Junior Sanchez
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Junior Sanchez is a house music DJ from New York City. He is also known as a record producer.
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."
Junior's attraction to the music business grew and he found himself promoting parties for famed New York clubs The 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 generated 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. 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 maturation in early 1996 on Strictly Rhythm also marked a musical maturation for him. 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.
Junior's work on the club anthem "B with U" (featuring soul diva Dajae) has propelled him into international prominence.