Why Strictly Rhythm was special
Text: mmr｜Theme: From the establishment of the legendary New York house label Strictly Rhythm to the present, organized by era from the perspective of historical background, representative masterpieces, and trends in production equipment at the time.
Strictly Rhythm (commonly known as Strictly) is a house specialty label founded in New York in 1989.With their A&R sense honed on the street and their club-oriented song selection, they led the 90’s house scene in New York and around the world.The label excelled at discovering and nurturing DJs/producers while striking a balance between underground “sounds” and commercial hits.
1989-1992: Birth and “NY Local Experiment Station” period
Historical background: House/techno, which had sprouted in Chicago and Detroit, entered New York clubs in the early 1990s.It was a time when club culture was about to become commercialized, and an underground spirit of experimentation remained.
What happened: Founded in 1989 by Mark Finkelstein and Gladys Pizarro.Since its founding, the company has focused on DJ-oriented 12-inch music, producing sound that connects directly to the dance floor and is popular at local clubs.
Representative masterpiece (early)
- Roger Sanchez — Luv Dancin’ (1990, under the name Underground Solution)
Equipment trends Many of the productions used turntables and samplers (early SP series and Akai) to take advantage of the “loop feeling” of records.
| No | Artist | Track | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Underground Solution | Luv Dancin (1990) | Early house anthem for clubs.Characterized by a dynamic sense of rhythm. |
| 2 | Barbara Tucker | I Get Lifted | House with powerful vocals and gospel elements. |
| 3 | Harddrive | Deep Inside | A classic deep house song with a soulful melody. |
| 4 | George Morel | Let’s Groove | Early NY house with minimalist yet outstanding groove. |
| 5 | Masters At Work | The Ha Dance | A work that emphasizes the percussive elements of house. |
| 6 | Kenny Dope | The Bucketheads EP | Impressive use of innovative samples and rhythm. |
| 7 | The Underground Network | It’s Alright | A club hit with a perfect balance of melody and beat. |
| 8 | Groove Armada | House Music Will Never Die | Homage to house, influencing later releases. |
| 9 | Logic | The Warning (Juan Atkins Remix) | A refreshing fusion of techno approach and house. |
| 10 | Victor Simonelli | Do You Feel Me | Melodic deep house, a popular club song. |
1993-1997: The golden era — from the clubs to the charts
Time background: In the mid-90s, house music quickly crossed over between Europe and America.Club anthems spread to radio and charts, and remix culture matured.
Key moments/representative works
- Reel 2 Real feat. The Mad Stuntman — I Like To Move It (1993)
- Armand Van Helden — Witch Doktor (1994)
- Josh Wink — Higher State Of Consciousness (1995)
- Ultra Naté — Free (1997)
Equipment trends
- E-MU SP-12 / SP-1200 (Rough and warm sample texture)
- Akai MPC series (MPC60~MPC2000 series)
- Roland TR-909 / TR-808 (kick/hi-hat)
- Technique to create “thickness” with outboard/tape processing
| No | Artist | Track | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reel 2 Real ft. The Mad Stuntman | I Like To Move It (1993) | A worldwide hit dance anthem, featuring a Caribbean rhythm. |
| 2 | Armand Van Helden | Witch Doktor | Unique sampling and heavy beats are impressive. |
| 3 | Barbara Tucker | I Found A Place | Soulful and warm vocal house. |
| 4 | George Morel | Morel’s Groove | A simple loop that looks great on the floor. |
| 5 | India | To Be In Love | A work that shines with melodious and smooth vocals. |
| 6 | Josh Wink | Higher State Of Consciousness | A club anthem with psychedelic elements. |
| 7 | Harddrive | Just Believe | A classic deep house song with an emotional chord progression. |
| 8 | Barbara Tucker | Stay Together | Classic vocal house, emotional singing. |
| 9 | Masters At Work | The Nervous Track | A track that is an excellent combination of typing and live performance. |
| 10 | Ultra Naté | Free | One of the most memorable vocal anthems in house history, with positive lyrics. |
1998-2002: Expansion, confusion, and closure
Background: The peak of the boom and intensifying market competition.While the label is searching for a global strategy, its capital ties with major companies are causing a stir.
Event: After partnering with Warner, the business was temporarily suspended in 2002.
Representative masterpiece
- Wamdue Project — King of My Castle (1997/1999 hit)
Equipment trends DAWs and software plug-ins have begun to enter the production workflow, and the movement to reproduce and integrate the sounds of hardware equipment with DAWs has accelerated.
| No | Artist | Track | Comments | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wamdue Project | King Of My Castle | A worldwide hit, an exquisite fusion of melody and rhythm. | ||||
| 2 | Barbara Tucker | Stop Playing With My Mind | Groove deep house with vocals as the main character. | 2 | Barbara Tucker | Stop Playing With My Mind | |
| 3 | George Morel | Let’s Groove 98 | Released in 1998, featuring a modern arrangement. | ||||
| 4 | Reel People | The Rain | A work that combines jazzy elements and house beats. | ||||
| 5 | Groove Armada | Superstylin’ | Funky and energetic club tune. | ||||
| 6 | Armand Van Helden | You Don’t Know Me | Melodic house, a club staple. | ||||
| 7 | India | Love & Happiness | Deep house where the expressiveness of the vocals shines. | ||||
| 8 | Barbara Tucker | Everybody Dance (The Horn Song) | A dance floor song with an impressive horn effect. | ||||
| 9 | Mousse T. | Horny (Strictly Edits) | A classic with humor and groove. | ||||
| 10 | Celeda | Music Is The Answer | A fusion of positive messages and dance beats. |
2007-2010: Restart and international expansion
Background: Digital distribution and globalization of dance music.
