DEREK CARTER

Although he was born in California, Derrick Carter is a product of Chicago where he grew up. He has emerged as the finest of the Windy City’s second generation of DJs and is respected worldwide as a superb spinner, whilst his releases are highly sought after amongst the dance and house cognoscenti. He’s also known as something of a party animal…

Carter was into music from a very early age, although he once described his father’s taste in music as "horrendous" and cites Dexy’s Midnight Runners as his first musical memory, by way of example. As a kid he was obsessed with music and worked a series of part-time jobs to earn the money to buy records. His first ‘gig’ was a family reunion party with two tape decks and as he grew up he was the kid who did mix tapes for his friends.

After graduating to a pair of decks in his early teens and putting in the required years of practise in his bedroom, he started out by throwing his own parties in lofts and basements under the banner of Substance with his friend Spencer Kinsey, better known now as recording artist and DJ Gemini. Oddly, he never touched drink or drugs in this period, despite all the party activity.

He made his first few tracks at the age of sixteen and began shopping them around local labels, eventually releasing Love Me Right with Kim Sims on SRO Records. As well as being his debut release, it was his first experience of the record industry and needless to say, he didn’t see any money from it, despite reasonable local sales. He had another go with a couple of releases on Kevin ‘Inner City’ Saunderson’s KMS label in Detroit, one as 24-7-365, the other a collaboration with Mark Farina and Chris Nazuka under the name of Symbols & Instruments which saw a UK release through the now-defunct Network - the label that introduced techno to the UK & Europe.

Carter then won a scholarship to the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), but got kicked out and returned to Chicago where he worked in record shops Imports Inc and Gramophone and DJed at venues like Shelter, Foxy’s and Smart Bar.

I n the early nineties, Carter recorded for Woody McBride’s Sounds label and released an EP on David Holmes’ Exploding Plastic Inevitable imprint. He then set up his own labels, Blue Cucaracha and Organico, and put in a spell working at Green Velvet’s Relief label. In 1994 he released his debut solo album, Sweetened – No Lemon, as The Sound Patrol – which included perhaps his biggest track to date, the sublime Tripping Among The Stars - and followed it up a couple of years later with Tone Theory on Mr C’s Plink Plonk.

In 1995 he co-founded another label, Classic, with UK DJ Luke Solomon. As well as solo productions by its owners, Classic has released the music of DJ Sneak (You Can’t Hide From Your Bud is the label’s biggest release to date), Chris Nazuka, Herbert and Nail amongst others and is now established as one of the premier house and deep grooves labels worldwide. He has remixed the likes of Blaze, DJ Q, Slam and Tanzmuzik, although his best known was probably his mix for fellow Chicagoan post-rock outfit Tortoise, now a collector’s item amongst both house and Tortoise fans alike.

He continues to DJ worldwide and has residencies in Chicago and New York, while occasionally releasing through Classic (the most recent of which was a single called Hope) and recently set up the multimedia placement agency Boompty Boomp Entertainment. His next album is set for release on Classic this year.
Rob Thomas

Derrick Carter Q&A

Describe your DJing style in your own words?
"Melodic & entertaining"
The record that says it all is..?
"No record says it all"
The record that never leaves your box is..?
"Every record eventually leaves my box"
How much do you spend on records in a typical week?
"Approximately $150+"
Which are your favourite record shops worldwide?
"Gramaphone, Vinyl Junkies, Blackmarket, Beat Parlor, Satellite, Central Station, Hi Fi, loads of used places..."
What did you want to be when you were a kid?
"A superstar"
When did you first start DJing?
"When I was about 9"
What music were you playing then?
"Disco and R&B"
What’s been your biggest career break to date?
"Playing at my first Boys Own party"
What’s the biggest crowd you’ve played to yet?
"10,000 or so"
When was the last time you played to under fifty people?
"Last week"
The mark of a great DJ is..?
"People like him"
The best DJ you ever saw was..?
"Terry Mack (circa '85-'86)"
Five clichés people always come out with about you?
"Loves to party, gets fucked up, plays peak hour-styled sets, shoe whore, has a large cock"
Tell us something no-one else knows about you?
"I've actually got a huge cock"
Which has been the biggest record you’ve released yet?
"Don’t know. No one ever sends me statements"
What recording aliases do you use?
"The Innocent, The Unknown, Sound Patrol, Red Nail Kidz, Nico Messeret"
Five labels you always check ou