Biography
Tony Butler ranks among the most productive and pioneering electro producers of the 1980s. Operating out of Miami, he issued numerous popular club tracks on Power/Jam Packed and his Music Specialist imprint during the middle of the decade. Those releases helped shape an electro foundation that later spawned Miami bass and the freestyle sound, the latter derived from Butler’s chief alias, while also shaping the work of 1990s post-techno acts including Autechre and Biochip C. His initial solo recordings stand as electro landmarks; the singles “Fix It in the Mix,” “Jam the Box,” and “Get Some” favor a leaner, more minimal aesthetic reminiscent of Man Parrish and Cybotron. The tracks issued under the Freestyle name achieved even greater recognition, among them the perennial club cuts “It’s Automatic,” “Don’t Stop the Rock,” and “The Party Has Begun.” Yet Butler’s most enduring commercial impact stems from his pop-focused songwriting and production for Trinere, Debbie Deb, and Shannon. He remains based in Miami, where he continues to live and record.
Albums
