Mateo & Matos

John "Roc" Mateo and Eddie "E-Z" Matos formed one of the most skilled and driven production outfits in New York's house underground. Their introduction to disco came directly through late-'70s radio broadcasts featuring Shep Pettibone, Tony Humphries and Jonathan Fearing, an experience that later shaped the tracks they placed on Henry Street, NiteGrooves, Nervous and numerous other imprints throughout the 1990s.

The two first crossed paths in 1985 and quickly began working together as DJs. That same year they met "Little" Louie Vega, years before he teamed with Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez as Masters at Work, and absorbed lessons from him on studio procedures, production techniques and engineering practices. Their initial major booking arrived at Hector Cruz's traveling House Nation events, after which they maintained a steady schedule of gigs across multiple venues for the remainder of the decade.

By 1989 Mateo & Matos were channeling Vega's guidance into original material, issuing roughly six singles on their own Final Cut Records. Growing recognition followed, leading to further releases on Oxygen Music Works, Henry Street, Nervous, NiteGrooves and Spiritual Life in the middle of the decade. Their first full-length effort, New York Rhythms, surfaced on Glasgow Underground in 1997; its sequel arrived the following year. In 1999 The Many Shades of Mateo & Matos secured U.S. distribution via the same Scottish label.