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Go BackMasterpiece theatre: Carl Craig Sessions.

Posted: 7/2/08 11:13

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You can't help but like Carl Craig. He is serenely handsome, vastly talented and there is a reassuring thread of continuity running through his career which belies his laundry list of aliases. Most of which get an airing on this impressive two disc snapshot of what it means to be Carl Craig. And with 10 new or previously unreleased versions it is a solid investment for fanatics and casual listeners alike.

Session 01 showcases Craig's most accessible side with lashings of classic house and prog influences. Some excellent - and familiar - remixes here, including his Grammy-nominated reworking of Junior Boys' Like A Child whose synth motif invokes Frankie Knuckles' masterpiece, Baby Wants To Ride, and the timeless Falling Up. The vintage vibe of Beanfield Tides, with its stunning female vocal, is another highlight; as is Francesco Tristano's The Melody which Carl reworks as a kingsize slab of early Detroit piano-house. Among his productions showcased are two Paperclip People cuts: the chiming, proggy Throw and Oscillator, a fuzzy, squawking rave record.

For a flavour of the dancefloor head to Session 02 - a reminder the maestro of melodic techno has a darker side. The first two cuts hark back to one of his earliest incarnations - 69 - with Rushed and Pyschobeat, a pair of tough, immediate, gritty techno. For more knotty, gnarly, aggressive sounds there is Demented (Or Just Crazy) under his Tres Demented moniker, as well as a Sessions-exclusive remix of the stomping Brainfreeze. Another treat is an unreleased version of In The Trees - dripping with old school rave attitude. The most instantly recognisable (commercial) cut here is his monster remix of X-Press2's Kill 100 which was ubiquitous 18 months ago. For hardcore Craig fans a more exciting inclusion is probably a new mix of his Innerzone Orchestra epic Bug In The Bass Bin - a endless, rolling, piano-led, bass anthem widely considered the progenitor of atmospheric drum 'n' bass. It's a neat sign off, actually, finishing the compilation with a reminder that, hey, Carl was there at the beginning - and he still is.

It is another excellent mix from the K7 stable (who brought us Henrik Schwarz's awesome Live, as well as Ewan Pearson's Piecework (last year) and a fine, classy effort by a DJ demi-god from whom we expect no less.

 Words by Jenny Lee
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