House label run by Frank Mendez and Karen Mendez between 1988 and 1992. It was the brainchild of Frank, Karen and Judy Russell and was initially founded to release stuff by Rheji & Ronald Burrell who have been managed by Frank and Karen at the time.
Nu Groove, built on the foundation of the Burrell twins who’d escaped from an abortive R’n’B career with Virgin Records, was fast becoming the hippest house label. Nu Groove had started the year before with records like Bas Noir’s “My Love Is Magic,” and Aphrodisiac’s “Your Love,” and by 1989 they were on a roll.
Nu Groove never had a sound – with producers as disparate as the Burrells, Bobby Konders and Frankie Bones that wasn’t conceivable – and they never really had one big record, but the concept of the label went from strength to strength. Among their producers was Kenny “Dope” Gonzalez, yet to hook up with “Little” Louie Vega, who was moving into house with his Freestyle Orchestra project. Nu Groove’s first competitor was to come in the form of Strictly Rhythm, who opened up in 1989.
Judy Russell and Linda Perrone from Downtown 161 reissued a number of Nu Groove releases between 1994 and 2001 on their Tu Chicks label.
UK label Defected acquired the label in 2017 and started to release new music on the imprint in 2021.