A graduate of New York City’s High School of Art and Design, Sanchez subsequently enrolled at the Pratt Institute studying architecture. Following advice from his father, in 1987 the DJ took a break from his studies to focus on his DJing and production endeavours. After only a few years Sanchez was mixing for multiple New York clubs including the Tunnel, before his own club, Ego Trip, became the hot spot for the freshest house and dance tracks. With his reputation raising to new levels, Sanchez toyed with the idea of production, recording his debut single “Luv Dancin" in 1990 as Underground Solution.
By greater coincidence than intention, the DJ began mixing high-profile tracks by the likes of Babyface, Janet and Michael Jackson, Chic, Diana Ross, and Soul II Soul. Sanchez subsequently issued his debut full-length album “Secret Weapons Volume 1” in 1994 on the revered Strictly Rhythm label, followed by the EP “Strictly 4 the Underground” in 1995, under the moniker Roger S. The same year, this time under the name Transatlantic Soul, the DJ and producer released “Released Yourself”, placing Sanchez is an exclusive group of the world’s finest producers.
A mix LP “Hard Times: The Album” featuring the S-Man appeared in 1995, following which he released a pair of mix volumes in Mixmag Live! and United DJ’s of America. In 1997 Sanchez formed a super group alongside Junior Sanchez and DJ Sneak, known as S-Men, later releasing the single “Back”. In a showcase of his finest remixes and productions, the DJ issued the two-disc collection "S-Man Classics" in 1998.
In 2001 Sanchez began making headway into mainstream charts, notably for his original single “Another Chance”, which topped the UK Singles Chart. Taken from the full-length “First Contact”, the single also proved popular in Austria, Beliglium, Finland and the Netherlands. Consisting entirely of his own productions, “First Contact” was new ground for Sanchez, and spawned the subsequent singles “You Can’t Change Me” and “Nothing 2 Prove”. The following year the DJ launched the label Stealth Records as a vehicle for his mixes, before winning a Grammy in 2003 for his remix of No Doubt’s “Hella Good”. The production full-length “Come with Me” followed in 2005 spawning the No. 1 U.S. Dance track “Lost” and “Turn on the Music”. In 2008 the DJ and producer issued the single “Bang That Box!” featuring Terri B!, before releasing the 10th Anniversary Edition of “Release Yourself” in 2011.
It’s funny how certain artists who are largely tied to certain underground scenes can, from time to time, cross over into the mainstream, even if only temporarily, and then disappear back to where they’ve always been best loved; that’s certainly the case with Roger Sanchez, a house DJ from Queens, New York who has been one of the genuine titans of the house genre ever since first emerging in 1994. The reverence with which fans of that style treat him has never really waned in the two decades since, but he has made a couple of breakthroughs in to the mainstream, first with his 2001 hit single ‘Another Chance’, which went to number one in the UK, and then with his first Grammy win in 2003, for Best Remixed Recording on his rejigged version of No Doubt’s ‘Hella Good’. Whilst that hasn’t quite translated into widespread commercial success, he remains a popular figure within his own genre, having performed residencies in the world capital of clubbing, Ibiza, every summer since 2000, performing sets that blend house with electronica to stirring effect. He also hosts a weekly radio show, Release Yourself, that has up to fifteen million listeners worldwide - it’s no wonder, then, that he so often travels the world and packs out rooms wherever he goes.
DJ and singer Sonique is a survivor – and I’m not talking about her victory over breast cancer a few years ago, though of course that is an incredible, moving story in itself. I’m talking about her turbulent career in the music industry; a career of staggering highs and down-in-the-dirt lows. But though she might not be a major player in terms of female singers these days, she remains a formidable DJ, and I felt super lucky to catch an all-too-rare set at Dalston Superstore last year (19th April 2013).
The North Londoner of Trinidadian descent was a staple part of the UK dance music scene at the turn of the millennium, thanks to her ubiquitous smash hit "It Feels So Good" from her Universal Music affiliated debut album, 'Hear My Cry,' which reached platinum status here in the UK. However, after the hoo-ha surrounding "It Feels So Good" died down, her pop career started to disintegrate, with her and Universal going separate ways. But what is pop’s loss is the clubber’s gain, and Sonqie has in recent years gone back to her DJ roots.
At Dalston Superstore, her mixing was not only on point, but featured flourishes of genuine creativity, the likes of which are usually non-existent in former chart botherers, who tend to go through the motions. Of course she dropped in snippets of her trance-laden break beat glory years, but she incorporated surprising meanders through disco house and melodic techno. A thoroughly enjoyable set, which proved – at least in my eyes – that Sonique is far from irrelevant; far from washed up. In fact, the underdog status always suited her best anyway – club-land is where she belongs.