Strictly Rhythm
Encyclopedia
Strictly Rhythm is an American
record label
, best known for its highly regarded house-music
catalogue. It is considered by many to be one of the genre's most important and influential labels.
label not only put out records by almost every name in the game, but it also defined house music throughout the 1990s with Erick Morillo
, Todd Terry
, Louie Vega, Kenny Dope, Armand Van Helden
, DJ Pierre
, Roger Sanchez
, Josh Wink
, Ultra Naté
and Barbara Tucker
. As well as keeping the underground stoked with a steady supply of club grooves, the label also delivered a stream of crossover hits with Reel 2 Real
’s “I Like To Move It”, Ultra Naté
’s “Free”, Wamdue Project’s “King Of My Castle” and Wink
’s “Higher State Of Consciousness”.
Relaunched in 2007 after a five year break following a short-lived venture with Warner Music, Strictly Rhythm did what no dance label had ever done: successfully re-launch itself. The label made many of its classic releases available on digital download for the first time and signed new productionsfrom the likes of Quentin Harris
, Osunlade
, Bingo Players Vs Chocolate Puma, Dennis Ferrer
, Michel Cleis, Dirty South
and Bob Sinclar
. Three years later and now fully re-established, Strictly Rhythm opened a new London office in November 2010.
Still an innovator, the label that invented the 12” white label and put out the first ever commercially released DJ Mix CD in 1993 (The Tony Humphries Strictly Rhythm Mix) is now enabling both new and established talent through its joint venture label set-up, the Strictly Rhythm Music Group. The Strictly Rhythm Music Group currently has 20 labels with partners in the US, UK, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Australia and Ireland. Recent signings include Tristan Garner (Xtra Life), Doman & Gooding (Superficial), Jupiter Ace
(Big Vision) and Richard Grey
(Superficial).
Strictly Rhythm has offices in New York, London, Rome and Berlin.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, best known for its highly regarded house-music
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
catalogue. It is considered by many to be one of the genre's most important and influential labels.
History
Strictly Rhythm Records is house music. Since 1989 the legendary New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
label not only put out records by almost every name in the game, but it also defined house music throughout the 1990s with Erick Morillo
Erick Morillo
Erick Morillo is a Colombian-American DJ, music producer and record label owner. Having produced under a number of pseudonyms, including Ministers De la Funk, The Dronez, RAW, Smooth Touch, RBM, Deep Soul, Club Ultimate and Li'l Mo Ying Yang, Morillo is best known for his international work in...
, Todd Terry
Todd Terry
Todd N. Terry is an American DJ, producer, and remixer.-Career:Terry's productions extensively used samples blending the sounds of classic disco, the Chicago sound, and elements of hip-hop....
, Louie Vega, Kenny Dope, Armand Van Helden
Armand Van Helden
Armand Van Helden is a record producer, DJ and remixer whose biggest commercial successes came from his remixes of the 1996 Tori Amos song "Professional Widow" , which reached number 1 in the UK Singles Chart in January 1997, and his own track "U Don't Know Me ", which went to number 1...
, DJ Pierre
DJ Pierre
DJ Pierre is the stage name of Nathaniel Pierre Jones, a Chicago born DJ and performer of house music. He helped to develop the house music subgenre of Acid House, as member of Phuture, whose 1987 E.P...
, Roger Sanchez
Roger Sanchez
Roger Sanchez, also known as Roger S. and The S Man, is a Grammy award-winning American House music DJ who has scored many hits in the European and World Charts...
, Josh Wink
Josh Wink
Josh Wink is an electronic music DJ, label owner, producer, remixer, and artist. He is a native of Philadelphia, United States. A pioneering DJ in the American rave scene during the early 1990s, Wink was the most prominent exponent of the tribal forms of techno and house in the U.S...
, Ultra Naté
Ultra Naté
Ultra Naté is an American house music, Dance-pop and sometimes R&B musician who has achieved a respectable amount of success on the pop charts with songs such as "Free" and "If You Could Read My Mind" as part of Stars on 54....
and Barbara Tucker
Barbara Tucker
Barbara Tucker , is an African American house, R&B and soul singer, songwriter and choreographer. Her impact on the mainstream music scene has been felt more in Europe, than in her home country....
. As well as keeping the underground stoked with a steady supply of club grooves, the label also delivered a stream of crossover hits with Reel 2 Real
Reel 2 Real
Reel 2 Real is a house music and reggae-influenced duo which had seven Top 10 hits on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in the 1990s.-Biography:...
