The last time URB ran into Derrick Carter, he was buying shots for a crowd of people at Berlin’s Panorama Bar following his own set at neighboring club, Weekend. Most touring DJs with two decades experience behind the decks head home after their sets, but not our man DC, which might go a long way to explain why he’s still one of the best party starting jocks on the house music circuit. Derrick never forgot how to party himself. URB talked to the Chicago legend on the cusp of releasing his first mix for Fabric, and he even gave us an exclusive recording of a recent live set at Shelter for you to enjoy while reading.
Derrick Carter Live @ Shelter 2011
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URB: I can’t think of many house DJs who’s sound originated from playing at their parent’s parties. What type of music did you play at your parent’s parties? Do you think growing up in Chicago meant that your family was more receptive to ‘boomty boomp’ music, or was that just your family?
Derrick Carter: I’d mostly play hot songs that they could dance to. Nobody goes to a house party to sit around. People want to eat, talk shit, boogie and get their groove on. Disco, uptempo R&B, Funk, black pop kinds of things. ”Flashlight” – P-Funk, Teena Marie jams, “Too Funky In Here” – James Brown, “Bustin Loose” – Chuck Brown…you know, good stuff.
The dining room of the house I grew up in was at the back facing the yard, so we’d put speakers in the window and get in! Party on the patio! Thing is, I rather dug it on a few levels. I got to stay up late and have fun which has served me well in my current vocation. I got to sort of make the adults do what I wanted them too in that, if I threw on a “jam” then they’d snap and bust out their best dance moves or I could freak the tempo a bit and slap on a hot slow jam and while they’d be getting all grind-y, I could sneak over and hit the food table with the chips & dip and them baby hot dogs! Then I could drop something crazy like a Bobby “Blue” Bland track or Johnny “Guitar” Watson’s “Ain’t Gonna Move”.
My family is from the deep south so there’s a heavy blues tradition that runs right down the middle of it. It allows for a serious emotional component to be present without the feeling that there’s something cheesy happening or that you’ve over stepped your boundaries by becoming intimate and brought up feelings and stuff. It gels and sort of glues the group together and makes for a deeper transcendence. I’m not sure about the receptivity because I haven’t had much experience with other families or discussions about it with people that were neither in my family or from Chicago. I know Honey (Dijon) and I have had a few chats where we’ve talked about it but she grew up on the southside so, boom.
I’ve read that you said Classic Records was a special time and place. How did your collaboration in that project with Luke Solomon come about? What qualities made the two of you and Chez Damier click together?
It was a bit of youthful FTW’ism and a whole lot of liquor and partying. It just felt like something we should do. I think everyone had a label back then so why not us? We were smart and clever and figured it couldn’t be that hard. All of our friends were producers and so were we, so let’s go! I’ve known Chez since I was seventeen and Luke had come to Chicago to meet up with him so Chez was our commonality from the beginning (well, him and Rob from Guidance Recordings). There was no clicking really, it just all fell into place like families do.
Given that it was a special time and place, and a label almost defined by its temporal nature, why did you decide to issue the digital catalog this month?
Springtime is for lovers.
How do you go about preparing for a mix CD? For you does the process take weeks, minutes, days? Did you try and create something for the listener that you might play during a Fabric set?
I went into my record room and kind of had a root around. Current things that I was feeling, older bits which still sounded good. Rep my city and my friends. Trying to hit a few bases really, but mostly just trying to put something good together. I still get great feedback on my “Cosmic Disco” mix CD for Mixmag from years ago which I thought was good but never thought of as a “classic” or anything. This time out, I just wanted to make something you could listen to before you get ready to go out, or in the car, or on a run, or while washing the dishes. Any of that. I just wanted something that could emulate the fun of being at a good BBQ and let you get away for a minute or an hour.
I played Fabric recently and played at least five of the songs from the CD during the set. It’s not like these songs are removed and placed in a special “Mix CD only” folder. These are working tracks – blue collar tracks and they go from boardroom to ballroom baby.
No doubt throughout the course of your career you’ve seen a lot of things change, both in music and life. Does your music stay true to a core timeless essence, or do you feel that the music you produce is being shaped by the times/circumstances in which you live?
