Classic 90s house right here! Johnny D'Mairo's Henry Street Music was instrumental in bringing the sound of 90s New York house to the rest of the world. Named for the neighborhood that D'Mairo was from, the label made its mark with Kenny Dope's oft imitated but never duplicated The Bucketheads' "The Bomb." 20 Years Of Henry Street Music (The Definitive Collection) is a fantastic tribute to one of the most important house music labels out there. Joining Kenny Dope are heavyweights like Armand Van Helden and DJ Sneak, along with lesser known, yet still essential artists. Tronco Traxx's "Walk 4 Me," famously sampled for Boddika & Joy Orbison's "Swims," is one of the standouts and is well worth the price of admission on its own. Henry Street Music existed at a time when house was still well aware of its past. The label saw the sound transition from disco through house and nowhere is that more evident in the tracks presented here. Recommended.

• music label: BBE 2015

reviewed by Joey Coco 06/2015