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Mantronix

From Alfawiki
Mantronix
Company typeMusic group
IndustryMusic
Founded1984 in New York City, United States
FounderDJ Kurtis Mantronik (Kurtis el Khaleel), MC Tee (Touré Embden)
Defunct1991
Headquarters
New York City
,
United States
ProductsHip hop and electro funk music, albums, singles

Mantronix emerged as a pioneering 1980s hip hop and electro funk ensemble originating from New York City, founded by DJ Kurtis Mantronik (Kurtis el Khaleel) alongside rapper MC Tee (Touré Embden). Renowned for their innovative fusion of old school hip hop, electronic sounds, and club rhythms, the group produced five albums between 1984 and 1991, launching their career with the 1985 release The Album.

Formation and Early Period: 1984–1988

Kurtis Mantronik, a Jamaican-American immigrant, began delving into electro music during the early 1980s, drawing inspiration from pieces such as "Riot in Lagos" (1980) by Yellow Magic Orchestra member Ryuichi Sakamoto. In 1984, while performing as a DJ at Downtown Records in Manhattan, he connected with MC Tee, a Haitian-born rapper from Flatbush, Brooklyn. Together, they swiftly crafted a demo titled "Fresh Is The Word" and secured a contract with William Socolov’s Sleeping Bag Records.

The Album

Their initial single, "Fresh Is the Word," became a club favorite in 1985, climbing to No. 16 on Billboard Magazine's Hot Dance Singles Sales chart. This track was included on their debut album, The Album, released that same year.

Music critic Omar Willey highlighted the album’s significance: Mantronix established the electro-funk genre with standout tracks like "Fresh Is the Word," "Bassline," and "Electro Mega-Mix." Kurtis Mantronik utilized a polyrhythmic approach incorporating electronic drums, synthesizers, vocoders, and synth bass lines—crafting minimalist yet groove-heavy dance music that advanced old-school hip hop’s electronic roots. Their style synthesized elements from Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmaster Flash, Kraftwerk, and Neu, placing Mantronix at the crossroads of old-school hip hop and new jack swing.

The album’s legacy is reflected through later artists sampling its material: Beck incorporated "Needle to the Groove" into his 1996 hit "Where It's At," while the Beastie Boys sampled "Fresh Is The Word" in their 1992 track "Jimmy James" and revisited "Bassline" on their 2004 release To the 5 Boroughs.

Music Madness

Released in 1986, Mantronix’s sophomore album Music Madness combined MC Tee’s classic b-boy rhymes with Mantronik’s dancefloor-oriented production. This record resonated more with electronic dance and electro-funk listeners than with hardcore hip-hop followers.

During his tenure at Sleeping Bag Records, Mantronik also contributed to the label’s A&R Department and produced for other acts such as Just-Ice, T La Rock, Nocera, and Joyce Sims.

In Full Effect

In 1987, Mantronix secured an unprecedented seven-figure contract with Capitol Records, leading to the release of In Full Effect in 1988. Notably, this album was among the first to be mastered using DAT technology instead of traditional reel-to-reel tape. Expanding their hip-hop/electro funk/dance palette, the album achieved their highest chart position by reaching No. 18 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums list. This record marked rapper MC Tee’s final participation before departing to join the United States Air Force.

The track "King of the Beats," released in 1988, was one of the earliest songs to incorporate samples from the iconic Amen break.

This Should Move Ya

Following the exit of MC Tee, the group welcomed rapper Bryce "Luvah" Wilson alongside Mantronik's cousin, D.J. D. Wilson, who had previously been affiliated with Sleeping Bag Records, connected with Mantronik through work on his solo material.[1]

The album This Should Move Ya delivered two singles that reached the UK top 10: "Got to Have Your Love" peaked at No. 4, while "Take Your Time," featuring vocalist Wondress, climbed to No. 10. In the United States, the album attained a peak position of No. 61 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[2]

Kurtis Mantronik later revealed that the track "Got To Have Your Love" was intentionally designed to succeed on radio platforms.[3]

The Incredible Sound Machine

The final Mantronix release, The Incredible Sound Machine (1991), introduced vocalist Jade Trini as a replacement for D.J. D.[4] Seven of the eleven songs were co-written by Grammy-nominated neo soul artist Angie Stone. This album marked a stylistic shift towards Contemporary R&B, new jack swing, and dance genres, departing from their hip hop roots; however, it failed to achieve critical acclaim or commercial success.[4]

After completing a European tour to promote this album, the ensemble disbanded and Mantronik withdrew from the music scene for seven years.[5]

In the late 1990s, Kurtis Mantronik resurfaced in Europe as a producer specializing in house and techno artists and continues to be active within pop-oriented electronic music.[5]

2023–present

In 2023, Kurtis Mantronik revived Mantronix, producing and co-releasing three hip-hop tracks featuring New York rapper Bruse Wane: "Money Talks," "Era of the AI," and "When the Doves Fly." These singles were issued jointly on Mantronik's Mantronix Classics Label and Bruse Wane's Wane Enterprises Label. Additionally, Mantronik directed and edited music videos for all three songs, which are accessible via his official YouTube channel. He also initiated production collaborations with Bronx-based rapper Just-Ice.

