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21 SAUCES OF INSPIRATION – Derrick Carter

21 SAUCES OF INSPIRATION - Derrick Carter

Derrick Carter – just the mention of this man’s name has me jumping out the seat and looking for the volume control. Probably the only person to successfully carve their own unique genre within the cluttered world of house music, Derrick Carter is one of the most exciting and technically gifted DJ’s around.

Alongside Luke Solomon he bought Classic Recordings in to this world and is without doubt one of my favourite DJ’s and producers. With his upcoming Fabric Mix firmly lodged into my eardrums I had to see if we could get some words from the man himself. So in his typically uncompromising fashion I (kind of) got to learn all about Derrick Carter’s 21 Sauces of Inspiration.

1. What gets you going in the morning?

The promise of the day’s offerings, the coffee up the road, and the fact that if I don’t "move it move it" there’s going to be a whole helluva lot of piss and shit to clean up.

2. What five records would you take to a desert island?

Why do people ask this…? Look, if I’m marooned on some deserted and uninhabited island the LAST thing I’m really going to be worried about is what music I have with me.

If it was voluntary, then I’d just take my iPod. So much easier to carry than five records, a turntable, a preamp, an amp, speakers, cables, a generator, gasoline…

3. What inspires you to create?

The process is part of it. The sitting there with what amounts to a blank canvas and figuring out what I want to put on it. Mixing the colours, deciding on the imagery, making the outline and filling it in. I like to make sounds do things. Rhythmatically speaking, sonically speaking, conceptually speaking. Taking nothing but some electrical impulses, some representations of electrical impulses and putting them together in such a way that people get hyped and start dancing. Putting them together and making people feel something.

4. What book or piece of literature are you reading at the moment?

Tokyo Vice – Jake Adelstein

5. Favorite piece of literature and why?

Literature always sounds so highbrow. "Books and written pieces" is probably a little more of an appropriate description of my tastes. It varies though. Lately, I’ve been reading the writings of social and revolutionary movements leaders. MLK’s "Letter from Birmingham Jail". A transcript of Huey P. Newton’s "The Women’s Liberation and Gay Liberation Movements" speech from the ’70s. Even back to "Tecumseh’s speech to the Osages". I like the ideas that are born from resistance and the light at the end of the tunnel.

6. Favorite club?

Clubs are weird places. Debauchery as a business model… I like the sound systems in a few places, the sonics, the responses, the surrounding cities. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed but "straight answers" are NOT my strong suit.

7. Which historical figure inspires you or would you like to meet?

There are way too many. The aforementioned leaders whose writings I’ve been reading. Sylvester (the singer), Abraham Lincoln, Ghandi, Mae West, Frederick Douglas, Josephine Baker. Great thinkers, humorous thinkers, and bon vivants in general.

8. List five movies that you couldn’t live without?

Truth is, I fall asleep during movies so I’m more of the TV show type (quick, easy, and wrapped within an hour) but the closest that I’d get to answering that question would be-

Paris is Burning

The Golden Child

Coming to America

Pulp Fiction

Beautiful Thing

9. Favorite director or actor?

I don’t have one…

10. Favorite piece of architecture or building?

I love Millenium Park here in Chicago. Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate and the Frank Gehry designed Pritzker Pavillion do the city proud.

11. Favorite combination of food or recipe?

I like spicy stuff. I love restaurants that challenge and confound. Schwa, Moto, Alinea, Graham Elliott. Serving experimental cuisine with a bit of fun and whimsy. I also love my local Mexican food place "De Pasada" and "Harold’s Chicken". I’m not a big fan of curry’s or Thai food but Basically if it’s good quality, I’m in

12. Favorite musical genre in the last 100 years and what would you mix it with if you could?

I like funky music. Is that a genre? House, disco, R&B, jazz, rock, dub…but FUNKY

13. Favorite Internet site?

Gizmodo

14. Who has had the biggest influence on you in your life?

I have…? I mean I suppose it would be my parents but they only held sway over the first eighteen years, The past 20+ have been of my own doing…

15. What is one record you should never be seen dancing to in a club?

You can dance to whatever makes you feel like dancing. I don’t even care.

16. Favorite 5 music artists currently listening to?

I don’t really have a thing for artists. I like songs and periods though Prince is always a fav. As is Rakim. Also George Clinton, Patrick Adams & Leroy Burgess, and probably more Prince.

17. Favorite piece of art or artist and why?

I don’t like this "Pick one or five" line of questioning as my editorial skills aren’t developed as such. I like lots and often can’t choose just the one. I can cite one or five but it is in no way a full representation of anything regarding my tastes and proclivities. Currently I’d say that a long standing favorite of mine is Alexander Girard. Always visually interesting.

18. Artist you’d most like to collaborate with?

I’m not really much of a collab guy. Sorry…

19. One obscure band / artist you think should be more popular?

Popularity is not my honor to bestow.

20. What’s your ringtone?I have three.

One is from Harlem Nights "Are you in charge of the girls? I am in charge of the girls!"

One is from Daft Punk Teachers and it’s just Derrick Carter looped.

One is ** ( a crazy ring tone Derrick kindly embedded but we cannot put on the site)

21. Do you have a favorite sauce?

A combination of A1 steak sauce + Louisiana hot sauce (one part A1 to two parts Louisiana)

Fabric 56 mixed by Derrick Carter will be released in March on Fabric Recordings

Published February 04, 2011.