8 labels that shaped the New York City house sound

Sleeping Bag Records

Founded by Arthur Russell, William Socolov and Juggy Gales in 1981, Sleeping Bag was a by-word for the NYC underground that preached avant-garde dance music and worshipped at the church of the Paradise Garage. A bridge between disco, the ballroom scene and early hip-hop infused house music, Sleeping Bag was the spiritual home of Russell’s various production aliases, notably as Dinosaur L and Indian Ocean, as well as Mantronix and vocalists Joyce Sims, Dhar Braxton and Nocera. A&R Kurtis Mantronix ensured that the label’s later output had a greater hip hop/r&b emphasis, and although not strictly a house label, by the time it ceased operations in 1992, Sleeping Bag had left an indelible mark on the development of the music.

---

Class Action ft. Chris Wiltshire
Week End (Larry Levan mix)
(1983)

Listen / Buy

Well, well, well… What can you say about ‘Weekend’? Morales, Levan, Russell, and production whizz Bob Blank all lend a hand on this slab of vintage Sleeping Bag (read: bombastic vocals, sizzling hats, oddball arrangements, that deep bass drum beat) and the ultimate peak time floor filler.

---

Dinosaur L
Go Bang! #5 / Clean On Your Bean #1
(1982)

Listen / Buy

Any number of Arthur Russell collaborations of aliases could have taken this spot (notably Indian Ocean’s Treehouse/School Bell) but for pure vision it had to be ‘Go Bang!’ Utterly mind-blowing, especially when you think how hot this came off the heals of the commercial disco era. Definitive Sleeping Bag.

---

Mantronix
The Album
(1985)

Listen / Buy

While Sleeping Bag was all about the 12”s, Mantronix bucked the trend with probably the label’s most important long player. Mantronix: The Album defined what would become known as electro-funk, an uncompromising combination of Planet Rock & Kraftwerk.

---

Joyce Simms
Come Into My Life
(1987)

Listen / Buy

Sleeping Bag may have been fully a paid up indie, but they presided over some massive hits, Joyce Simms’ ‘Come Into My Life’ up there with the biggest. While the 7” got the radio play, it’s the extended Mantronix mix where Simms’ voice can really breath.

---

Nocera
Let’s Go
(1987)

Listen / Buy

It was this or ‘Summertime Summertime’, but we’ve plumped for ‘Let Go’ – the ultimate Latin freestyle hit produced by Little Louie Vega.

---