Updated: April 09, 2004
In the early 1980's, the Disco craze was still thriving and those with a front row seat were both enchanted and eager to leap
right in. Aldo Marin was one of the original mix show DJ's of the infamous Disco 92/WKTU in NYC, doing the Paco super mixes
and the custom music mixes, continuing on for three years. Amado Marin was the owner of a well-known neighborhood
record store The Music House. Combining their strengths and passions, Aldo as an artist and Amado as a business owner,
they created the independent dance record label, Cutting Records.
Hashim 'Al-Naafiysh' was according to Aldo Marin, as their first release, "the unlikely tune, which was to start Cutting Records on a long and successful journey into the world of dance music." This song became not only a club hit but also an anthem for all break-dancers of the time. And amazingly it's still selling today, some 20 years later, featured in popular Playstation 2 gaming system releases, Grand Theft Auto and NBA Shootout 2004.
The success was unexpected and born of a humble beginning. "We just started really small. We ran it out of the record store the first year, selling to people who sold records to us." It was six months after the release of Hashim, and acknowledgement of fans from as far as England, that reality set in and it was finally exclaimed, "we [are] really in the record business!"
As a record label, Cutting has gained through their ability to adapt when the tide of the industry takes a turn. Quickly after their explosive debut a new sound emerged. It was the unlikely fusion of romantic teenaged melodies and the hard beats of Rap.
Aldo clearly recounts this pivotal stage in Cutting's development:
"With our ex-partner Hashim, the first couple of years, we did a lot of Electro kind of music. But I also wanted to do like . . . it wasn't called 'Freestyle' back then but Sa-Fire's 'Don't Break My Heart' was our first Freestyle record. Hashim wasn't into it so my brother [Amado] and I bought him out. We were going straight up hard dance-pop. Then came Nitro Deluxe, Giggles' 'Love Letter' and Corina's 'Out of Control', that was our big streak there. We made our stamp and showed people, boom, this is what we're doing and this is how we're going about it. It was definitely a turning point. But we weren't just Freestyle because 'Let's Get Brutal' was very much on the underground house tip and went commercial in Europe. We went on to the Concept of One, produced by Tony Moran, which featured many artists including: The Rascals, Brenda K. Starr, and Noel. At the same time, we were doing records like 'Wiggle It' by 2 In A Room and 'Do What You Want', which were not considered Freestyle. I didn't want to be just one style. I believe good music is good music. It could happen no matter what label you're on or anything like that."
Having achieved Gold record status from the U.S. to Australia, 2 In A Room's most popular single "Wiggle It" brought worldwide attention and standing. With their success in 1990, 2 In A Room topped Billboard's Hot Dance Music Club Play and 12-Inch Singles Sales charts. In addition, widespread radio airplay pushed the record up the Hot 100 Singles chart to Top 15. The previous releases, "Do What You Want", rocked the nightclubs and exploded onto the U.K. charts giving birth to their stylized hip-house music.
Also, the release of 2 In A Room's long awaited World Party album, featuring the production flair of Danny "Holiday" Vargas, Victor "Wepa Man" Vargas, Keith Litman, Todd Terry, DOSE, Winston "Rice & Beans" Rosa, Fast Eddie and many others, fused pounding house rhythms and jock-grabbing raps by DOSE & Floodlight to create a package both radio friendly and a nightclub hit.
In the summer of 1996, a new flavor exploded on the New York City scene, attractive to the ever-growing Latin American community packing the clubs and tuning the radios because of its blend of Merengue and House. In the short time of being out on the market, Sancocho acquired projection and acceptance in a dramatic way. These artists created "Tumba La Casa", the new sound considered an international success from the first moments heard in the recording studio because of its content and the aggressive interpretation it presents. "Tumba La Casa" dominated major radio stations throughout the country, at the clubs, at private parties, at friendly gatherings and successfully broke through to the international market. It's a timeless song that will continue to be in style with the popular trends within both the Latin and Anglo-Saxon markets.
The group, in less than a year, was honored with numerous awards, recognition and nominations. Their most notable nomination was for "Best Latin Group of 1996," from the Asociasion de Cronistas de Espectaculos de Nueva York (ACE). Having achieved a #1 record in Spain, Sancocho's most popular single "Tumba La Casa" brought them worldwide attention and standing. On the road to success the group has appeared on the most popular shows of television, such as: Sabado al Mediodia" which aired on Canal 41 Univision (New York), "Pachanga Latina" the Boston affiliate of Univision and "Sabado 47" aired by Telemundo.
And during this time, their music video was airing on Univision's Onda Max Show and The Box video network. Because of high requests from the Hispanic markets across the U.S., including Puerto Rico, the video ran for 16 straight weeks. They even made an appearance on the prestigious program, "Sabado Gigante hosted by Don Francisco."
The introduction of Sancocho's album "Rumba Te Tumba" exemplifies this band's tropical roots, embracing countries like the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Venezula and also the island of Puerto Rico. "Rumba Te Tumba" is an album of finest quality, excellent interpretation, and attractive to all tastes, a production that without doubt strengthens the Merenhouse market. The album is a collaboration of artists and experts in the field, including Mega 97.9 DJ Norty Cotto, Raul Acosta (the leader and creator of the Orquesta Oro Solido), Eddie Perez and Dionis Sanchez (director of the merengue group Agua Buena). A new era in Latin Music begins!
The 740 Boyz were signed about a year later and the group became a huge international success. Having achieved gold record status in France, the 740 Boyz' most popular single "Shimmy Shake" sold close to 300,000 in France and about 120,000 in Germany. The group's popularity sent them touring acrosss Europe as well as Russia, the Mediterranean, and Mexico. The group made appearances on the most popular TV shows, to list a few: "Siempre En Domingo" hosted by Raul Velasco, which is aired on Canal 41 Univision (New York), and "La Hora Lunatica" aired by Telemundo.
The blazing debut of a group called Fulanito, in 1997, brought prosperity to Cutting Records coupled with a series of award nominations, commercial sponsorships and the exploration of venues the label has never before penetrated. It was apparent in the beginning when Fulanito's very first album "El Hombre Mas Famoso" went Platinum that this group was to reach new heights.
Fulanito has been nominated for a Cassandra award in 2000, a Grammy in 2001, and a Premio Los Nuestro. In the course of their ongoing career they have also appeared in commercials for Heineken featuring their popular song "La Novela", for Chevy featuring "Chillando Goma" and for T-Mobile featuring "Callete". And though these last few years have been amazing for this group, the best is yet to come as their sound matures and refines while maintaining the vigor and sizzle that encompasses the evolution of latin music today.
The nominations for other bands like Innocentes and Son Callejeros for a Premio Los Nuestro and Chico Malo for a Grammy, as well as the up and coming releases of talents like E'Real, Noriega, Alexa and Guanabanas swells the anticipation of fans throughout. Always aiming to keep on the cutting edge of the industry, always reaching for that next plateau in music by cultivating new talents and producing songs that speak to the bodies and souls of people worldwide, Cutting Records, Inc. will easily find themselves celebrating another 20 years of success.