Curvve Recordings

Curvve Recordings is an American record label, based in St. Louis, Missouri, specialized in electronic dance music. It was founded by DJ and producer Vinny Troia in 2003. As of January 2014, Curvve Recording has released 60 remixes, originals, and compilations since the label’s founding, including several that have appeared on the Billboard and Beatport Top 10 charts.

History

Early years (2003-2005)

The record label was created in 2003 due to popularity growth of electronic dance music in the early 2000s by creating remixes of classical hit songs. In 2004, when it was based in New York City, the label released its first single, a compilation of remixes of the #1 Billboard dance hit "Free" by Ultra Naté.

Of the new label’s fast success, DJ Magazine reported: "In a few short months Troia’s label, Curvve has quickly established itself as a home of quality house." Curvve’s use of classic 90’s house tracks was also appreciated by the media, with The Island Def Jam Music Group saying of "Free": "That classic track from the 90′s gets a reworking for the new millennium. And what a selection it is, featuring the cream of the crop of the US scene at the moment." With the help of Peace Bisquit, the remixes of "Free" quickly toped the Billboard charts to peak at #23 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Play chart. Curvve’s second release, the 2004 remixes of Joi Cardwell's "Soul to Bare", a Billboard #2 house classic from the mid-90s, was another big success.

In 2004, Vinny Troia released his first original track through Curvve with a single named "Expression". The track was received well by critics, with M8 Magazine reporting: "Vinny Troia puts his money where his mouth his by releasing ‘Expression’ on his own label and basically kicking [...] with it in the process."

Underground years (2006-present)

Curvve’s artistic direction changed in the years following 2005, as Troia began focusing on more underground and abstract sounds. Despite this genre of music being less popular, Curvve’s releases during this time period were better received than their vocal-pop predecessors because the artists producing music for Curvve at this point in time were more well-known. They include Gareth Emery, Dave Audé, Jay Lumen, Jerome Isma-ae, Starkillers, Fine Taste, and most notably David Guetta, who during this time period remixed Chris Willis’s "My Freedom" into Beatport’s Top 10 and in 2011 was voted as the #1 DJ in the 'DJ Mag Top 100 DJs' fan poll.

In 2006, Curvve released its first compilation, Curvve Vol 1: Live at Miso. Curvve subsequently put out two more compilations. Curvve artist DJ Mike Gow’s 2006 compilation Residents: Vol. 1, was the first mix-cd to be released in stores by a St. Louis DJ, and received good reviews from regional press.

Releases

Publishing

Curvve is responsible for the majority of its own publishing. Curvve’s publishing arm is called Curvve Global Publishing, and it operates under American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).