Attracted To You". Jay Williams and Jomanda make Craig Kallman's Big Beat the success story among NYC indie labels. * Ambient house comes in like flavor of the month in the UK...but proves to have incredible growth potential. Italy's Sueno Latino with "Sueno Latino" is the immediate song of note. * In the UK, guitarist Steve Hillage, Alex Paterson (The Orb), and DJ Paul Oakenfold are centrally associated with the unfolding ambient scene. * The KLF release Chill Out, the first entire LP of atmospheric "ambient house". (S'Express' "Coma II", from 1989's Original Soundtrack LP, is sometimes cited as the first ambient house track actually released.) * Enigma cross over an ambient house track onto the international pop charts in a big way with "Sadeness Part 1". Mixing elements of Detroit techno with Euro dance and slowing it down, New Beat is heralded as the next big thing in Belgium, where the style is dominated by the R&S label. Lords Of Acid's "I Sit On Acid" and The KLF's "What Time Is Love?" are the "definitive" New Beat tracks. How do you say...Deee-lite rock the New Music Seminar. * Toronto DJs Nick Fiorucci and Mike Ova break from Big Shot to from their own, Hi-Bias: The DJs Label, and immediately score internationally (everywhere but Canada) with their first release, The DJs Rule EP from DJs Rule. * From humble beginnings, Strictly Rhythm becomes the track-of-the-week monster underground label. Logic ("The Warning") and Underground Solution ("Luv Dancing") ride the crest of the wave. SR launches the careers of many hot producers, including Wayne Gardner and Roger S. * Hot NYC DJ Pal Joey hits with "Hot Music". * DJ Bobby Konders gets atmospheric with "The Poem", one of the year's biggest hits. * Seems like David Morales remixes every record released... The floodgates are open as house mixes become more and more standard on pop releases. Snap, D-Mob, Lisa Stansfield and Betty Boo all rack up big hits, while even more underground tracks like Deskee's "Let There Be House" and the Mixmasters' "Grand Piano" score big. Bleeps invade from the north of England and the WARP label rules with LFO ("LFO"), Tricky Disco ("Testone") and Nightmares On Wax ("Dextrous"). 1991 "Spice" by Eon takes the UK techno sound to another dimension and foreshadows the upcoming techno-rave explosion in Europe. * The Detroit Sound influences London, Ontario's +8 Records, resulting in phenomenal European popularity with artists like Speedy J. Crystal Water's "Gypsy Woman" and CeCe Peniston's "Finally" mark the ultimate acceptance of house by the general public. The gates seem wide open. Previously unremarkable rap label Nervous gets rejuvenated under the leadership of Gladys Pizarro, formerly of Strictly Rhythm, and Michael Weiss of SAM Records. * Little Louie Vega and Kenny Dope form the ultimate partnership, Masters At Work. From Debbie Gibson to their own "Ride On The Rhythm", the Masters are at the top of their form. * "Freak It" by A Bitch Named Johanna, with help from a wicked mix by Tony H, conquers the dancefloor. After much hype but little substance, New Beat fades from view, while R&S moves on to new sounds. [see Rave*Hardcore] The Orb achieves huge commercial success with Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld double LP, defining the standard for ambient house. Hip house as a distinct genre has run its course, but the union of rap with house rhythms is still prevalent in many pop house records, with C&C Music Factory typifying the updated hip house sound. Italy enters the techno/rave arena with the likes of MIG-29 and Anticappella. At the same time, notable house records like Korda's "Move Your Body" and commercially successful Double Dee's "Found Love" continue to be created. After years of being the overseer of New York club/garage music, Tony Humphries gets international acclaim for his remixing efforts: "Dream About You" (D'Borah), "Freak It" (A Bitch Named Johanna), "Move" (Slam Slam)-the list goes on... Larry Sherman returns with Sabre Records - nothing happens. * "Too Blind To See It" by Kym Sims marks the first true crossover for a Chicago-produced record. * Lidell Townsell, along with Martell, Silk E, Hula and K Fingers and the rest of Da Posse hit pay dirt with "Nu-Nu" on Clubhouse. T-99's "Anasthasia", widely identified as a true "rave" track, is the watershed record that changes the British techno landscape. * BPMs soar and techno embraces an even more industrial sound as the music becomes harder and faster then ever. New techno labels and artists abound. * In LA, expatriate Brits establish a strong local rave scene, attracting thousands to concerts featuring performances by Quadrophonia, The Orb, 808 State...spreading the word. By this time, the UK scene has fully developed its own sound and inspiration, with artists ranging from Alison Limerick to N-Joi, and is no longer simply reacting to American trends. 