Label History / Biography
What do Todd Terry, Tommy Musto, Sabrina Johnston, Lenny Dee, Frankie Bones, Ralphie Dee, Victor Simonelli, Yvonne Turner, Arnold Jarvis, Barbara Tucker, Cybil Jeffries, Mateo & Matos, 95 North, Johnny D & Nicky P, Matthias Heilbronn, Jazz n’ Groove, to name but a few got in common?
Between 1987 and 2005 they all produced or recorded for either Sub-Urban or 4th Floor Records, two of House Music most enduring Record Labels.
New York based, the labels were born out of Northcott Productions (NPC), set up in the early 1980’s by Silvio Tancredi. Silvio cut his teeth in the music industry completing an internship at Swan Song records (Led Zeppelin’s record company). Silvio (a guitarist by musical trade) then produced several albums for industry legend Ahmet Ertegun’s Atlantic Records in disco’s hey-day with Simbora Orchestra, The Wonder Band, Herbie Mann and Klein & MBO.
In 1983,Tommy Musto, who was a popular NYC DJ at the time, began working at NCP and in 1986 became Silvio’s partner. Together they developed and distributed some of the hottest dance music through a variety of labels, owned, distributed or just labels they’ve helped give birth to. Labels like 4th Floor, Sub-Urban, Experimental, Atmosphere, Underworld, Nugroove, Henry Street & Yoruba.
First launched in 1987, 4th Floor Records (then Fourth Floor Records) had very humble beginnings. With just a few pieces of recording equipment and a dream, a “who’s who” of House Music has passed through its door over the years. Todd Terry created seminal productions as Masters At Work (before Louie Vega and Kenny Dope took on the mantle) with “Alright Alright” and “Dum Dum Cry”, and also as Black Riot “A Day In The Life”. With the early house and rave scene exploding in popularity in the UK and with it the demand for US produced House Music, Tommy and Silvio produced, co-produced (with the likes of NY legends Frankie Bones and Lenny Dee) or oversaw, productions such as Break Boys “And The Break Goes On”, Arnold Jarvis “Take Some Time Out For Love” and Fallout’s “The Morning After”, cementing 4th Floor as an essential imprint for DJ’s and vinyl addicts alike. The label paused for musical breath in 1992, just after releasing Airtight’s “Housewerk” which featured production skills from a young Gavin Mills (with then partner Nick Nicely). Gavin of course is now a household name with Defected through his work with Sam Holt as Copyright.
1992 also saw the birth of Sub-Urban Records. Started out of a love for R&B, Soul, Classics and most importantly…artists, and focusing on the increasing support for the big vocal house music productions flowing out of the north-eastern seaboard of the USA, Tommy Musto stamped his song writing, production and engineering skills on many of the labels releases, with his co-production’s and mixes with (for example) Victor Simonelli and Matthias Heilbronn offering standout moments again and again. Some of the music industries biggest voices such as Sabrina Johnston, Cybil Jeffries, Barbara Tucker, Yvonne Turner, Joi Cardwell, Yolanda Wyns, and Kathleen Murphy vocalled one high quality production after another. Other standout industry names that contributed to the label burgeoning catalogue include Brian Tappert, Lee Genesis, Mark Grant, Mousse T, Boris Dlugosh, Frankie Feliciano, JohNick, Tuff Jam, and Dave Lee. Standout release’s (from a potentially huge list!) include both Key To Life classics “Forever” and “Find The Way”, Deep Zone’s “Praise Him (Lift Your Hands Up)” & ” It's Gonna Be Alright”, Cloud 9’s “Do You Want Me” and Underground Commitment’s “I Here A Melody”. 62 releases on and 2005 saw the last release on Sub-Urban.
Back to 4th Floor (now amended from Fourth Floor), and the label came back in 1997 after a 5-year hiatus, and before hitting the scheduling buffers in 2004 racked up another 57 releases. The biggest (and a UK Top 40 Pop Hit in 2000 when licensed to Defected) was Johnny Corporate’s anthemic “Sunday Shoutin’” produced by Doug Smith and Richard Payton of 95 North fame. The re-invented 4th Floor was also one of the few US labels to support the London Garage scene of the late 1990’s with releases by the likes of RIP, as well as continuing to embrace the output of some of the USA’s top producers such as Johnny D, Nicky P, Mateo & Matos, Danny Morales, and Matthias Heilbronn.
In late 2006 the Sub-Urban and 4th Floor catalogues and Trademarks were sold to Tommy and Silvio’s long time UK publishing partner Ellis Rich at R&E Music. A long-term global licensing deal for both catalogues has now been entered into this year between R&E and Defected Records. Both labels catalogues will be made digitally available for the first time, and a selective remixing campaign of key releases will commence later in 2007. A unique aspect of the licensing deal with Defected also allow for the continuation of the musical legacy created by Sub-Urban and 4th Floor with the relaunch of both imprints with new releases signed directly by Defected.
Suburban Records returns classic full vocal soulful house cuts that made it one of the standout labels of the 90’s. Artists on the new roster include Mark Grant, Restless Soul, Monkey Brothers Ft: Shaun Escoffery, Roy Davis Jnr, Shuya Oskino Ft: Diviniti & Soul Creation Ft: Kenny Bobien.
4th Floor Records will return to the tracky sound the label was known for, but with a fresh deeper edge. The label will re-launch with a series of cuts and EP’s from artists such as Alec Wizz, Wipe The Needle, Jus Dope, Liquid People & Studio Apartment. Ellis Rich at R&E Music comments ‘ I am absolutely delighted that Defected have decided to relaunch the SubUrban and 4th Floor labels - Defected are at the forefront of global dance music and to have their input and support in this way is brilliant’
Tommy Musto and Silvio Tancredi added “We love the new home for our labels. The Defected team has always had the respect of punters around the globe, and there is no place better to continue the Sub-Urban and 4th Floor legacies. A seamless transition between the past and the future for sure! “
