One of the break-out house producers of the late '90s, though he'd already been working for a decade,
Cevin Fisher is responsible for a growing number of club favorites including "Freaks Come Out," "(You Got Me) Burnin' Up," "Music Saved My Life," and "House Music."
Fisher began DJing while in his teens, first in his father's New Jersey bar and at various college gigs but later in a spot at the mecca for garage music, Club Zanzibar. From there, he moved to New York in the late '80s and began working on production with employees like Motown and
Arthur Baker's Shakedown Studios. Convinced by
Danny Tenaglia to begin recording on his own, he debuted with several anthemic tunes like "House Is a Feeling" (as
Sunday School) and "Hands on Love," songs that carried on the vibes of early house pioneers
Tony Humphries and
Larry Heard. Early singles "The Way We Used To" and "Shine the Light" earned international clubplay, though it was 1998's "The Freaks Come Out" that pushed him into the mainstream house stratosphere. Released on at least five different labels, the single made
Fisher's reputation as a suave producer, with preeminent vocals on his cuts. Two compilations appeared in 1999, the mixed Dangerous Disco and the
Nervous compilation
Cevin Fisher's Nervous Tracks. One year later,
Underground 2000 appeared on Razor & Tie.
Fisher has also remixed
Quincy Jones,
Chaka Khan,
Robert Miles, and
Kevin Aviance. ~ John Bush