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Strictly Rhythm Est. 1989. 20 years. Remixed.
Album released Feb 1st. 2 x CD, Download, 4 x Vinyl E.P.
Think soul, think Motown. Think blues, think Chess Records. Think jazz, think Blue Note. Think house, think...
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Strictly Rhythm Est. 1989. 20 years. Remixed.
Album released Feb 1st. 2 x CD, Download, 4 x Vinyl E.P.
Think soul, think Motown. Think blues, think Chess Records. Think jazz, think Blue Note. Think house, think Strictly Rhythm.
Twenty years. Not many independent labels make it this far. Still fewer make it this far after a dalliance with a major label, as Strictly Rhythm did for a short time. In house music it’s unknown. The first wave of house labels back in the 80s burned brightly but briefly and each successive wave featured its own equally temporal stars, all of them long gone or else grinding on as catalogue only zombie imprints. Perhaps there is the odd semi-professional or hobbyist label still soldiering on. But Strictly Rhythm occupies a unique status in the history of house as the longest running label that follows the same vision today as it did when founders Mark Finkelstein and Gladys Pizarro put out the first record in July 1989; release the best club music it can find.
It’s that music that makes Strictly Rhythm. Indie labels are typically defined by one character, be that the DJ or producer that runs it or the one successful artist that overshadows all else, and their fortunes are umbilically linked. At Strictly, the shifting sands of musical trends became a strength. When Todd Terry, the label’s first profile producer upped camp, Roger Sanchez came through. Then there were DJ Pierre, Kenny Dope, Louie Vega, Erick Morillo, Armand Van Helden, all with their own sound, their own vision, their own way of doing what they do. Sooner rather than later, Strictly’s ability to nurture and sustain producer talent led to hit-making acts; Barbara Tucker, Reel 2 Real, Ultra Naté and Wamdue Project all scored major crossover hits in the 90s.
These hits and those now iconic names of house are the stuff of Strictly. But there’s more that lurks deep in the most extensive catalogue of any house label and those delights await crate diggers and young DJs looking for the less obvious; little known tracks by big names under forgotten pseudonyms and straight up killer tracks quietly sleeping. Search and you shall find.
20 Years; 20 remixes
Try this: reduce a 700 odd strong catalogue to just 20. Tricky? Maybe so. But in truth, these revered classics pick themselves. Everyone has their own quirky Strictly favourite but some are simply unarguable. The obvious crossover hits, Reel’s 2 Real’s I Like To Move It, Ultra Naté’s Free and Wamdue Project’s King Of My Castle are joined by undisputed house classics Love & Happiness, Deep Inside, Reach and Follow Me, all updated with love by today’s leading lights and many of which, like Armand Van Helden’s Witch Doktor and Barbara Tucker’s I Get Lifted are being retouched for the very first time. The difficult bit was stopping at just the 20…
Now restablished, Strictly Rhythm is once again presenting new music and artists, pushing the boundaries of dance music and encouraging innovation.
With this new anniversary album the label is doing just that, inviting some of the most contemporary and pioneering producers to rework the classics. Groundbreakers such as Michel Cleis, Bob Sinclar, Mark Knight, Tiefschwarz and ATFC bring their contemporary interpretation of the tracks to the dance floor once again for a whole new generation of Strictly Rhythm followers.
CD1
1. River Ocean featuring India ‘Love & Happiness (Yemaya Y Ochùn)’ (Michel Cleis ‘Floreo’ Rmeix)
2. Photon Inc. featuring Paula Brion ‘Generate Power’ (Jimpster Main Mix)
3. Armand Van Helden ‘Witch Doktor’ (Eddie Thoneick Remix)
4. Hardrive ‘Deep Inside’ (Jesse Rose Play Prime Mix)
5. Reel 2 Real featuring The Mad Stuntman ‘I Like To Move It’ (Klaas Remix)
6. Aly-Us ‘Follow Me’ (Fred Everything & Olivier Desmet SF Vocal)
7. Sir James ‘Special’ (Bingo Players Remix)
8. The Believers ‘Who Dares To Believe In Me?’ (Martijn ten Velden Remix)
9. Wamdue Project ‘King Of My Castle’ (Nicola Fasano & Steve Forest Mix)
10. Lil’ Mo’ Yin Yang ‘Reach’ (Mark Knight Remix)
CD2
1. South Street Player ‘(Who?) Keeps Changing Your Mind’ (Daniel Bovie & Roy Remix)
2. Ultra Nate ‘Free’ (Bob Sinclar Remix)
3. Wink ‘Higher State of Consciousness’ (Dirty South & TV Rock Club Mix)
4. Da Mongoloids ‘Spark Da Meth’ (ATFC’s Wildstyle Remix)
5. Mass Syndicate featuring Su Su Bobien ‘You Don’t Know’ (MuthaFunkaz 2009 Tribute Mix)
6. Phuture ‘Rise From Your Grave’ (Tiefschwarz Remix)
7. Barbara Tucker ‘I Get Lifted’ (David Tort Remix)
8. Underground Solution featuring Jasmine ‘Luv Dancin’’ (Harry Choo Choo Romero’s Bambossa Remix)
9. Logic ‘The Warning’ (Claude Monnet & Torre Bros Main Mix)
10. Code 718 ‘Equinox’ (Henrik Schwarz Remix)
Strictly Rhythm.
Soon after opening its doors Strictly Rhythm quickly gained a following among club DJs thanks to a series of high quality underground tracks by the likes of Roger Sanchez, Todd Terry and Kenny Dope. In 1994 Strictly notched up its first crossover hit with Real 2 Real’s ‘I Like To Move It’, a feat it was to repeat throughout the rest of the decade with Wink’s ‘Higher State of Consciousness’, Ultra Naté’s ‘Free’ and Wamdue Project’s ‘King of My Castle’. In between the hits the label provided a steady output of club tracks by a huge array of respected artists from Barbara Tucker and Masters At Work to Erick Morillo, Josh Wink, Armand Van Helden, Danny Tenaglia, David Morales and DJ Pierre. Almost every house producer of repute who was active in the 1990s is represented in the catalogue.
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