Biography of Erick "More" Morillo

House music producer, DJ, record label owner, and admitted former male gigolo, Erick Morillo was brought into the thick of the New York house scene with his involvement in the group Reel 2 Reel. With his label, Subliminal, Morillo's sound lies somewhere between traditional Chicago/New York house and the more hyped up sound of European dance music.Morillo's music influence starts off with his hectic childhood. Born in New Jersey, Morillo and his sister were shipped to Columbia to live with family members when he was three; handing the young boy a proper introduction to salsa and merengue sounds. At 11, Morillo and his sibling found themselves back in the states, living with their mother in New York. After high school, he enrolled in technical production and engineering classes at Manhattan's Center for Media Arts. While tuning his production skills, Morillo kept involved with the music through DJing at local bars, clubs, and social events playing reggae and hip-hop. His first production collaboration was with reggae artist the General in 1992. The collaboration, "Muevelo," went platinum and was voted Billboard magazine's 1992 Latin Single of the Year. Shortly after, Morillo discovered his calling with house music -- a still budding style at the time. Still referred to as Erick "More" Morillo, his first house track "The New Anthem'/'Funky Buddha" was released on Strictly Rhythm. With this label he released a DJ mix album, DJ Erick Morillo, Live and More. Morillo came into stardom when he joined with Trinidad-born producer the Stuntman and Marc Anthony (who was working with Masters at Work at the time). The result of the meshing of studio minds was the future club anthem "Move It," which found its way to the top of international dance charts. The singles "Go in Move," "Can You Feel It," and "Raise Your Hands" followed shortly after.With an overwhelming introduction to the large global house music scene via Reel 2 Reel, Morillo moved on to his own label, Subliminial Records, in 1997. The label made a name for itself with a single by Constipated Monkeys and eventually a roster of house all-stars. Though it was based in New Jersey, Subliminal was more associated with the European house sound due to the amount of time Morillo spent working there. The height of Subliminal records came with Morillo's residencies at the club paradise island of Ibiza. With Subliminal and his title as "King of Ibiza," Morillo started making custom records for the high-profile, Spanish non-stop party island paradise. He has recorded a catalog of singles with a slew of labels, some of which appear on various dance music compilations. In October of 2000 Morillo appeared on the Ministry of Sound release, House Nation America release along side fellow house pioneer, Little Louie Vega. A year later, he released Subliminal Sessions, Vol. 1. This hot dance mix was well-received across the globe, leaving Morillo to establish a legacy among the house crowd. He followed the tradition a second time with Subliminal Sessions, Vol. 3 in 2002. This collection featured 35 infections trakcs, capturing house and soul. ~ Diana Potts