1992 Artis Joey Negro, label Azuli and club Ministry Of Sound illustrate the healthy state of house music in the UK, as the NY garage sound dominates (hardcore aside). * CJ Mackintosh and Farley & Heller represent the new wave of UK producers, proving that they are definitely on par with the best of the US megaproducer/remixers. * The dance music community awaits the new wave of PROGRESSIVE HOUSE, although no-one is too sure exactly what the term means... The rave-hardcore scene has developed to such a degree that it seems to bear no allegiance to the house sound that spawned it. * Major labels jump on the rave band wagon, pulling out the big dollar contracts. * Created as a "joke" by 19-year-olds Maurice Steenbergen and Denny Scholte under the guise of Rotterdam Termination Source, the bouncing-style stutter-house anthem, "Poing", becomes the largest selling house record ever in Holland and takes off in the underground worldwide. * Strictly Hype Records does just that, as kiddie rave Alpha's "Go Speed Go" sells huge numbers in Europe with heavy mainstream radio play. * Although the sound has always been about, TRIBAL establishes a base with releases from Italy's Global House on Heartbeat, Kwanzaa Posse on Flying, and the DFC. Arguably, the roots of this genre sprout from plush, ambient projects released by David Morley on the R&S spin-off label, Apollo. Primitive rhythmic "tribal" sounds are the key. Ron Hardy passes away. * Where's Marshall Jefferson? * Early Chicago house producer Mike "Hitman" Wilson scores big with Shawn Christopher's "Don't Lose the Magic". * Cajmere's "Brighter Days" becomes the biggest hit from Chicago's Clubhouse production team. * Chicago house folk heroes Ten City's long-awaited return is well worth the wait, with "My Piece Of Heaven" paving the way. After releasing the brilliant No House Big Enough LP, they're dropped by Atlantic. * Smash drops dance acts RIP, Cookie Watkins and D'Borah. * Original house purveyor Keith Nunnally is dropped by Giant. * Same fate for Lil' Louis after two #1 hit singles, "Club Lonely" and "Saved My Life". What's up???!! * Larry Heard releases the critically-acclaimed Introductions, but fairs poorly at retail. * Mirage releases the first of the very successful BlackTraxx EP series, which redefines and broadens the typical Chicago house track sound. Legendary Paradise Garage DJ and remixer/producer Larry Levan passes on, leaving his indelible mark on the house map. Future Sound Of London release their critically acclaimed techno/ambient LP Accelerator. * The Orb follows up with LP No. 2, U.F.Orb, to great acclaim. * The UK Rock Music Press takes ambient to its heart as the music moves further away from dance music into the giant formless sea of ambient/experimental/New Age. The Italian underground scene continues to thrive and grow stronger with quality tracks like Kipper's "Livin' the Nightlife", Jestofunk's "I'm Gonna Love You", Don Carlos' "Alone" and Shafty's "Deep Inside Of You". Tres chic Maxi Records, the little label that could, lands a smash with "Helpless" by Urbanized. * The major labels not only pick up tracks en masse from the indies, they also enlist the producers as remixers for their pop projects. * House A&R queen Gladys Pizarro returns to Strictly Rhythm. On Strictly, Aly-us' "Follow Me" becomes the year's underground anthem. * Kerri "Kao" Chandler pays homage to the best underground house club in the universe with "The Shelter", and sets himself apart as one of the hottest songwriter/producers of the year (see Basement, Red Light and a Feeling LP). * Salsoul Records digs into the vaults to release a