Carl Craig
ONSUMOTHASHEEAT
(Shadow)

Although Carl Craig (Innerzone Orchestra, Paperclip People) spends most of his time these days producing, the Detroit legend is still a sought-after DJ, thanks to his timeless good taste and deep crates. His latest mix is a funky, non-threatening selection of electro, techno, drum ’n’ bass and soul-drenched downtempo slabs culled from the Planet E (Craig’s label) and Shadow back catalogues. It’s not easy to discern Craig’s true chops on the strength of this mix since his selections were limited by the two sponsoring labels — despite their diversity, the two imprints represent a mere sliver of his outer-limit tastes and personal archives. Still, the Motown genius picks only winners, like LB’s herky-jerk, electro-tinged remake of James Brown’s " Super Bad " and the aggressive drum pastiche of Swiss producer Goo’s " The O.G. " LB also delivers a spastic, almost laughable version of Prince’s " The Future " that blends into R. Craig’s frenetic, Cybotron-esque electro. The languid, dubby pace of Recloose’s " Landscaping " breaks the set’s continuity near the end, but its brushwork and lilting, jazzy instrumentation are far too lovely to pass on. Although some parts aren’t really intended for dance-floor use, Onsumothasheeat is a potent reminder that Craig is a man of unimpeachable taste.

Issue Date: March 15 - 22, 2001