157 Shelter Records

Lore & Background

In the early 90s, initial tracks were manufactured and distributed by Polar Records Inc, a label created by then partners Manny Diaz and Freddy Sanon. Shortly thereafter, new tracks were released under Sanon’s own label Shelter Records. 157 Shelter Records is closely affiliated with The Shelter, a New York-based house music club founded by Timmy Regisford, Merlin Bobb, and Freddy Sanon. As explained by Sanon, both The Shelter and 157 Shelter Records name derived from a need to find a place to call home after the Paradise Garage closed. The feeling of homelessness led them to find ‘The Shelter’ where people could come to feel special and let loose no matter their background. That feeling translated to the label due to Sanon’s carefully selected singles that contained the energy of deep house and a general feeling of unity and inclusion.

Reader's Guide

Notable releases include “Alright” by Urban Soul, “That’s How Much I Love You” by Ambrosia and Big Moses, “How Deep is Your Love” by Blaze featuring Alexander Hope, “When I Think of You” by Kerri Chandler, and “I Get Deep” by Roland Clark. Associated artists: Ambrosia, Blaze, Big Moses, Boyd Jarvis, DJ Camacho, Eddie Perez, Glenn Underground, Kerri Chandler, Quentin Harris, Roland Clark, Timmy Regisford. Associated labels: Devotion Records, Luv Dancin Records, Polar Records Inc., Restricted Access, Restricted Tracks, Trinity Records, Un-Restricted Access, Underground Access.

Did You Know?

• The label's name and The Shelter club both originated from a feeling of homelessness after the Paradise Garage closed.
• Roland Clark's 'I Get Deep' was sampled by Fatboy Slim on 'Song for Shelter/Ya Mama' and 'Star 69/Weapon of Choice', as well as 'Swish Swish' by Katy Perry.

Origins and the Meaning Behind the Name

In the early 1990s, Freddy Sanon and his then-partner Manny Diaz were manufacturing and distributing house music tracks through Polar Records Inc. in New York. When their partnership evolved, Sanon took the next step and launched his own imprint, which became known as 157 Shelter Records. The label's name is deeply personal. Sanon has explained that both the club and the label drew their identity from a collective sense of displacement after the legendary Paradise Garage shut its doors. That sudden loss of a communal gathering space created what he described as a feeling of homelessness among the New York house community. The response was to build a new refuge—The Shelter, a club co-founded by Timmy Regisford, Merlin Bobb, and Sanon—where anyone, regardless of background, could feel welcome and let loose. That same spirit of belonging was baked into the label's curation, making 157 Shelter Records as much a cultural statement as a music business.

A Sound Built on Depth and Inclusion

Sanon approached 157 Shelter Records not as a catalog to fill but as a carefully curated collection of singles that carried a specific emotional weight. The label's sonic signature leaned into the rich, resonant textures of deep house, while its broader mission was to project a sense of unity and inclusion across the dance floor. That philosophy is reflected in the roster of artists who found a home on the imprint. Tracks like Urban Soul's "Alright" and the collaborative "That's How Much I Love You" from Ambrosia and Big Moses showcase the label's commitment to soulful, emotionally direct production. Blaze, featuring Alexander Hope, delivered "How Deep is Your Love," a title that almost mirrors the label's own ethos. Kerri Chandler's "When I Think of You" added a melodic, introspective dimension, while Roland Clark's "I Get Deep" became perhaps the most culturally significant release on the catalog, a track whose influence would extend far beyond the house music world.

The New York House Ecosystem

157 Shelter Records did not exist in isolation. It was tightly woven into the broader New York house music infrastructure, most visibly through its close affiliation with The Shelter club. The label served as the musical arm of a community that included producers, DJs, and vocalists such as Ambrosia, Blaze, Big Moses, Boyd Jarvis, DJ Camacho, Eddie Perez, Glenn Underground, Kerri Chandler, Quentin Harris, Roland Clark, and Timmy Regisford. Beyond its own roster, the label maintained working relationships with a constellation of sister and allied imprints, including Devotion Records, Luv Dancin Records, Polar Records Inc., Restricted Access, Restricted Tracks, Trinity Records, Un-Restricted Access, and Underground Access. This dense web of connections meant that a single 12-inch pressing could cross-pollinate across multiple labels and venues, reinforcing the collaborative, scene-driven culture that defined New York house in the post-Paradise Garage era.

A Track That Outlived the Dance Floor

Few releases in the history of New York house have achieved the kind of cross-genre penetration that Roland Clark's "I Get Deep" did after its appearance on 157 Shelter Records. The track's deep, resonant groove proved so distinctive and infectious that it was lifted by Fatboy Slim for inclusion on two of his productions: "Star 69/Weapon of Choice" and "Song for Shelter/Ya Mama." Years later, the same melodic DNA resurfaced in the mainstream pop sphere when Katy Perry sampled it for her hit "Swish Swish." These appropriations demonstrate that the label's carefully selected singles were not merely niche dance-floor staples but carried a sonic fingerprint recognizable and reusable across electronic, pop, and crossover contexts. For a small New York imprint born out of a community's need for a new home after Paradise Garage closed, the fact that one of its records could echo in a global pop hit speaks to the lasting cultural reach of 157 Shelter Records.