remix project album--remixes range from brilliant re-interpretations to pathetic wastes. * Cardiac closes soon after releasing the smash hit, "Burning", by MK. Lost in the shuffle is 4 Love's brilliant "Hold Your Head Up High". * WMC '92 sees the emergence of the Murk Boys with Interceptor's "Together". * April showers brings Todd Terry's track of the year, "Hear The Music". * The Toronto club community mourns the passing of Hi-Bias' co-founder Mike Ova. * Sadly, one of the original New York house labels, NuGroove, retires from the scene. NuGroove co-founder Judy Russell and pool director Rich Hernandez form Citi Records. With great vocals, well-written songs and excellent hooks, Clubland and their self-titled LP define the perfect pop house group. Jam & Spoon's "Stella" on R&S scores big worldwide with its slower laid back groove, and becomes the trance song of reference. * Jam Elmar's Dance 2 Trance with "Power of American Natives". Other standouts: include: "Pacific Symphony" by Transformer 2 and artists like Frank De Wulf, Supertronic Co., Aphex Twin, The Orb, CJ Bolland, plus a ton of tracks based on Moby's "Go"! Detroit: Detroit techno is a state of flux. Few examples remain of the original techno spirit, yet the sound prospers in the UK and Europe. Detroit's talent internationally disperses: Blake Baxter and Magic Juan Atkins do Berlin; KMS digs into NYC; Mayday juices Amsterdam...The future lies in the third generation of Detroit techno labels like Underground Resistance and Global Techno Power/Hardwax...Submerge Distribution forms under Mad Mike's UR wing and Christa Weatherspoon's touch, repping numerous street labels, including techno from Red Planet, Metroplex, EFF, City Boy, Mix and Generator, also Intangible, Santonio's Cyren, and Submerge Records. * Orbital's self-titled LP provides high octane, selling over 50,000 units in North America alone, largely by word of mouth. * From Frankfurt, Germany, Sven Väth and Eye-Q/Harthouse evolve HARDTRANCE, a sound of hardcore speed percussion blended with multi-dimensional dynamics and tribal jammies. (see also Trance) * New labels doin' it techno and worth noting: Dan Curtin's Metamorphic outta Kent, OH, and Zack Roberts' IND-X, Detroit. * Brooklyn's Industrial Strength, the vehicle for Lenny Dee, cannonballs into the center of the hardbeat scene. 1993 Sven Väth and Harthouse (Germany) score with "Barbarella" and "Mental Master Vol. 1". Other Harthouse artists also do well, including Hardfloor and Spicelab. * Rising High (UK) becomes the label to watch with compilations like The Secret Life Of Trance. * UK labels Cowboy, Limbo, Guerrilla, Sabres Of Paradise and Infonet add trancey touches to many of their house tracks. * German labels Fax and Space Teddy take the sound one step further, and Cosmic Baby becomes a leader in the German market. * France's fnac also adds a trancey flavor to many of their records. The Frankfurt sound is firmly established by the strength of releases by P.I.T. Ramin, O. Lieb, Resistance D, Arpeggiators and many others. * NYC's Limelight-affiliated Vortex Records duels with Rotterdam...Jimmy Crash and Adam X smoke via Staten Island's Direct Drive Records...Instinct/Sonic gather the UK's Rising High, Holland's ESP and various breakbeaters for American consumption...LA's Moonshine Music launches the Harthouse America label...TSR, Quality and Astralwerks/Caroline release heavy-duty Euro-techno compilations...Berlin's label gets U.S. exposure via NovaMute and Pow Wow...The East Coast rave scene peaks...Richie Hawtin unleashes Plastikman's "Spastik", and "Circuit Breaker" productions on Probe...Nighttripper's "Tone Explosion" remains the East Coast's rave fave...Brooklyn remains America's hardcore capital. Commercial house comes in all flavors. Hits keep getting cranked out by groups like 2 Unlimited, Bizarre Inc., Snap, Sound Factory, Felix, Lulu, Clubland...the list seems endless. Ironically, more and more quality underground acts disappear from view. * Robin S' "Show Me Love" becomes the crossover hit of the year. * The compilation album finds popularity across the board, as labels package 12" material for mass consumption. These collections are a compromise: they bring the music to a wider consumer audience, but they do