Burrell Brothers Nu Groove mix by Gerd Janson


On February 13, Rush Hour will release a double-vinyl, CD and digital compilation of classic 1988-92 tracks by cult house producers the Burrell Brothers.

The productions of Rheji and Ronald Burrell, who recorded under an array of different aliases (including Equation, Aphrodisiac, Houz’Neegroz, Metro, N.Y. House’n Authority and Tech Trax Inc.), pretty much defined the sound of New York’s Nu Groove Records. While other Nu Groove artists like Bobby Konders, Frankie Bones and Joey Beltram went on to become household names (well, in a certain type of household), the Burrells – thanks in part to a dodgy deal with EMI that stalled their career at a crucial time – never achieved such recognition. Nonetheless, they’ve remained a touchstone for house connoisseurs, and their tough, jacking productions have barely dated – check the above mix of all-Burrell productions by Gerd Janson for evidence of how fresh this vintage material still sounds today.

The new compilation, The Nu Groove Years Part 1, 1988-1992, features 11 solo-credited productions by the Burrells (Ronald as Aphrodisiac, Equation, K.A.T.O., and also with one track crafted for New Jersey duo Bäs Noir; Rheji as Utopia Project, Houz’Neegroz, Metro, N.Y. House’n Authority and Tech Trax Inc.).

“This release is a celebration of the work of the Burrell Brothers,” say Rush Hour. “The album includes a wide variety of their music under all their various guises. And despite their different guises, all the music they made always had a grainy quality to it, like house music with a sepia tint.”

Rheji Burrell adds: “The first House’n Authority was straight to cassette. That’s how we’d record our demos and stuff so we didn’t want to change what we did because it worked. I liked the fact that house music was crusty. Like an old jazz record, I liked the hiss.”

The Nu Groove Years Part 1 tracklist:
A1. Metro – Brownstone Express
A2. Tech Trax Inc. – Feel The Love (Sex Mix)
A3. K.A.T.O. – The Booty Dance (High Knee Mix)
B1. K.A.T.O. – Disco-Tech (Studio 54 Mix)
B2. Tech Trax Inc – Tech Trax Inc. (Xplanitory Mix)
B3. N.Y. House’n Authority – Apt 2a
C1. Bäs Noir – I’m Glad You Came To Me (Dub Mix)
C2. Equation – I’ll Say A Prayer 4 U
D1. N.Y. House’n Authority – Apt 3a
D2. Utopia Project – File #1
D3. N.Y. House’n Authority – Apt 3b