I’m not Marvin Gaye. I ain’t trying to make “What’s Going On” or be Stevie and create “Songs In The Key Of Life”. I don’t think about it. I just do it. It’s not some well thought out, planned or contrived thing. I just do what it takes. What feels right.
As a DJ and producer who much do you gravitate to new technologies? It is something you strive to embrace, or reluctantly accept? Do you wish it was still analog machines and two vinyls and a mixer?
I do not have a nostalgic “yesteryear tech” attitude. I could care less about the what’s. Make that shit funky and turn it out. I could care less how you do it, you just better get it done. I prefer to use CDJ-2000’s as the technology happening there is pretty major. I like the USB bit ’cause I can be a bit over extended at times and burning CD’s isn’t always an option. I’m slowly getting into NI’s Traktor and using the laptop as another way to make it happen. Look, I’ve said this before, whatever it takes is fine. Records are pressed from CD’s which are made on laptops. Having vinyl means nothing to me anymore. I spend a good part of my week digitizing and re-mastering tracks so I can have them to play out since a fair few of the places I play just aren’t set up for turntables. I do not miss lugging around a big box of heavy f*ckin’ records. Truth. It’s cute and boutique-y for the kids in a “oh, I’m going to only play vinyl fun time party” way, but when you’ve had a crate of vinyl strapped to your ass for 20 years, trying to catch a flight to wherever and then pray that when you get there your records will too, it loses some if not all of that cute. Plus I find records to be a highly limiting format. I used to give Mark (Farina) shit when he switched over to CD’s. Sorry Mark, I was wrong.
I know you have a sizeable art collection. Do you find much musical inspiration in your art? Is that what prompted you to start collecting? Or are the two mainly unconnected?
Disparate and unrelated at least in the conventional “draw a parallel” sense. I hope that this doesn’t sound dickish as it’s really being typed as matter-of-fact as can be and with a slightly devilish smile but I like a lot of different things and what happens is that because people know me for one thing or know one thing about me, it’s assumed that one thing is THE thing, and it touches or informs everything else. I like dogs too but that has nothing to do with house music. I like shoes but that has nothing to do with my love of good food and nice bottle of wine…
Lastly I know you have projects coming up with Hercules & Love Affair, DJ Sneak, Made to Play and Iz&Diz. How do you decide what projects to get involved with? Are there any things you always look out for?
I just try to do stuff. Sometimes I’m asked. Sometimes, I ask them. If I like it and have time, then I’m onboard. There’s no rhyme or reason at all. Mostly, I just likes to put some stank on it.
fabric 56: Derrick Carter from Fabric London on Vimeo.
AHH, the reply was WRITTEN by DC.
But, who wrote the questions? or were they edited by staff? They have a first person tone. Either way, they are good, they show a knowledge of DC’s career, and is a proper line of questioning. They hit a lot of the good bases – origins, process, technology. Ultimately though, it’s DC’s responses that really make it a readable story. He sounded like he really spoke, really wanted to answer the questions, and the somewhat sincere feeling kind of came through. plus, dude is articulate…
This was a really good interview. and having the live stream AND the video makes this a solid package of content, so props on that. should be standard.
Favorite bytes:
” It allows for a serious emotional component to be present without the feeling that there’s something cheesy happening or that you’ve over stepped your boundaries by becoming intimate and brought up feelings and stuff. It gels and sort of glues the group together and makes for a deeper transcendence.”
“These are working tracks – blue collar tracks and they go from boardroom to ballroom baby.”
- fuck yeah.
“It’s cute and boutique-y for the kids ”
- reminds me of Sweaterfunk up here in SF. haha. which is exactly what it is: boogie-ing in a basement while OGs play cup dice upstairs.
“I used to give Mark (Farina) shit when he switched over to CD’s. Sorry Mark, I was wrong.”
- hah! Farina and Kaskade always have STACKS of folders of fucking CDs when they spin. nice that he called that out.
“Disparate and unrelated at least in the conventional “draw a parallel” sense. I hope that this doesn’t sound dickish as it’s really being typed as matter-of-fact as can be and with a slightly devilish smile…”
“I like dogs too but that has nothing to do with house music. I like shoes but that has nothing to do with my love of good food and nice bottle of wine…”
- word. hah.
Nice! Thanks for both the interview and set.