’s “I Like To Move It”, Ultra Naté
Ultra Naté
Ultra Naté is an American house music, Dance-pop and sometimes R&B musician who has achieved a respectable amount of success on the pop charts with songs such as "Free" and "If You Could Read My Mind" as part of Stars on 54....
’s “Free”, Wamdue Project’s “King Of My Castle” and Wink
Wink
A wink is a facial expression made by briefly closing one eye. A wink is an informal mode of non-verbal communication usually signalling shared hidden knowledge or intent, which may also include, in some contexts, sexual attraction....
’s “Higher State Of Consciousness”.
Relaunched in 2007 after a five year break following a short-lived venture with Warner Music, Strictly Rhythm did what no dance label had ever done: successfully re-launch itself. The label made many of its classic releases available on digital download for the first time and signed new productionsfrom the likes of Quentin Harris
Quentin Harris
Quentin Harris is a New York City-based house music producer, remixer and DJ. He is active in the gay, underground, and pop-dance music scenes...
, Osunlade
Osunlade
-Biography:Osunlade was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. He composed music for Sesame Street during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Afterward, he moved to Los Angeles, California, where he worked with artists such as Patti Labelle and Freddie Jackson. After a stint there, he moved to New...
, Bingo Players Vs Chocolate Puma, Dennis Ferrer
Dennis Ferrer
Dennis Ferrer is a New York-based DJ, producer and remixer. He currently resides in Union City, New Jersey. A veteran of soulful house music production, Dennis has worked with the likes of Masters at Work , Little Louie Vega, the Martinez Brothers and many other notable New York producers and DJs...
, Michel Cleis, Dirty South
Dirty South (DJ)
Dragan Roganović , better known by his stage name Dirty South,is a Serbian-born Australian DJ, remixer and record producer based in Melbourne.-Biography:...
and Bob Sinclar
Bob Sinclar
Bob Sinclar, originally spelled "Sinclair" - , is a French record producer, House music DJ, remixer and owner of the label Yellow Productions.- Career history :...
. Three years later and now fully re-established, Strictly Rhythm opened a new London office in November 2010.
Still an innovator, the label that invented the 12” white label and put out the first ever commercially released DJ Mix CD in 1993 (The Tony Humphries Strictly Rhythm Mix) is now enabling both new and established talent through its joint venture label set-up, the Strictly Rhythm Music Group. The Strictly Rhythm Music Group currently has 20 labels with partners in the US, UK, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Australia and Ireland. Recent signings include Tristan Garner (Xtra Life), Doman & Gooding (Superficial), Jupiter Ace
Jupiter ACE
The Jupiter Ace was a British home computer of the early 1980s, produced by a company, set up for the purpose, named Jupiter Cantab. The Ace differed from other microcomputers of the time in that it used FORTH instead of the more common BASIC.- Introduction :...
(Big Vision) and Richard Grey
Richard Grey
Sir Richard Grey was an English knight and the half-brother of King Edward V of England.Grey was the younger son of Sir John Grey of Groby and Elizabeth Woodville, later Queen Consort of King Edward IV...
(Superficial).
Strictly Rhythm has offices in New York, London, Rome and Berlin.
Selected artists
- 95 North
- Armand Van HeldenArmand Van HeldenArmand Van Helden is a record producer, DJ and remixer whose biggest commercial successes came from his remixes of the 1996 Tori Amos song "Professional Widow" , which reached number 1 in the UK Singles Chart in January 1997, and his own track "U Don't Know Me ", which went to number 1...
- Barbara TuckerBarbara TuckerBarbara Tucker , is an African American house, R&B and soul singer, songwriter and choreographer. Her impact on the mainstream music scene has been felt more in Europe, than in her home country....
- Colonel AbramsColonel AbramsColonel Abrams is a house and urban musician who was born in Detroit, Michigan and raised in New York City, New York. He graduated from Benjamin Franklin High School currently known as Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics which is in East Harlem section of Manhattan, there he met a fellow...
- Crystal WatersCrystal WatersCrystal Waters is an American dance music singer and songwriter.-Childhood and young adult life:Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Waters is the daughter of Betty and Junior Waters, a famed jazz musician; her great aunt, Ethel Waters, was one of the first African-American vocalists to appear in...
