Danny Tenaglia has remixed and produced several sizeable club hits but still remains most well-known for his DJ residencies at the top New York clubs of the 1990s -- including Twilo (previously Sound Factory) and the Tunnel -- plus a spate of mix albums, several of his own LPs and a publicized feud with fellow super DJ Junior Vasquez. Raised in... [+] Read More

Danny Tenaglia has remixed and produced several sizeable club hits but still remains most well-known for his DJ residencies at the top New York clubs of the 1990s -- including Twilo (previously Sound Factory) and the Tunnel -- plus a spate of mix albums, several of his own LPs and a publicized feud with fellow super DJ Junior Vasquez. Raised in Brooklyn, he listened to Motown and the Philly sound as a child, and learned to play guitar and saxophone. At the age of 12, however, a friend introduced him to the world of DJ mixtapes and Tenaglia became fascinated with mixing techniques. He began hustling tapes on the street and, when he was old enough, hit the Manhattan club-scene with gusto. Coming of age in the late '70s introduced him to the club and DJ often cited as the best of all time, the Paradise Garage and Larry Levan. Tenaglia spent much time observing Levan, and began his own DJ career soon after. Though he moved to Miami in 1985 to escape a glut of New York DJs, he was back by 1990, right on the cusp of a new house renaissance led by producers like Masters at Work and Frankie Knuckles, and the output of Strictly Rhythm and Nervous Records.

Tenaglia had begun producing in the mid-'80s during his spell in Miami (a single from his Deepstate project signed to Atlantic and he also worked with Murk's Ralph Falcon) so by the time of his return to New York, he was quite comfortable in the studio. Tenaglia productions began appearing on labels like Minimal, Sexy, Tribal and Strictly Rhythm; he really hit the mainstream with a 1993 remix of the Daou's "Surrender Yourself," a house epic which pioneered the harder underground sound which stormed Manhattan clubland (and therefore, most of America's dance scene) during the mid-'90s. With friend Junior Vasquez, Tenaglia was the city's most popular DJ and his residency at Twilo became legendary as the home of the most emotional dance music being mixed anywhere.

Cementing Danny Tenaglia's connection with Tribal Records America was the 1994 club hit "Bottom Heavy"; it also led to abundant remix work for Madonna, Michael Jackson, Pet Shop Boys, Grace Jones, Jamiroquai, New Order and Lisa Stansfield, among others. His debut album, 1995's Hard & Soul, did well and Tenaglia hosted several Tribal mix albums, including two volumes in the Mix This Pussy series plus Gag Me with a Tune. His second proper album Tourism was released in 1998. Global Underground: Athens and Back to Mine followed in 1999. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide [-] Hide

A pioneer of the acid house sound, 808 State formed in Manchester, England in 1988 when Martin Price, the owner of the city's legendary record store Eastern Bloc and the founder of the independent label Creed, first joined forces with local musician and producer Graham Massey. After teaming with collaborator Gerald Simpson, 808 State recorded... [+] Read More

A pioneer of the acid house sound, 808 State formed in Manchester, England in 1988 when Martin Price, the owner of the city's legendary record store Eastern Bloc and the founder of the independent label Creed, first joined forces with local musician and producer Graham Massey. After teaming with collaborator Gerald Simpson, 808 State recorded its debut EP Newbuild in 1988, and also began remixing tracks for groups like the Inspiral Carpets. After Simpson exited to form his solo project A Guy Called Gerald, Price and Massey enlisted DJs Andrew Barker and Darren Partington (known together as the Spinmasters) for the recording of 1989's Quadrastate EP, which earned the group a huge club hit with the track "Pacific." After signing with ZTT, they released the album 808:90, which was embraced by the burgeoning rave culture. 808 State's next single, "The Only Rhyme That Bites," recorded with hip-hopper MC Tunes, marked a dramatic shift into hardcore rap, but was another huge hit. A series of diverse singles followed, culminating in the 1991 album Ex: El, which featured guest vocals from New Order's Bernard Sumner and Bjork; the same year, 808 State also wrote, produced and performed the music for the MC Tunes LP The North at Its Heights. In 1992, Price left to work as a solo producer, later forming his own label, Sun Text. The remaining trio continued on in 1993 with Gorgeous, and handled remix work for the likes of David Bowie, Soundgarden, and Bomb the Bass before returning with the experimental Don Solaris in 1996. The 808:88-98 compilation followed two years later. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide [-] Hide

