Looks like Melbourne definitely got the better end of the deal! It was good to see him in Sydney - the first time I've ever seen him in any incarnation, but the gig itself wasn't really put together with much love; it seemed to be an out-and-out exercise in making money rather than a party put on by passionate folk.
Carl played fantastic music throughout - starting off all minimal with some Rhythm and Sound and the new Luciano on cadenza, moving through nice dubby house a la KDJ, into some nice tech and he generally stayed in that tech area for most of the night, colouring it with latin/african rhythms. He played lots of his own stuff (it was great to finally hear his remix of Beanfield on a big system, though I'm a little disappointed he didn't give Angola a whirl) and finished up with some really emotive strings-based tech. When he dropped the seemingly obligatory tracks he did it with panache. Jaguar coming in over Good Girls was a particular highlight. And then the next support came on and played nosebleed techno. And most people went home. Carl seemed to be enjoying himself at times, and there were moments of brilliance, but in all I didn't really feel that he was at any time running on full steam. I think he had a very very tough crowd to please and so couldn't take the kind of risks I was hoping he would, track selection-wise, without alienating a lot of people. Sounds like the Honkytonks crowd were more open-minded on the whole. I'm not really complaining though - as said, it was good to hear some fantastic music on such a great system - and to see so many people enjoying it; a real rareity for Sydney. And from a fanboy perspective it was just super cool to be in the same space as one of my heroes! Just to elaborate on Cyclone's description of his setup - he was using the latest version of Final Scratch with the new firewire scratch amp and full-blown Traktor interface, a DJM600 whose effects he was working from time to time (only delays and echos - no flangetastic nonsense from CC!), and he also had a 16-pad midi controller that he was using to trigger various sounds (and maybe loops and tracks as well). >>> "Cyclone Wehner" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 03/30/05 5:41 am >>> He was great in Melb at Honkytonks. He DJed with a computer set-up - Stanton Tracktor thing. (I don't know much on this stuff but I observed as much). Started with a 'sample' from Apocalypse Now - a part with the whirling helicopters and dialogue - and played v minimal techno (as in the newer German micro style Hawtin favours too) and gradually built up to Detroit style with a few faves like Strings Of Life - and then finished the arc with jazzy vibes. His last track was one by Detroit Experiment, from memory. I think Carl DJs as a programmer and the new technologies have helped him come into his own as a DJ. Really superb. Most proclaimed it to be one of the best gigs we've experienced in some time. Fabulous, responsive crowd. Christian Vance played live as Phunk De Sonique - layered lush sounds. One of the most talented techno/house producers in Melb. ---------- >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: 313@hyperreal.org >Subject: (313) Carl Craig in Sydney? >Date: Tue, 29 Mar 2005 4:16 PM > > > > > > did anybody go? how was he? how were the other djs? > > i couldn't make it - i was away up the coast > james > www.jbucknell.com >
