Submerged

Sandy Rivera, the man behind Kings of Tomorrow, epitomizes New Jersey deep. He came to international attention in 2000 with “Finally,” a classic love number featuring the svelte vocals of Julie McKnight. “Finally” was a massive house anthem that was inescapable for months in discotheques around the world and was remixed by countless artists, including Danny Tenaglia and Danny Krivit, and reissued as a double twelve-inch on Atlantic Records. “A lot of people thought that, after öFinally,’ I would pretty much die and go six feet under,” says Rivera, who tends to speak confidently. “I mean, how do you follow up a track like that?”

Rivera produced two more breakout singles, 2002’s “Changes” and 2003’s “Thru,” both of which are included on Trouble. Taking a cue from the starkly honest sentiments expressed on those songs — “Changes” reflects a life left in disarray by a broken relationship, while “Thru” marks the end of a romance –much of Trouble is about emotional disorder, from the depression triggered by “London Fog” to the up-tempo “Civil Unrest.” It gives new meaning to the phrase “deep house.” “The album is banging. Go get it!” effuses Rivera.