A New Jersey vocalist who majored in computer science at Howard, Crystal Waters had one of 1991's surprise left-field hits with "Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)." The song had both a potent message and wonderful vocal that smartly mixed anger, irony, and humor. None of Waters' other songs were quite that inspired, but her debut LP, Surprise, got... [+] Read More

A New Jersey vocalist who majored in computer science at Howard, Crystal Waters had one of 1991's surprise left-field hits with "Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)." The song had both a potent message and wonderful vocal that smartly mixed anger, irony, and humor. None of Waters' other songs were quite that inspired, but her debut LP, Surprise, got her in the hunt. Storyteller followed in 1994, and in 1997 Waters returned with a self-titled effort. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide [-] Hide

DJ, musician, journalist, and self-described "international cheerleader of ambient," Mixmaster Morris has been one of the most visible -- and most active -- proponents of new ambient and electronic music. As renowned for his inventive, wide-casting DJ sets as for his original works under the Irresistible Force name, Morris's influence on the... [+] Read More

DJ, musician, journalist, and self-described "international cheerleader of ambient," Mixmaster Morris has been one of the most visible -- and most active -- proponents of new ambient and electronic music. As renowned for his inventive, wide-casting DJ sets as for his original works under the Irresistible Force name, Morris's influence on the direction of post-rave electronica has been enormous. From his relentless tour schedule, weekly playlists, and monthly release reviews, to his extensive website chronicling the evolution of ambient and experimental electronic music, Morris has helped bring a whole range of otherwise obscure artists (from Terre Thaemlitz to Photek; Ken Ishii to Robert Rich) to a wider audience. And while his holographic suits, Zippy connections, and soundbite approach to musical evangelism might seem a bit ridiculous, his commitment to the music and the quality of his ongoing contribution is undeniable.

English-born Morris Gould got his start as a DJ in the early '80s -- not in warehouse party chill rooms, but in dive-bar punk clubs spinning experimental rock, jazz, electronic, and other assorted weirdness in between bands. Eventually taking his deck proficiency and rapidly expanding record collection to pirate station Network 21 (where he worked with Jonathan More and Matt Black of Coldcut), Morris earned his nickname from his eclectic radio shows, during which he might pair Terry Riley with Tibetan monks or Captain Beefheart with Amazonian field recordings. After finishing college in the mid-'80s, Morris worked in computer systems administration before forming Irresistible Force with friend Des de Moor in 1987. The pair played clubs and toured with Meat Beat Manifesto, eventually releasing a single before Morris dissolved the partnership in 1989. Retaining the name, Morris delved deeper into the growing U.K. rave scene, touring with the Shamen in 1989, playing side gigs and parties, and organizing London's first ambient club events, Telepathic Fish.

Although Morris had experimented with real-time tape loops and low-rent electronics since the mid-'80s, it wasn't until the early '90s that he began to seriously pursue recording. He released his first full-length work, Flying High, on the Rising High label, and recorded a celebrated collaboration with Frankfurt ambient composer Pete Namlook, Dreamfish. Both albums landed Morris at the forefront of the new ambient movement -- a position he graciously accepted -- and a string of remix work for the likes of Coldcut, the Shamen, Barbarella, Rising High Collective, and Higher Intelligence Agency followed. Growing problems with his label, however, would plague Morris into the recording of his second album, with was delayed for two years. Following the release of Global Chillage in 1995, Morris dissolved his relationship with Rising High and began recording for old friends Coldcut on their Ninja Tune label. The 1998 full-length It's Tomorrow Already was the first under the new deal. ~ Sean Cooper, All Music Guide [-] Hide

One of the original innovators in Chicago house, Marshall Jefferson had a hand in several of the music's most influential early tracks. As a solo act, he recorded 1986's "Move Your Body" -- sub-titled and unanimously acclaimed "The House Music Anthem." Jefferson also helped record Phuture's "Acid Tracks," the first and best acid-house single.... [+] Read More

One of the original innovators in Chicago house, Marshall Jefferson had a hand in several of the music's most influential early tracks. As a solo act, he recorded 1986's "Move Your Body" -- sub-titled and unanimously acclaimed "The House Music Anthem." Jefferson also helped record Phuture's "Acid Tracks," the first and best acid-house single. Later, amidst a wave of acid-inspired records, he grew tired of the sound and moved into a more spiritual form of music later termed deep house; along with Larry Heard, he became one of its best producers.

