Order the album via iTunes here: geni.us/20YearsHenryStreet
Incredible as it seems, this year marks twenty years since the launch of Johnny D’Mairo’s Henry Street Music label. To celebrate, BBE is marking the occasion with a sumptuous five- disc CD retrospective, a fitting tribute to one of the most important of all house labels. This is one of the most extensive grand summations yet done of a dance label.
Henry Street Music exemplified its era as much as Trax and Nu-Groove had theirs. Come the mid-‘90s, the disco cut-up became ubiquitous, as thousands tried to emulate the success of Henry Street’s first big killer, The Bucketheads’ Tha Bomb –still a dancefloor staple two decades on.
Many of the movers and shakers of the day had their best moments on Henry Street, and they’re all here: Johnnick, Armand Van Helden, DJ Duke, DJ Sneak, Dirty Harry, Davidson Ospina, Todd Terry, Mateo and Matos, Brutal Bill, Josh Wink, even the UK’s own Ashley Beedle, and many more –a veritable roll-call of the premiere-league of dance at the time, an era when dance music still seemed incredibly fertile and the link with its own past was still vital. 
Some of the American originals can struggle to get props among the countless mutations of house out there vying for attention in today’s digitalized dance scene, but the real house-heads always knew to check them, and will recognize this as quality product, through and through.

Henry Street (named after Brooklyn homeboy Johnny’s neighbourhood) always had a ‘New York’ vibe, and even when drawing its producers from further afield, the label encapsulated the city’s melting-pot of talent and raw, bristling energy... energy captured here, and exploding off these remastered tracks like it’s 1999 all over again! 

Alongside the massive dancefloor anthems from the likes of Kenny Dope and Armand Van Helden are some real gems that got away, some exclusive mixes, and the thoughts of Johnny D, one of the prime-movers of the New York dance scene even before he came up with his own label, responsible for countless hits as promotions man and as dance A&R at Atlantic. Never one for the limelight, Johnny’s own story is nonetheless inextricably bound up with the transition from disco through house to the ubiquity of dance music today. 
So... dust off those dancing shoes, and get ready to feel the heat, it’s one more time for the Henry Street Hustle!


Paul Simpson presents 1st Take Sessions - Keep Dancin'

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Founded in 1996 by Peter Adarkwah, Barely Breaking Even (BBE Music) started life as a London club night, taking its name from the eponymous Disco record by the Universal Robot Band.

The label grew from the vibrant early 90's club scene with its first release, Stop & Listen compiled by Dr Bob Jones in 1996, opening the door to iconic series' such as All Back To Mine & Late Nite Tales.

A tonne of releases followed, ranging from Disco to Funk, Jazz to House. In the year 2000, the label celebrated Masters at Work's 10th Anniversary with a mighty box set that featured near 80 tracks.

A year later BBE Music spawned the Beat Generation Series of artist albums, notably introducing J Dilla (Welcome 2 Detroit) & a young Will.I.Am's first solo outing, alongside DJ Jazzy Jeff, Madlib & DJ Spinna, all of whom contributed to this seminal set of long players.

A quarter of a century and well over 500 titles later, having worked with Mark Ronson, Roy Ayers, Questlove, Hugh Masekela, DJ Premier, Dimitri from Paris, Joey Negro, Kon, RZA, Laurent Garnier, Black Coffee, DJ Shadow, David Rodigan and John Morales among many others, BBE Music looks to the future, celebrating its rich heritage while continuing to release a bounty of fresh titles.

The label’s most recent projects include an expansive reissue series from pioneering Nigerian label Tabansi, new imprint ‘Batakari’ in association with Boddhi Satva and the critically acclaimed ‘J Jazz’ Japanese Jazz multi-album project, not to mention the recent landmark 500th label release: a brand new version of 'Barely Breaking Even', featuring Leroy Burgess, Patrick Adams and Louie Vega.

In 2021 BBE Music is celebrating its 25th anniversary. To mark this milestone, the label is offering up some special projects, from the 20th Anniversary edition of J Dilla’s ‘Welcome 2 Detroit’, through David Bowie tribute album ‘Modern Love’, to a special new ‘Worldwide’ compilation from old friend Gilles Peterson. BBE Music will also be looking to the future with more exciting original artist projects, plus merch collaborations events and more...