New York disc jockey, producer and record label owner Erick Morillo’s newest album, “Subliminal Sessions Three,” is a three-disc collection that highlights the DJ’s ability to mix a variety of house music styles into a smooth, sensual sound.
Morillo, one of the world’s finest DJs, was born in New York and raised in New Jersey. Captivated by the art of DJing at an early age, he first began spinning at the age of 12.
Possessing an intense passion for dance music, Morillo was not satisfied with just mixing records though, and after graduating from high school he honed his production skills at the Manhattan Center for Media Arts.
Morillo first hit it big in 1992, when he collaborated with reggae artist El General. The two created “Meuvelo,” a song that went platinum and was later chosen by Billboard as the Latin Single of the Year.
Continued success as a producer opened more doors for Morillo as a DJ. Under the production pseudonym of Reel 2 Reel the New York native created club anthems such as “Move It,” and “Can You Feel It” and launched himself into the upper echelons of the electronic music world.
Recently ranked 14th in 2001 DJ Magazine’s top 100 poll, Morillo is a rarity – he is an American DJ who has truly achieved international success. In a musical world typically dominated by Europeans, Morillo is as popular, if not more so, on the international circuit as he is in America.
Morillo’s musical mastery extends beyond just track selection and production skills though. What has truly set him apart from the crowd is technical excellence as a DJ. He often uses an additional turntable, several CD mixers when playing live.
“Subliminal Sessions Three” is an album which flows from song to song effortlessly, proving again why Morillo is regarded as such a master technician behind the turntables. His seamless mixing melds the entire album into a cohesive entity.
The first disc opens with the wild beats of Basement Jaxx’s “Do Your Thing.” Morillo slowly builds the tempo as the album progresses, mixing together house tracks like DJ Dan’s “Put That Record Back On” and Goldtrix’s “Trippin.” He closes out the first album with Layo and Bushwakka’s smash hit “Love Story,” a song that has been played on dance floors all across the world.
The second disc has a more progressive, tribal sound as Morillo experiments with some of the newer styles of electronic music. A perfect mix of strong vocals, such as those on Jose Nunez’s “The Inside” and deep beats carry over the party atmosphere created by the first disc. Closing out with a bang, Morillo delivers another classic with a special version of X-Press 2’s “Lazy.”
The final disc of the album is dedicated to the Subliminal Soul offshoot of Morillo’s label. Morillo returns to his roots with a selection of soulful, deep house that provides an entirely different vibe.
Throughout all three discs Morillo seems to meld together various forms of house music, from progressive to tribal and everything in between. Combining this with his Latin-flavored DJ roots produces an CD which will become a must-have for any house music fan.