Jefferson was born in Chicago in 1959, the son of a police officer and a school teacher. Heavily into hard rock like Black Sabbath and Deep Purple during the 1970s, he attended university to study accounting, but left after three years to take a job in the post office. By 1983, friends began taking him to Chicago's Music Box club; after being exposed to Ron Hardy's influential mixing style, Jefferson soon realized that house music had a real feeling to it, unlike the commercial disco sound he was accustomed to hearing on the radio. House artists like Jesse Saunders and Jamie Principle had begun releasing records by that time, and Jefferson felt the need to begin recording as well. He bought a synthesizer/sequencer combo and passed several of his newly recorded tapes on to Ron Hardy. The legendary DJ liked what he heard and began dropping the tracks into his set.

During the two-year period from 1985 to 1986, Marshall Jefferson released half-a-dozen of the biggest club hits in Chicago. His first release, "Go Wild Rhythm Trax," appeared on Virgo Records in 1985. Later that year he produced his friend Sleazy D's "I've Lost Control," and the track became a big club hit. "Move Your Body," another recording first introduced by Hardy, was given a full release on Trax Records in 1986; the single immediately dropped a bomb on Chicago crowds, who soon began acknowledging the track as house music's defining moment.

Less than one year after "Move Your Body" however, Chicago was forced to react to another important milestone, the onset of acid-house. The trio known as Phuture (DJ Pierre, Spanky and Herb J) had recently recorded some material using the acid squelch of Roland's TB-303 synthesizer, and with Marshall Jefferson's help, they entered the studio to record a full version. Phuture emerged from the studio with "Acid Trax," one of the most influential songs in the history of house. Several months after its release, it had spawned literally hundreds of imitators and answer versions; soon the Chicago house scene had become swamped with tracks soaked in the squelchy reverbs of the TB-303.

Given the lack of variety in the scene, Jefferson quickly tired of acid house. Instead of continuing with acid, he recorded an atmospheric slice of house inspired by the original vibe he had experienced at the Music Box back in the early '80s. The track, "Open Your Eyes," took its place alongside contemporary productions by Larry Heard, signalled a new feeling in house music, named deep house for its level of emotion and organic beauty.

Unlike many Chicago house producers, Jefferson managed to make a good living during the late '80s and early '90s, when house music went global almost overnight and the bottom dropped out of Chicago's fraternal club scene. Several Marshall Jefferson productions not recorded under his own name, such as Hercules' "Lost in the Groove," Jungle Wonz's "The Jungle" and Kevin Irvine's "Ride the Rhythm" all became sizeable club hits. Also, he masterminded the career of the preeminent house vocal group Ten City from 1988 through 1992, and began DJing around Europe after being offered several high-profile spots in 1989. Jefferson spent much of the 1990s remixing and DJing, but did record under his own name for the 1997 album Day of the Onion. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide [-] Hide

On his third mix CD, Kevin Yost declines the chance to upgrade his signature sound. Rather, he revels in his trademark style, revamping three cuts -- STP's "An American in Paris," Big Sexy's "Another World," and his own "One Starry Night," the later of which has now appeared on Yost's first mix CD, Small Town Underground, and his first album,... [+] Read More

On his third mix CD, Kevin Yost declines the chance to upgrade his signature sound. Rather, he revels in his trademark style, revamping three cuts -- STP's "An American in Paris," Big Sexy's "Another World," and his own "One Starry Night," the later of which has now appeared on Yost's first mix CD, Small Town Underground, and his first album, titled after the song itself. So the question presents itself, is "One Starry Night" Yost's theme song?

Probably not, as its excellent Latin pulse and acoustic guitar solo doesn't exactly lead one to the more techy yet equally deep selections that make up much of this disc. But regardless of the trimmings, every cut Yost employs assures that the slow, swaying dancer is always satisfied. Perhaps he could do with expanding his repertoire, or at least his band of cohorts, but maybe a guy from a tiny town in Pennsylvania just assume keep it in the family. Either way, Yost had better watch out, because if too many people hear his excellent sound, which falls halfway between ultra-popular West Coast deepster Miguel Migs and tech-house don Terry Francis, he might be unwittingly pulled into the spotlight. ~ Joshua Glazer, All Music Guide [-] Hide

[-] Hide

The duo's long-awaited debut album is one of the most assured, propulsive full-lengths the dance world had seen since Daft Punk's Homework. A set of incredibly diverse tracks, Remedy is indebted to the raw American house of Todd Terry and Masters at Work, and even shares the NuYoricans' penchant for Latin vibes (especially on the horn-driven... [+] Read More