little to build individual artist careers. Esquire packs it in just as they have a hit with "Love Will Make It Right" by The Brotherhood. * Former prolific New York indies like Maxi, Emotive, and 111 East slow down their release schedules for various reasons including major label talent drain, poor vinyl sales and stiff international competition. * Reynald "Crazy Frenchman" Deschamps and his band weather the same storm, releasing quality albums from Larry Joseph and Out Of The Blue, mixing jazz, house and funk. * Still-prolific mega-indies Strictly Rhythm and Nervous diversify and enter the rap market with their own separate rap labels. * Bootleg scam of the year: Uncanny Alliance's "I Got My Education". Unites every queen and her drum machine to release "fierce" records (get huh!!!). * Eric Kupper's well-produced "Supermodel" takes RuPaul into bedrooms across America and cashes in. * New York roll call: Victor Simonelli, Tommy Musto (and his new Sub-Urban label), David Anthony, Chris Payne, Roger Sanchez, Ed & Nancy Goltsman, the Burrell Brothers, George Morel, DJ Pierre, Danny Tenaglia, Wilson & Grant, Lenny Fontana, Frederick Jorio, Victor & Danny Vargas, Sean Tucker, Louie Guzman. * Deep South. We know, we know it's not New York, but Miami has become the third most influential house town after NYC, and Chi-town. And it remains the winter playground of New York's club community. Labels like Dub, E-SA, Vibe, Murk and Nitebeat collectively produce a unique blend of deep, Latin, and underground sounds. Vamos a la playa! * Not to be forgotten is Detroit's burgeoning club sound, pumping with heady releases from Submerge's Unit 2, L'homme Van Remm and The DJ Essentials, while cool Terrence Parker does deep releases on Intangible and new KMS projects. * Sagat with "Fuk Dat" on Maxi becomes the monster song of the year that you love to hate. The Italian underground scene explodes with a calibre of music not expected by anyone outside of Italy. TTR ("Dancin'"), Kwanzaa Posse ("Muzika"), 50% ("Tight Up"), DJ Professor, Fathers Of Sound, the list goes on... * New labels like Rolling Tune and Progressive join bedrock labels like Flying, UMM, Media, Irma and Discomagic to form the nucleus of the Italian renaissance. * US-Italian cultural exchange: Murk remix a veritable antipasti of Italian independent releases, while the 50% crew remix Kamar's Kerri Chandler-produced "I Need You". The British media coins another phrase, INTELLIGENT TECHNO, aka ELECTRONIC LISTENING MUSIC (ELM), described as "a combination of textured, atmospheric sounds, spaced-out ambient mind music, Detroit techno rhythms and a hell of a lot more". Aphex Twin, Mixmaster Morris, Ultramarine, B12, Black Dog, The Grid, Orbital and Pete Namlook and labels like Warp and Rising High are all variously associated this "movement". * Meanwhile, as the year progresses, "ambient house" becomes indistinguishable from other forms of ambient music. As a distinct musical genre, it's dead. Streetside, Perfect Pair, Nott-Us, K4B, King Street Sounds, BPM, Freeze--the new school garage labels. * Tony Humphries jumps ship and heads to the UK, receiving acclaim and $$$, in studio and DJ-ing at London's Ministry Of Sound. * Mood II Swing firmly establish themselves with the almost simultaneous releases of Wall Of Sound's "Critical" and Loni Clark's "Rushing". * DJ John Robinson's popular noontime radio mix show is canceled, perhaps signaling trouble to come. * New York's Mecca for garage, The Shelter, closes its doors, although its legacy continues with Shelter Records. Where do you go to hear real Garage in NYC? * New Vocal King: K London Posse and Kingsley O burst out of nowhere (new Jersey, actually) with the sleeper hit, "I Believe", then go on to master the vocal garage scene with Gina Bright's "Who's' Gonna Luv Me" and their latest effort, "Caught in Luv". * Charlie Grappone's landmark early garage label, Vinylmania, is reborn with house diva Alexis P. Sutter. Ten City are granted a new life on Columbia; first single is "Fantasy". * Chicago's most consistent production team, ID Productions, disbands: E-Smoove forms Focus Productions, Maurice and Georgie Porgie form Vibe Music, while Hurley launches Steve Silk Productions. * The production team of LNR returns with "Reachin'". * After megahit status with "Nu-Nu", Lidell Townsell & the MTF are dropped by Mercury. A comeback is planned on Clubhouse, which starts two new labels, Afrythmix and Disco Divas. * Farley "Jackmaster" Funk, Marshall Jefferson, Chip E and Adonis form Godfather's Inc., shopping an album of all-new material. 