Classic House Music... Victor Simonelli's name is synonymous with the cutting edge of the Dance Music scene. Simonelli is one of the New York’s finest and most prolific DJ's. He was also one of the early pioneers of the unique NYC underground dance music movement that has now become a phenomenon it its own right and religiously followed by the clubbing faithful the world over. A producer/re-mixer, song writer, record label owner, and highly sought after DJ, are just four facets of this multi-talented young man. His discography of production, writing. mixing and editing credits reads like a \"Who's Who!
Victor's love for music began as a youngster growing up in Brooklyn, New York. At a young age he was intrigued by his father's huge record collection of jazz, blues, electronic, disco, new age, rock, soul, classical, new wave, ethnic, and world music. His parents could see he was talented at an early age and encouraged him to listen to all kinds of music. With this encouragement, and guidance of his parents, Victor took lessons in piano, drums, guitar and bass, as well as voice lessons. But something was missing.I liked trying all of the instruments, but nothing really grabbed me.By the age of 11, he began tuning into NY's Radio Mix Shows on WBLS, WKTU and WXLO, (which later became WRKS,98.7 Kiss fm) and this is where he discovered the Art of mixing. When I started spinning - I just simply got lost in the music,\" Victor said.
By 1992 Victor began receiving calls to DJ at clubs from countries as far away as Japan , thanks to Victors engineer of the time , Gomi. It was also at this time that two of Victor's tracks, \"Feel So Right\" by Solution and \"I Want you To Know\" by Groove Committee (which Larry Levan championed in his sets at some of his final gigs in Japan) went on to become a significant piece of the ‘Simonelli Sound’.Todd Terry , approached Victor to commend , him on his works , and to license Production from him. Todd told Victor , \"When you got a sound thats working , just keep on with it\".
1993 saw Victor working on \"In The .Closet\" by Michael Jackson, featuring The Mystery Girl, Madonna (their only ever duet). At this point he began pumping out productions steadily,such as the blinding, \"It's So Good\" by Creative Force , which then new to the business Mathius Heilbronn Engineered. The unforgettable , “I Know A Place” by Sound Of One , which Roger Sanchez released on his first Label at the time , and the classic \"Dirty Games\" on Nu Groove (USA) and Vinyl Solution (UK). Street Players Vol 1 EP was also made this year , which went onto inspire the making of Kenny Dopes \"The Bomb\" (which was created a couple of years later by Kenny). Deep Dish had not yet formed but both Sharam and Dubfire approached Victor and asked his advise on making tracks , equing , mixing , etc.Shortly thereafter they formed Yoshi Toshi Records and began Producing themselves. During this year Victor made his first of many trips to England, and helped set up Suburban Records with Tommy Musto who also owned Fourth Floor Records at the time.
