Even if you don't immediately recognize Erick Morillo by name, if you have ears and are over the age of, say, 16, you most certainly recognize his biggest hit. In the early Nineties, there were a few heady months when it looked like American-style hip-house might cross over into the mainstream. Morillo, as part of the act Reel 2 Real, was one of the top contenders, with 1994's bona fide hit "I Like to Move It." You know how it goes — the unmistakable, air-hornlike opening riff, then the Trini rapper known as the Mad Stuntman informing us "I like to move it, move it! I like to move it, move it!" The track reached number 89 on Billboard's Hot 100, and number five on the UK singles chart. Not bad for a dance jam with roots in the New York underground.
But while that raked in the bucks, Morillo hardly stayed dormant. Reel 2 Real racked up a few other club gems before disbanding. And in the late Nineties, he finally started his own label, Subliminal Records, and began releasing a string of remixes that have made him a sought-after producer. The concordant Subliminal Sessions parties have become legendary in New York, Ibiza, and here, yearly at Winter Music Conference.
With Saturday's event, Y Ultralounge, in the sprawling Karu & Y compound, dips its toes into late-late-late-night territory. Although the booze will shut off at the usual time, for the insanely well rested, or the just insane, the party officially goes until noon Sunday.