Event: Restarted as an independent organization in 2007.While reprinting past catalogs through digital distribution, we have resumed releases with new artists.
Representative release
- Quentin Harris, Osunlade, Dennis Ferrer, Bob Sinclar, etc.
Equipment trends DAW-centricity, plug-in sound sources, and software/analog modeling became mainstream.
| No | Artist | Track | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Quentin Harris | Let’s Be Young | Modern deep house, smooth groove. |
| 2 | Dennis Ferrer | Hey Hey | House track for energetic floors. |
| 3 | Osunlade | Envision (Strictly Remix) | Jazzy and deep remix, sophisticated sound. |
| 4 | Barbara Tucker | I Am | The royal road to vocal house, her powerful singing voice is impressive. |
| 5 | Bob Sinclar | World Hold On (Strictly Rework) | A melodic and positive floor anthem. |
| 6 | Groove Armada | Song 4 Mutya (Strictly Club Mix) | A fusion of electro and house, a remix for clubs. |
| 7 | DJ Gregory | Elle | A track with a deep and calm groove. |
| 8 | The Shapeshifters | Chime | A piece with a classic house revival feel. |
| 9 | Barbara Tucker | One | Powerful vocals and club-friendly arrangement. |
| 10 | Copyright | He Is | Typical of deep house, characterized by a calm atmosphere. |
2013~Present: Catalog valorization and rights transfer
Background of the times: The investment value of music catalogs is expanding.The 90s dance catalog is re-evaluated with sampled material, re-releases and licenses.
What happened: In 2013, BMG acquired the Strictly Rhythm master catalog.Publishing rights were subsequently transferred.
Current position The brand/catalog is still active and is used as an “asset” for reissues, compilations, licensing, etc.
| No | Artist | Track | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kings Of Tomorrow | Finally (2014 Remaster) | Traditional deep house remastered, smooth sound quality. |
| 2 | Dennis Ferrer | Maniac 3000 | Features a modern and sophisticated house beat. |
| 3 | Quentin Harris | My Joy (Re-edit) | Deep house re-edited for clubs. |
| 4 | Barbara Tucker | Think (About It) 2015 Mix | A reinterpretation of vocal house, full of emotion. |
| 5 | Honey Dijon | Houze Muzik (Strictly Release) | At the forefront of modern house, with an emphasis on groove. |
| 6 | Louie Vega | Dance Ritual (2016) | Deep house with a Latin flavor. |
| 7 | DJ Spen | The Spirit of House | A modern take on the essence of traditional house. |
| 8 | David Penn | Con Son | A club tune featuring a smooth groove and melody. |
| 9 | Riva Starr | House Nation 2020 | Energetic house, beats that shine on the floor. |
| 10 | Barbara Tucker | I Get Lifted (Remix 2021) | A remix of a famous song with a modern arrangement, where the vocals shine. |
Summary of changes in equipment (production tools)
| Timing | Main equipment |
|---|---|
| 1989~Early 90s | Roland TR-909 / TR-808, TB-303, turntable + mixer |
| Mid 90s | E-MU SP-12 / SP-1200, Akai MPC series, outboard/tape |
| 2000s to present | DAW (Pro Tools, Ableton, Logic), plug-ins/software synths |
Representative masterpieces by generation (simple list)
| Year | Year | Artist | Work | Importance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early | 1990 | Roger Sanchez | Luv Dancin’ | Early masterpieces directly connected to NY clubs |
| Golden Age | 1993 | Reel 2 Real | I Like To Move It | Global Hit |
| Golden Age | 1994 | Armand Van Helden | Witch Doktor | New York House Icon |
| Golden Age | 1995 | Josh Wink | Higher State Of Consciousness | Acid-leaning anthem |
| Golden period to late period | 1997 | Ultra Naté | Free | Club → chart crossover |
| Late period | 1999 | Wamdue Project | King of My Castle | World hit with remix |
A treasure trove of classic house
Strictly Rhythm provides A&R with a thorough understanding of what works in a club = good'' and provides atesting ground’’ for producers.Although it was once closed due to capital issues, it was restarted and the company’s catalog was evaluated, and today it has been reevaluated as a ``treasure trove of classic house music.’’
References
- Wikipedia: Strictly Rhythm
- Red Bull Music Academy: Gladys Pizarro
- Resident Advisor / XLR8R: Label closure/reconstruction
- BMG official news: Strictly Rhythm catalog acquisition
- Todd Terry / Masters At Work Interview: Equipment and Production Methods
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