Carl Craig is one of the few of the old techno vanguard who still really interest me. He’s kept his sound evolving constantly over the years, always keeping that soulful element intrinsic to his work, and striving to keep the melody in techno. Basically, he’s a bit of a dude. This collection of some of his finest remixes, unreleased tracks and classic original productions is therefore a real treat, and will provide a useful history lesson to more recent sign-ups to the Craig fanclub.
There isn’t really such a thing as a bad Carl Craig remix, and this double CD clearly highlights his enduring talent for creating innovative, captivating reworks. You never know quite what to expect, and the diverse array of artists he has worked with has thrown up some very pleasant surprised over the years. His widely-acclaimed, haunting remix of Junior Boys’ ‘Like A Child’ sits side-by-side with the deep, gently tribal rhythms of his reconstruction of Chez Damier’s ‘Help Myself’ and the gorgeous, tropical vocals of his re-rub of Beanfield’s ‘Tides’. His bruising mix of Faze Action’s classic ‘In The Trees’ appears with other recent-ish biggies like the warped, k-hole-inducing wonk-up of Theo Parrish’s ‘Falling Up’, and stone-cold classics like his jazzy downbeat interpretation of Innerzone Orchestra’s ‘Bug In The Bass Bin’. His remix of Francesco Tristano’s ‘The Melody’ is inspirational too – an anthemic slice of techno laden with tribal percussion and chanting, with a big acidy hook that rises out of seemingly nowhere.
The handful of original productions are superb too; from the looped techno-disco of ‘Throw’ from his mid-‘90s Paperclip People era, to the hypnotic electro throb of ‘Rushed’ under his 69 guise, and the emotive, proto-trance synth melodies of his own ‘Futurelovetheme’, it’s easy to see he’s as comfortable making his own beats as he is reworking other people’s.
This is essential electronic music – an accessible collection of techno-based beats with a wide enough variety of textures to keep you hooked from start to finish. A true dance music legend if ever there was one.
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Tracklisting:
Session 1:
Directions “Busted Trees” (Carl Craig “Sessions” Remix)
Junior Boys “Like A Child” (Carl Craig Remix)
Rhythm & Sound “Poor People Must Work” (Carl Craig Remix)
Chez Damier “Help Myself” (Reconstructed by Carl Craig)
Paperclip People “Throw” (Unreleased Version)
Beanfield “Tides” (Carl Craig “Sessions” Remix)
Paperclip People “Clear And Present”
Theo Parrish “Falling Up” (Carl Craig Remix)
Paperclip People “Oscillator”(Original Version)
Cesaria Evora “Angola” (Carl Craig´s Mix)
Francesco Tristano “The Melody” (Carl Craig Remix)
Delia Gonzales & Gavin Russom “Revelee” (Carl Craig “Sessions” Remix)
Session 2:
69 “Rushed” (Original Version)
69 “Psychobeat” (previously unreleased)
Xpress2 “Kill 100” (Carl Craig “Sessions” Remix)
Tres Demented “Demented (Or Just Crazy)” (Original Version)
Faze Action “In The Trees” (unreleased Carl Craig Remix)
Tres Demented “Brainfreeze” (Carl Craig “Sessions” Mix)
Carl Craig “Futurelovetheme” (Carl Craig “Sessions” Mix)
Carl Craig “Sandstorms” (Original Version)
9. Innerzone Orchestra “Bug In The Bass Bin” (Carl Craig “Sessions” Mix)