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