- Joey NegroJoey NegroDave Lee is a British DJ and house music producer, also known by the stage name Joey Negro. Lee was born on the Isle of Wight. He has released music under a variety of pseudonyms, including the name Jakatta...
- David MoralesDavid MoralesDavid Morales is an internationally acclaimed Grammy-winning house music DJ and producer. In addition to his production and DJ work, Morales is one of the most prolific remixers of all time, transforming many pop music songs into club-friendly dance tracks...
- DJ PierreDJ PierreDJ Pierre is the stage name of Nathaniel Pierre Jones, a Chicago born DJ and performer of house music. He helped to develop the house music subgenre of Acid House, as member of Phuture, whose 1987 E.P...
- DJ SneakDJ SneakDJ Sneak is a Puerto Rican house music DJ and producer raised in Chicago, Illinois. He is noted as being one of the second wave of Chicago house producers, as well as a member of the vanguard of late-1990s United States house producers.-Biography:In 1983, Sneak moved to the city...
- Erick MorilloErick MorilloErick Morillo is a Colombian-American DJ, music producer and record label owner. Having produced under a number of pseudonyms, including Ministers De la Funk, The Dronez, RAW, Smooth Touch, RBM, Deep Soul, Club Ultimate and Li'l Mo Ying Yang, Morillo is best known for his international work in...
- Ira Levi
- Josh WinkJosh WinkJosh Wink is an electronic music DJ, label owner, producer, remixer, and artist. He is a native of Philadelphia, United States. A pioneering DJ in the American rave scene during the early 1990s, Wink was the most prominent exponent of the tribal forms of techno and house in the U.S...
- Kings of Tomorrow
- Louie Vega
- Logic
- Masters At WorkMasters At WorkMasters at Work is the house/garage production and remix team of "Little" Louie Vega and Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez. They first worked together using the name, which had been given to them by mutual friend Todd Terry , in 1990...
- Maurice JoshuaMaurice JoshuaMaurice Joshua, also known just as Maurice, born in Chicago, Illinois, is a record producer who is most known for his laid back and soulful House music style remixes.-Career:...
- Mood II Swing
- New Vision
- OdysseyOdysseyThe Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon, and is the second—the Iliad being the first—extant work of Western literature...
- OsunladeOsunlade-Biography:Osunlade was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. He composed music for Sesame Street during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Afterward, he moved to Los Angeles, California, where he worked with artists such as Patti Labelle and Freddie Jackson. After a stint there, he moved to New...
- PhuturePhuturePhuture is a Chicago-based acid house group founded in 1985 by Spanky, DJ Pierre and Herb J.The group's 12-minute track "Acid Tracks" is one of several recordings that lay claim to being the first-ever acid house record....
- Planet SoulPlanet SoulPlanet Soul was a house duo from Miami, Florida, composed of producer George Acosta and singer Nadine Renee. They released one album in 1996, entitled Energy and Harmony, and are primarily remembered as a one-hit wonder for their song "Set U Free", which peaked at number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100...
- Reel 2 RealReel 2 RealReel 2 Real is a house music and reggae-influenced duo which had seven Top 10 hits on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in the 1990s.-Biography:...
- Roger SanchezRoger SanchezRoger Sanchez, also known as Roger S. and The S Man, is a Grammy award-winning American House music DJ who has scored many hits in the European and World Charts...
- Roy Davis Jr.Roy Davis Jr.Roy Davis Jr. is an American musician, specializing in house music on Ubiquity Records.-Career:Davis grew up in Chicago, Illinois, and was turned on to house music at an early age by Lil' Louis. Davis began his own production company named Phuture in the late 1980s. In the 1990s, Davis teamed...
- Satoshi TomiieSatoshi TomiieSatoshi Tomiie is a Japanese house-music producer and DJ. He has written music for numerous soundtracks, including for the Animatrix soundtrack and remixed many artists including the Future Sound of London.-History:...
- Ultra NatéUltra NatéUltra Naté is an American house music, Dance-pop and sometimes R&B musician who has achieved a respectable amount of success on the pop charts with songs such as "Free" and "If You Could Read My Mind" as part of Stars on 54....
- Wamdue Project
- Todd TerryTodd TerryTodd N. Terry is an American DJ, producer, and remixer.-Career:Terry's productions extensively used samples blending the sounds of classic disco, the Chicago sound, and elements of hip-hop....