Sandy Rivera is a US house DJ, record producer and label owner. Born in the United States and based in New Jersey, he begins his career in New York City’s Spanish Harlem, where he starts DJing at the age of 13. He starts producing house music in 1992 and develops a style that leans toward soulful house.

Aliases and projects

Rivera works under several names, including Kings of Tomorrow, Soul Vision and Mysterious People. He also records with partners such as Jose Burgos, Haze and Jay “Sinister” Sealee, and the verified artist credits also include Organized Noize, The Committee, Sanjay, Sandy Rivera & Jose Burgos and Sanjose.

He is often associated with Kings of Tomorrow for more radio-friendly material, while releases under his own name are used for club-oriented tracks. He also notes a split from Jay “Sinister” Sealee in 2002.

Labels

Rivera owns the labels BlackWiz, founded in 1993, and Deep Vision Records, founded in 1995.

Notable releases

His best-known track is “Finally”, issued in 2000 as Kings of Tomorrow on Defected Records with vocals by Julie McKnight. The track reaches number 24 in the UK Top 40 and number 17 on the Billboard dance chart, and appears on numerous compilations from labels including Ministry of Sound, Hed Kandi and Warner Music. It is included on Kings of Tomorrow’s first album, It’s in the Lifestyle.

The group’s second album, Trouble, appears in 2005. Rivera describes it as his first album made without samples. The same first album also includes “Young Hearts”.

Work with other artists

As a producer and remixer, Rivera works with Terry Callier, Gisele Jackson, Bini & Martini, Michelle Weeks, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Walter L. Robinson.

Notes

He is often confused with Robbie Rivera, although the two are separate artists with different styles of house music.