Derrick Carter is a man truly doing his own thing with a definite sense that zero fucks are given for any trends and fads that can often populate DJ culture. His music packs so much personality, often including his own hand penned lyrics and vocal delivery that I’ve been drawn to his quirky productions for decades.
Five favs from the DLC vaults below, including one for Belfast’s own EPI.
Cabaret Voltaire are underrated in my opinion. Always ahead of the curve and when they got it right they were as good as anyone, managing to nail the sweet spot of experimental and avant garde with the commercial. Definitely worth digging through the back catalogue top listen to how their sound mutated and evolved. Also can someone do a nice vinyl reissue of Plasticity please?
For a period in the ninieties Jim Masters ran and provided A&R services via Open records, a sub label to the Ministry Of Sound night club & record label. Licensing & re-releasing US house & techno gems as well as giving a platform to great afro & disco edged material from the UK including artists Glen Gunner & DJ Harvey. In his role there Masters also conceptualised the first really amazing afterhour compilations that I was aware of, in the “Late Night Sessions” series, check the X-Press 2 and Harvey contributions for some perfect late night into early morning woozy scores.
Five below that sound as fresh today as they did back then…
Melvin Oliphant 111 knows where it’s at. Raw, stripped back Chicago sleaze, acid, house… You know the stuff we like, the stuff influenced by Ron Hardy! Great DJ and producer. Melvin understands the importance of keeping ‘dance’ music rough, not polishing the soul out of it and keeping the true spirit of house alive.
