History
Written by Miami bass historian: PappaWheelie
Our generation began with Funk, which later coexisted in the clubs with Disco,
but then a revolution happened in the streets. As the 80's dawned, the Hip-Hop
movement inspired Rap records and after the advent of affordable Drum Computers,
Electro was born! South Florida, along with NY and LA, was one of three breeding
grounds for Electro. As the novelty of early Rap records and breakdancing wore
off in 1985, South Florida gave birth to a new style of music: Miami Bass.
Debonaire first made a mark in 1986 when founder Claudio Barrella joined the
Florida Record Pool and became managed as a club DJ by Bo Crane of the fledgling
Pandisc Records. Pandisc had just signed the legendary Maggotron and they needed
a DJ. Hiring Claudio for the role, Pandisc released "Welcome to the Planet
of Bass" in 1987, which largely featured Claudio's groundbreaking work.
He followed this when he and rapper Tricky D constructed the timely track "Get
Silly with the Muppet Bass". Although it may seem dated to young bucks
today, during the height of 80's Hip-Hop, this was considered a classic. It
caught the attention of former members of the band The Florida Players, an
act from the renowned TK label. They released the song on their new Coomack
Records, which in turn sparked a vision.
Claudio began to idealize Debonaire not just as a stage name, but as one of
the pillars of golden era Miami Bass. Setting up Debonaire Records in early
1988, he and Tricky D came back stronger with "Take it to the Max", and
an EP for the group Rock & Fizz. However, the next record would make history
as it introduced new programming techniques by Claudio, as well as introducing
the world to the celebrated rapper Breezy Beat MC. The resulting single, "Shake
the Joint", was and is considered one of the top classics of the Miami Bass
genre, and caused a great deal of attention for Debonaire Records. The success
could've easily ended there.
After working further with Tricky D, Debonaire signed more acts and released
more singles to a very warm response, but his next project would prove Debonaire
to be a giant in the field. After Dynamix II left Bass Station Records and
underwent a change in personnel in 1988, Claudio and founding Dynamix member
Scratch-D joined forces and together in 1989 produced the classics "Bass
Generator" and "Ignition", which remain among the cornerstones
of Electro Bass globally.
One of the great mysteries surrounding Claudio since the early days of Debonaire
Records is who or what is behind the record "Sonic Boom". The track
was briefly released in the 90's under the group name Omega II and it connected
Dynamix II, Breezy Beat MC, DXJ of Maggotron, and Claudio. This record was
illegitimately released on Claudio's Showroom Records, a relative label to
Debonaire Records, and became a global cult classic selling for hundreds of
dollars worldwide through auctions, beyond anything known in the U.S. Since
then, a mysterious Electro act has taken it upon themselves to make their version
of the song, which confused the buying public. As a result, Debonaire was found
to be in the center of one of the biggest controversies in Electro history,
which is a testament to the strength of the production.
Since then, both Dynamix II and Breezy Beat MC have gone on to earn their
status as titans in the trade while Claudio has continued forward in his own
right. When the burgeoning new beat Techno sub-genre first was imported into
Florida in the early 90s, Claudio spearheaded a project well before it morphed
into the now known "Florida Breaks" scene. As the car audio Bass cottage-industry
blossomed into a national phenomenon, Claudio fronted many projects successfully
in that vein also. All of these ventures certainly proved to be forward thinking
and thriving, but letting a legend become forgotten is to no one's advantage.
As the golden era Miami Bass revival began picking up steam in the 2000's,
Debonaire Records was one of the first two record labels to return to the scene
that birthed it.
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