1994 Ten City's long-awaited LP arrives. Well. Unfortunately for Ten City, that was then, this is now. * Is it all over her face? Certainly not! Dajae and the Cajual posse show limitless potential with hits such as "U Got Me Up" and "Is It all Over My Face", culminating with Higher Power, her full length album. * Chicago's premier house label, Vibe Music, does it all this year, removing, hopefully once and for all, the unjust stigma of shadiness and second-rate standards often associated with Chicago house. Believe dat. * Great house blowing in from the Windy City these days. There's no doubt that Chicago is stronger than ever, with solid labels like Music Box, Strictly Hype, Large and Afrythmix leading the way. Meanwhile, Lazy Boy Records (Musical Expression and House of Jazz) merges with Mirage Entertainment. Let the licensing begin: frenzied signings of Euro-hardcore, speedbeat and techno-trance sounds. * Jeff K of The Edge, "ringmaster" in epicenter of the US hardcore scene, Dallas, Texas, declares hardcore dead. Indeed, it was! * Tribal settles into San Francisco as DJ EFX and DJ Digit are cajoled by "the majors" to pump up the heat with remixes. * C&S/MicMac plucks Germany's Adam & Eve catalog. Could this possibly the summer of North American mega-rave?* The 303 sound returns to the scene, finding its way onto many tracks, from hardcore techno to sweaty Sound Factory dubs (see "Yo-Yo Honey"). * In Holland, DJax licenses and remixes many of Chicago's classic acid cuts from the likes of K. Alexi and Armando. * In Germany, PDC, "distributors of the unknown", feed the intense indie label German acid scene. * In the UK, acid remains limp in the South, but, spearheaded by the sound of Edinburgh's Ege Bam Yasi, looms strong in the north. * JUNGLE emerges into the underground spotlight, a new style of hardcore emphasizing the breakbeat and using the raw sound of reggae drum & bass as its foundation. See labels like Ibiza and Kickin'. Typical US tracks give way to a variety of well-produced British house/progressive tracks from labels the likes of Junior Boy's Own, Partners Inc., Tomato, Cowboy, Guerilla, Soultana, Razor, Azuli and Hooj Choons, not to mention white labels featuring artists like High Society and Lance Ellington (and these are just a sampling of some of the newer labels producing brilliant innovative records--cheers!). Those crafty Brits have managed to bring together the best elements of vocal (US) house with an energetic harder edge for a distinctive British sound. * A significant talent drain from NYC to the UK is in eveidence as top names continue to DJ and remix for the wily Brits. Monster House Extravaganzas routinely feature DJ's like Roger S, Tony Humphries, Masters At Work, DJ Disciple and others. Roger S is even a headphone model for the trendy Face magazine - not too shabby. 1994 Impressions of the UK as the financial and creative Babylon of the international house scene are a little exaggerated. Sophisticated, well-produced, remixed and packaged - the UK knows how to market artists. How's this for name dropping; M-People, Judy Cheeks, Juliet Roberts, K-Klass, D:Ream, Alison Limerick.* What a difference a year can make. fnac, who looked like they were on top of the progressive house world, shut down shop as their retail parent pulled the plug on the label business, leaving DJ/producer Laurent Garnier to go it alone. * Commercial house becomes even more chart-oriented, spawning the term "handbag" and a string of horrendous novelty hits by acts like Doop and Two Cowboys. Other crossover artists include Toni Di Bart, Brothers In Rhythm and Secret Life. Meanwhile, more underground music of all styles begins to enjoy a fair degree of success with the likes of Fire Island and Underworld, and labels like Cleveland City, Loaded, Olympic and Stress. * The producers with the juice: Boomtang Boys, Bothers In Rhythm, Boys Own, Chris Lowe, Fluke, Gat Decor, Justin