Since 2023, Mantronix has consistently delivered singles categorized under "Arena Rap," including notable collaborations with Just-Ice such as "Rockin Worldwide," "Don't Bring Me Nothing Soft," and "A Long Time." Furthermore, he has remixed Debbie Deb’s "When I Hear Music," "Needle to the Groove 2025 & Beyond," as well as Funkadelic’s "Not Just Knee Deep." Together, Mantronix and Just-Ice released "Get Your Drink On, Get Your Freak On," a reinterpretation of “Cold Gettin’ Dumb,” which Mantronik regards as one of his most flawless beats—originally captured live in-studio without sequencing and completed within twenty minutes.

Recent releases by Mantronix are available on platforms including YouTube Music, YouTube, and BandCamp, with new material arriving annually. Whether future projects will emphasize further work with Bruse Wane or develop into a full partnership with Just-Ice remains open.

Studio Albums

Year Album Title Highest Chart Rankings Certifications
US Billboard 200 US R&B/Hip-Hop Albums UK Albums Chart
1985 The Album — 47 45
1986 Music Madness — 27 66
1988 In Full Effect 108 18 39
1990 This Should Move Ya 161 61 18
1991 The Incredible Sound Machine — — 36

Compilation Releases

Compilation Details
The Best of Mantronix
  • Issued: 1990
The Best of Mantronix 1985-1999
  • Issued: March 15, 1999
  • Featured Tracks: "Needle to the Groove", "Bassline", "King of the Beats", "Push Yer Hands Up"
That's My Beat
  • Issued: 2002
Remixed & Rare
  • Issued: May 25, 2004
The Ultra Selection
  • Issued: March 14, 2005

Singles

Release Year Track Title Peak Chart Positions Certifications Associated Album
US Billboard Hot 100 US R&B/Hip-Hop Songs US Dance Club Songs New Zealand Netherlands Belgium (Flanders) Germany Austria Switzerland Ireland UK Singles Chart
1985 "Fresh Is the Word" (US release only) — — — — — — — — — — — The Album
"Needle to the Groove" (US release only) — — — — — — — — — — —
1986 "Ladies" — — — — — — — — — — 55
"Bassline" — — 27 — — — — — — — 34
1987 "Who Is It?" "—" 68 21 — 87 — — — — — 40 Music Madness
"Scream" "—" "—" "—" "—" "—" "—" "—" "—" "—" "—" 46
1988 "Sing a Song" "—" "—" "—" 39 "—" "—" "—" "—" "—" "—" 61 In Full Effect
"Simple Simon" "—" 19 19 69 69 69 69 69 69 69 72
"Join Me Please"(US release only) "—" "—" "—" "—" "—" "—" "—" "—" "—" "— "
1989 "Got to Have Your Love"(feat. Wondress Hutchinson)

82 26 6 27 15 19 18 17 20 8 4 |

  • BPI: Silver |

This Should Move Ya |- 1990 ! scope=row | "Take Your Time"(feat. Wondress Hutchinson)| — — 15 — 23 — 63 — — 17 10 |

This Should Move Ya |- 1991 ! scope=row | "Don't Go Messin' with My Heart"

"—""|"—""|"26""|"26""|"26""|"26""|"26""|"26""|"26""|"22"" |

The Incredible Sound Machine |- 1991 ! scope=row | "Step to Me (Do Me)"

"23""|"23""|"23""|"23""|"23""|"23""|"23""|"23""|"23""|"59"" |

The Incredible Sound Machine |- 1991 ! scope=row | "Flower Child"

"78""|"78""|"78""|"78""|"78""|"78""|"78""|"78""|"78""|"78"" |

The Incredible Sound Machine |- 1996 ! scope=row | "It's Time to Party"(feat. Althea McQueen)

"42""|"42""|"42""|"42""|"42""|"42""|"42""|"42""|"42""|"42""" |

Non-album single |-


Additional resources

External links

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named LarkinDM
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named AllMusic This Should Move Ya Review
  3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Messin' With Mantronix
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named AllMusic The Incredible Sound Machine Review
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named When Recorded Hip-hop was in its Infancy, One Man was Responsible for Really Pushing the Sonic Envelope. It's Been Far from Plain Sailing Since, But the Mantronix Legacy will Run Forever
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