Courtesy Narcotic Records
A union of mind and body characterizes Junior Sanchez's attitude toward
the sound he creates and the results he seeks. "Music should make
you move and at the same time make you think," he declares. Precocious
beyond his twenty-two years, his constant desire to reinvent his sound
has earned him respect worldwide as one of the most innovative young
producers/DJs today.
Junior's upbringing contributed to his artistic
philosophy and flexibility. His family from Bahia, the musical center
of Brazil, moved frequently within New Jersey exposing Sanchez to
a wide variety of taste and attitudes. "I have never listened to
just one type of music," he reminisces. "Between moving and having
five older brothers and a sister with diverse tastes from ABBA to
freestyle to disco to industrial new wave, I learned to appreciate
all kinds of music early on. I began to see how they all worked
together."
Another source of musical inspiration was his
mother whose huge collection of records and no-nonsense work ethic
provided the foundation and inspiration to purse his dreams. "She
made me believe anything was possible. Even when I was young, I
saw the light at the end of the tunnel." That light first shined
through a producer named Tony Rodriguez, a roommate of one of Junior's
older brothers. Rodriquez had produced "Fly Teta" under his name
Jose Chinga. The popular Latin freestyle track influenced Junior
in more ways than one. "Tony started it for me. He gave me my first
crate of records and showed me what a studio was made of."
Junior's attraction to the music business grew
and he found himself promoting parties for famed New York clubs
Limelight and Shelter. As a member of the NASA (Nocturnal Audio
Sensory Awakening) Babies, a collective of young DJs and party promoters,
Junior became well known within the New York club scene. Along with
DJs such as Jason Jinx and Odie, Junior was exposed to new, more
experimental sounds. "The New York underground enlightened me and
expanded my understanding of house music, more minimal based dance
and techno."
While only seventeen, Junior did A&R for independent
New Jersey label Rufftrax, signing producers like James Christian
and B.O.P. His ear to the street brought him to a rising star when
he met the up and coming producer Armand Van Helden in 1992. Their
bond was forever cemented the day they realized they had been sampling
each other's work. This relationship has generated a positive ripple
in the latest generation of Latino producers. The two formed the
Mongoloids, a collective of house producers/DJs committed to creating
imaginative music and sustaining strong friendships within the cutthroat
music industry.
While working with Erick Morillo at Double Platinum
Studios, Junior met Harry Romero. Mutual respect led to creative
energy. The duo joined forces and formed Nitebreed Productions,
named after the Clive Barker horror movie about a civilization that
lives underneath a cemetery. The dark enrapturing elements of their
creative collaboration made this an appropriate choice. Successful
remixes of Aaliyah's "One In A Million" - Atlantic and Zhane's "Request
Line" - Motown have generated recognition and increased demand for
his talents.
Junior's first solo project "Junior Sanchez
Presents The Bionic Traxx", released in early 1996 on Strictly Rhythm
also marked a musical maturation for him. "Finally I had gained
access to the equipment I long sought. This allowed me to reach
new levels of creativity and to develop my own distinct sound."
When he is not working on tracks as Nitebreed, or touring with Roger
Sanchez and DJ Sneak as a part of the S-Men trio, Junior is busy
building beats and dishing up new flavors. "I know it sounds like
a cliché but if you work hard at anything and you believe in it,
you can achieve it. It is all about having the drive."
Junior's recent work on the club anthem "B With
U" (featuring soul diva Dajae) has propelled him into international
prominence. His first release on Armand Van Helden's Armed Records
label is an EP entitled "Old Tracky Bastard".
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