If the world does indeed take a village, Roger Sanchez has the soundtrack. He is a self-proclaimed workaholic. Our interview started as he was wrapping up mixing and producing music in a recording studio in Edgewater. “I’m a work-a-holic perfectionist,” said Sanchez, 40. “I need to keep pushing myself forward, and broadening my work so I keep a fresh perspective on the music industry.” Sanchez is internationally known and has a fan base that spans the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe. Also known to loyal followers as The S Man and Roger S, he is a self-made musician whose story started in Queens, NY.

As a young man Roger Sanchez always had an interest in an eclectic range of music.

“Back in the '70s and '80s I listened to all types of stuff, Latin, funk, hip-hop, soul. It all appealed to me,” he recalls. “My community had a lot to do with shaping who I am. Break-dancing, the DJs I heard, and the music that I listened to growing up impacted my interest in clubs and music,” Sanchez says. At about age 13, Sanchez organized house parties in Queens and would DJ the gatherings. “Crazy Legs and the Rock Steady Crew were influences for me,” he says.

House parties were doing so well, Sanchez began planning and producing his own events at venues. Attendance increased, and a fan base began developing. “I was selling my own mixed tapes, and I was very self-motivated,” he remembers.

His talents were catching the eyes of music producers. His first record, "Luv Dancin’" started as an underground single popular at nightclubs, including Manhattan's The Red Zone. “It brought my name out there,” Sanchez says.

Sanchez began acting as a reporting DJ, which offered him more exposure. He also was releasing more remix records in the late '80s and early '90s, making him a celebrity in the club scene and beyond. His record label at the time, Strictly Rhythm, made the decision to license his songs in the United Kingdom to capitalize on the culture and club scene there. “The culture in the UK is all about the nightlife,” Sanchez says. “There was a strong market for mixed dance music, and the club scene in the UK was a great place for my music. We could reach more people and expand my fan base.”

Not only was he playing the largest nightclubs in Manhattan, he also began making appearances in the UK, and on the Spanish island of Ibiza, which is known for its sizzling nightlife.

Sanchez maintains a residency in Ibiza. During the summer there, he headlines clubs, festivals, and other events. The remainder of the year Sanchez lives in Bergen County. “I love the quality of life in New Jersey,” he says. “It has everything, including great shopping and restaurants. I’m a short distance from New York, which is where the heart of everything is.”

He produces a weekly two-hour show entitled Release Yourself. The show, which has more than 1 million listeners worldwide, promotes a forum that incorporates talk, Sanchez’s remixes, tracks with new producers and artists, and also chat about hot spots in Europe and the U.S. “The show definitely expresses and is an extension of my personality,” Sanchez says. On his website (rogersanchez.com), a podcast of the show can be downloaded, and there is a complete list of media outlets that play it.
Sanchez won a Grammy Award for his 2002 remix of of No Doubt’s “Hella Good,” which was named “Best Remixed Recording.”

“I changed the arrangement, changed the drums, and restructured the chorus and then re-programmed the baseline,” Sanchez explains.
In 2006, Sanchez released Come with Me, an artist album of original music, and a second compilation album Release Yourself Volume 6, also with tracks of exclusive music. “I write music based on personal experiences, and it varies from track to track,” he says.

As owner of his own record label, Stealth Records, he continues to write, produce, and remix his own tracks and albums. Sanchez is crossing lines into new creative disciplines, and soon will make his film debut playing the role of Rocket in Johnny Postal, an independent film about loss and then love produced by Frank Calo. The film is slated to be released later this year.

As an icon that has seen first-hand the evolution of dance remix hits, when asked about how technology affects his craft, he said it offers a mix of good and bad. “The Internet is a double-edge sword," he says. "Yes, it allows me to reach a broader audience, but more people can download music illegally. That’s an issue facing artists all over the world.”