Nick Holder
From a 1991 split 12-inch to more than 500 DNH catalogue numbers: Toronto producer Nick Holder, his sample-based house and his best-known records.
- Toronto house producer and DJ born David Nakitta Holder, owner of DNH Records.
- Releasing records since 1991; aliases include Fruit Loops and Project 32.
- Known for sample-based house such as “Da Sambafrique” (1998) and “Summer Daze” (2001).
Nick Holder has been releasing house music from Toronto since 1991, most of it on his own label, DNH Records. His records lean on samples from disco, jazz and soul, and two of them, “Da Sambafrique” and “Summer Daze”, carried his name well beyond Canada.
Toronto and Detroit
David Nakitta Holder started DJing in the early 1980s and took his cues from Detroit techno, including Derrick May and Carl Craig. His first release, in 1991, was a split 12-inch with Troy Brown: “Soundwaves” on one side, “It’s All About Love” on the other, on DNH and TCB Music. DNH became his house label; a second label, Treehouse Records, handles hip-hop.
Fruit Loops and disco samples
In 1995 Holder released Fruit Loops on Definitive Recordings, with publishing through Plus 8. Each track was built on a sample from the disco and soul era: “Dance, Dance, Dance” drew on Chic, “Keep On Running” on Roy Ayers’ “Running Away”, “The Message Is Love” on MFSB. A second volume followed in 1996, and Fruit Loops became one of his aliases.
!K7 and NRK
His album Still On Track came out on Studio !K7 in 1998. The same year the UK label NRK Sound Division released “Da Sambafrique”, with a remix by Abacus, as a taste of a forthcoming album. It became one of his best-known records.
NRK also released his 2000 album Underground Alternatives and, in 2001, its single “Summer Daze”, built on a licensed sample of Pat Metheny Group’s “Slip Away”. The Other Side followed on NRK in September 2003, with guests including Sacha Williamson and Jemeni.
DNH today
DNH has kept up a steady flow for more than three decades: its catalogue numbers had passed 500 by 2017, when The Throwback EP came out as DNH-518. Holder has also recorded in projects such as Trackheadz and The Holder Brothers.
His records are made for the deep end of a night: long loops, warm samples, very little drama. Keep digging with Moodymann.
FAQ
Who is Nick Holder?
A Toronto house producer and DJ, born David Nakitta Holder, who owns DNH Records and has released music since 1991.
What are Nick Holder’s best-known tracks?
“Da Sambafrique” (1998, NRK Sound Division) and “Summer Daze” (2001), which samples Pat Metheny Group’s “Slip Away”.
Which labels does Nick Holder run?
DNH Records for house and Treehouse Records for hip-hop.
