Carl Craig

Onsumotahasheeat is the first mix CD to come from Carl since his DJ Kicks in 1995, and it's so distinct from the latter that it may as well be from a different person. Where DJ Kicks fore-grounded Detroit's second techno wave, the current mix emphasises the chic sounds of electronic jazz fusion. Obviously, this shift in taste is related to his recent work under Innerzone Orchestra (which strangely isn't featured in this set) and thus there's less beat consistency going on between the tracks and much more free-form improvisation going on within them; like in the frenzied drum solos on Goo's "The O.G." and the vaporous shifts from jazzy breaks to jungle dub on Recloose's "Landscaping." The selections (mostly coming out of the Shadow Records catalogue) are really eclectic, but what's even more refreshing is how, at times, Craig doesn't even mix the tracks in a conventional way. Instead of blending the beats to a consistent bpm, he just drops in a record and takes the tempo to a whole other level. You feel that when he cuts from the jazzy, Brazilian vibe of Ultralights' "Supernova" and drops the boomin' bass of Ib's "Superbad" (rhythmically, the first time anyone has been able to capture James Brown's “Sex Machine” sensibility with a 303 and electro-drums). When he does mix, it's to really change up the vibe, like moving from the Brazilian bata-jazz on Jimpster's "Wild Light" to John Arnold's house-y sparkles on "Universal Mind." It all makes for a great party, especially for people who can't take more a half-hour's worth of the same. Not to mention a great refutation of what a Detroit DJ should sound like.