Romanthony

Romanthony consistently evoked the unpolished soul and sonic textures of late-'80s acid house and garage classics. Although far more recognized as an underground figure in his home country than across the Atlantic, where multiple LPs and compilations appeared, a pair of his vocal contributions plus a co-production credit on Daft Punk’s second album elevated his profile within mainstream club culture.

Anthony Moore, as he was originally named, launched his production career in New Jersey’s garage stronghold by crafting high-energy, lo-fi tracks at a time when dance music was shifting toward broader commercial appeal. Issued on his Black Male imprint, cuts such as “Floorpiece” and “Let Me Show You Love” projected a bold, outgoing dancefloor presence modeled directly on Prince and reminiscent of Chicago’s Green Velvet.

Local success with his recordings and DJ sets did not translate into global recognition until the mid-'90s, when Azuli Records in Britain compiled Black Male material into the album Romanworld. By decade’s end his signature retro acid-house style had gained traction, prompting early support in Scotland’s expanding house scene through numerous singles on Glasgow Underground.

Instinctual, his debut studio album, emerged as a joint project with the label’s DJ Predator. Live in the Mix arrived via Distance in 1999, followed in 2000 by the retrospective R.Hide in Plain Site on Glasgow Underground. He kept issuing singles into the 2000s and early 2010s; his last released track was a guest spot on Kris Menace’s “2Nite4U” in 2012. On May 7, 2013, he passed away at his Austin, Texas, residence from kidney-disease complications.