Chicago’s Derrick Carter has always evaded the media, but he commands cult status in the clubs.The house hero is the party spirit personified. The DJ spins everything from deep house and neo-disco through to soulful and funky tech-house.
In the past Carter has been depicted as a party animal, but he describes himself as a “very public, private person” and does manage to lead a life outside DJing. “I go out all the time without having to worry about being a ‘superstar DJ’,” he explained to www.inthemix.com.au. “Very rarely do I get a lot of attention from strangers when I’m out of the booth.”
Carter was born in LA, not the mid-west, as is often written, but he spent his youth in the western suburbs of Chicago. He always loved music and was something of a “bedroom jock” before his 10th birthday. His mom, a teacher, bought him records and even brought home reel-to-reel tape recorders from school to amuse him. “It was a matter of entertaining myself, because I was quite a hyperactive child, and there was nothing anyone could do to make me sit down,” Carter told www.jahsonic.com. “I was doing my thing.”
Carter’s introduction to club culture came through a friend who would tell him stories of The Warehouse in Chicago. At the same time he was tuning into the radio and hearing the new house music. By time Derrick was 16, and had acquired his driver’s license, he was ‘sneaking’ into clubs. Carter was DJing professionally at the end of the 80s.
Inevitably Carter began to make music. He hooked up with Mark Farina and Chris Nazuka to form Symbols & Instruments and recorded Moods, which materialised on a Detroit label – Kevin Saunderson’s KMS. Derrick was 16. His first real solo endeavour was The Sound Patrol EP on Organico.
Having forfeited a scholarship at engineering college, Carter established himself as part of a second wave of Chi-town house stars along with Cajmere (Green Velvet) and Felix Da Housecat. Carter was soon able to stop working in specialty dance stores.
These days Carter presides over the trans-Atlantic Classic Music Company with British DJ Luke Solomon.
Classic would have to be the most credible house label on the market. It’s issued brilliant records like DJ Sneak’s You Can’t Hide From Your Bud and Isolee’s Beau Mot Plage, not to mention Derrick’s own EPs. “It’s more about dreams than anything else,” Carter says. “People set up labels and they don’t have any other agenda apart from making money. If they’re in a position where they’ve got a little light on them, they’re looking to turn that light into cash… Our dream is to have fun. All I ever wanted was to be cool and get records in the mail. I’m fine.”
Late last year after much hype Carter delivered an eccentric album, Squaredancing In A Roundhouse via Classic – it received favorable reviews in the American Urb and UK magazines like Muzik. Of Squaredancing, Urb stated, “Unlike the legions of great producers who can’t spin their laundry dry to strong DJs whose tracks, well, suck, Carter can do it both ways – and well… It’s the bomb, kids.”
So what motivates Carter? “I had this thing where I was going to take over the universe,” he mused in an interview with grooveradio.com. “I could sing, write, play all the instruments, produce, and engineer the records. I worked at record stores, so I had sales experience, I DJed nightclubs, so I had nightclub experience. I owned a label, so I had that experience. I’ve always tried to get it all in there. That was my plan for universal domination.”
He’s nearly there.
Derrick Carter plays Moonlight sounds this Sunday 2nd March in Melbourne. Check ITM whatson for more details.
Squaredancing In A Roundhouse is out through Stomp.