Robertson, Paul Oakenfold, Rocky & Diesel, Rollo, Sabres Of Paradise, Sasha, Slam, Slip & Slide, The Grid, Wildchild. * On a more underground level, the UK scene matures. Quality music comes from labels like Junior Boy's Own and Deconstruction, while top DJ Sasha is propelled to pop star status. As techno reaches its limits of aggression, a trend towards a smoother, more melodic style seems to be emerging, as perpetrated by Underworld, DJ Dag, Laurent Garnier, Robert Liener, Jam & Spoon, Fluke, Rejuvenation, Tessier-Ashpool and Australia's Itchy & Scratchy. * The early Detroit sound makes a resurgence through Dave Clarke, Felix Da Housecat and Carl Craig. Leading labels come from all over: Bonzai (Belgium) with "First Rebirth" by Jones & Stephenson (a megahit); DJax (Holland) with acid trance; Superstition (Germany) with acts including LSG, Marmion and Paragliders; Labworks (Germany), mixing hard trance and acid; Important (Germany), a "real" label; Delirium (Germany), with trippy hardtrance; Plus 8 (Canada), Hardkiss (US), Experimental (US), Direct Drive (US), Probe (Canada), Overdrive (Germany) and Le Petit Prince (Belgium). These are the leaders of the sound as trance progresses. America's Midwest becomes a new hardcore hot spot. Drop Bass Network's DJ ESP (Woody McBride) scores deals on Labworks and Magnetic North. Freddie Fresh follows with releases on Monotone and Extortion. * Terror Trax, a Rotterdam sublabel, achieves cult status. * GTO become the UK hardcore leaders with Dataflow. * Frankie Bones declares breakbeat dead in New York! * Charlie Lownoise and Mental Theo become GABBER's leaders. Where have all the Italians gone? The once-massive Italo-house sound is buried under the overwhelming popularity of techno and trance throughout Europe, and by a severe decline in American demand. New York's patron saint of house, Barbara Tucker, and the Underground Network, come to international attention with Barbara's yelp of "deep down inside" on the MAW production of "Deep Inside" and "Beautiful People". * Meanwhile, Strictly Rhythm writes the book on indie label success with world wide hits from Reel II Real ("I like To Move It") and India's Tribal EP. (From the personnel department, George Morel leaves his post as A&R honcho at SR to concentrate on his Groove On label.) * Alert: New sound takes hold! Labels like Eightball, Tribal, One, and Vicious Muzic define a new NYC sound that adds a hard edge to the classic club sound. Examples? Al Mack Project's "I Won't Let You Go" and "Activator". And which producer defines this new sound best? Well, he sure has come a long way from Ellis D. The hottest remixer of 1994, Jr. Vasquez establishes himself with 10-minute-plus Sound Factory workouts. One record that sums up his whirlwind year: Kristine W's "Feel What You Want" on EastWest. * Ever-improving Fred Jorio makes his mark with Lectroluv's "Struck By Love". And ask him if he can get you a good deal on an Infinity J30. * A most welcome comeback, Colonel Abrams releases "Should Be Dancing" on Freetown. * Best bootleg of the year: Phillip Damien's remix of Sade's "Pearls". * House album bonanza!!! Some good, some not. Ultra Naté, Nu Civilization, Michael Watford, Lonnie Gordon, Jomanda and David Morales. * Club producers to watch: 80 Proof, Al Mack, Behavior, DJ Digit & DJ EFX, DJ Disciple, Hippie Torrales, Robert Ouimet & Miguel Garcia, Roc & Kato, Tony Garcia, Zac Toms, Todd Edwards, Dino Bellafiore. More then ever, house music has entered territory where its never been heard before. Who'd have thought that the likes of Reel II Real would have reached the heights that they did? Even tribal-y records like Deep Forest cross over. Meanwhile, the invasion of Euro-pop groups like Culture Beat, Rozalla, Captain Hollywood et al continues to dominate dancefloors. *
Smack has released more garage records than Snapple has flavors, to
quench your garage thirst. * The massive success of Nervous/Wreck
rap stars Black Moon hasn't stopped them from releasing quality garage
like Loni Clark's "U" and Kim English's "Night Life", as well as more
club-oriented tracks. * Too many great records to name, from the usual
sources: Perfect Pair, King Street Sounds, Music Station, Nott-Us,
Active, Bassline, Freeze. Source unknown |