The duo's long-awaited debut album is one of the most assured, propulsive full-lengths the dance world had seen since Daft Punk's Homework. A set of incredibly diverse tracks, Remedy is indebted to the raw American house of Todd Terry and Masters at Work, and even shares the NuYoricans' penchant for Latin vibes (especially on the horn-driven "Bingo Bango" and the opener, "Rendez-Vu," which trades a bit of salsa wiggle with infectious vocoderized disco). True, Ratcliffe and Buxton do sound more like an American production team than a pair of Brixton boys would -- they get props (and vocal appearances) from several of the best American house producers out there including DJ Sneak, Erick Morillo, and Benji Candelario. And "U Can't Stop Me" is an R&B production that could probably have gotten airplay in major rap markets across the U.S. Elsewhere, Buxton and Ratcliffe chew up and spit out mutated versions of hip-hop, ragga, Latin, R&B, soul, and garage -- the varied sound that defined the worldwide house scene of the late '90s. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Echoing the focus on a live, jazzy feel of contemporary works by As One, Ian O'Brien, and Carl Craig, Spacetime Continuum's Double Fine Zone includes sax player Brian Iddenden on several tracks plus Spacetime himself, Jonah Sharp, contributing just about everything else (that is, drums, synth, sampler, and Rhodes piano). Though the "live" feel... [+] Read More

Echoing the focus on a live, jazzy feel of contemporary works by As One, Ian O'Brien, and Carl Craig, Spacetime Continuum's Double Fine Zone includes sax player Brian Iddenden on several tracks plus Spacetime himself, Jonah Sharp, contributing just about everything else (that is, drums, synth, sampler, and Rhodes piano). Though the "live" feel is mostly a non-event (Iddenden's smooth late-night sax solos are, to be kind, unnecessary), Sharp saves the day with some inventive programming, reminiscent of his last proper full-length, Emit Ecaps. The bubbly effects and lo-energy trance breaks on "Microjam," the static chords mirroring a set of cloudy synthesizer breaks on the highlight "Biscuit Face," and the unsequenced drums and Rhodes shards on "Beveled Edge" all prove that Sharp doesn't need the gimmick of a "jazz" album to make fine music that's more innovative than derivative. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide [-] Hide

When it comes to bawdy, S&M-fueled rave albums, Lords of Acid's Lust is a classic. Coming across like a twisted mix of Front 242 and the Timelords, Lords of Acid hit all the right notes on this debut album that entertains, shocks, and energizes listeners both on and off the dancefloor. Though Lust works as a competent rave album, which actually... [+] Read More

When it comes to bawdy, S&M-fueled rave albums, Lords of Acid's Lust is a classic. Coming across like a twisted mix of Front 242 and the Timelords, Lords of Acid hit all the right notes on this debut album that entertains, shocks, and energizes listeners both on and off the dancefloor. Though Lust works as a competent rave album, which actually caused its music to become almost instantly dated, its disturbing and sometimes violent samples and vocals give it an intriguing quality that extends its shelf life considerably. "Rough Sex," for example, is pleasant enough, its house grooves and tender spoken-word samples of "love is the answer" make for pleasant-enough listening, and then shouts of "Rough sex/Deep sex" commence and things get mildly sinister. Other choice snippets include "Let's get high and have fun," "Darling, come here, f*ck me up the...," "Sit on your face, I wanna sit on your face," "(Get) down on the floor you, b*tch," "I must my increase my bust," and a play on Front 242's "Headhunter" in the remix of "I Sit on Acid," where the preacher instead shouts, "Hey Whore, you don't have to be a whore anymore." While Lust certainly isn't the most aggressive or accomplished industrial dance music of its time, its racy subject matter and tongue-in-cheek nature make it more compelling than it would otherwise be. A song as campy and risqué as "I Must Increase My Bust," with its pneumatic chants of "I must, I must, I must increase my bust" and revelations that the vocalist is "obsessed with t*ts" and that her "auntie Marie had t*ts down to her knees," shouldn't be anywhere near as catchy as it is here. Lust's success resides in its comedy, but it can also be quite sexy. "The Most Wonderful Girl," for example, is perhaps the rave scene's answer to the Divinyls' "I Touch Myself." Still shocking, hilarious, and sexy many years after its release, Lust is a great album. It's also Lords of Acid's masterpiece. ~ Tim DiGravina, All Music Guide [-] Hide