Dumb and Dumber: Jeremy P. Caulfield and Lee Curtiss hit Fabric

Dumb and Dumber: Jeremy P. Caulfield and Lee Curtiss hit Fabric

13 March, 2008 | 6.43AM

• Section: Music News Topics: Beatport Blog
• Written by: Lee Smith

Two ambassadors from one of the minimal techno scene’s finest labels, Dumb-Unit, arrive in London this weekend for their Fabric debut.

Originally based in Toronto, Canada, label owner Jeremy P. Caulfield relocated to Berlin in 2003, and watched his label blossom, releasing acclaimed tracks from artists including Butane, Lee Curtiss, Seph, Sarah Goldfarb, and many more.

He’s also one of the tightest DJs around, locking down his sinister grooves everywhere from his Watergate residency in Berlin to the furthest flung corners of Japan, Australia, and his native North America.

We caught up with Jeremy ahead of the big London gig.

The label’s been a little quiet lately after a run of storming releases…has that been intentional or circumstantial? What’s coming up?

Well, it’s been intentional, and not so intentional.

Is that possible ?

We wanted to slow down a bit, as we did put out a lot last year.

Additionally we’ve been cautious of signing new acts and putting out just mediocre crap.

The scene is really suffering right now from just a glut of mediocre music, it’s really bad.

So we’re waiting for our key artists to perform.

But Lee Curtiss spent a bit too much time in German beer gardens last summer so he’s running late.

Seph is in South America, and claims that he is university, but I think this is a crock and he’s chasing girls.

I mean, wouldn’t you?

It’s summer there now…

I’m not quite sure what Sarah Goldfarb does on his free time and it kind of scares me to think about it.

Butane has an album on Alphahouse coming out so...so I just wait and be patient.

But my partner and I have signed Elon from NYC and Donor / Truss from NYC and London.

And for me, I’ve really been on the road a lot this year, and spend most of my time editing out all the four minute breaks and Spanish guitars people are putting in their music these days, so I can actually play the tracks.

Additionally, people seem to forget to master their tracks, and so after I buy stuff, I then have to master it for free.

So you’re getting your Fabric baptism this weekend…you’ve visited the UK before, right? How do you find it over here?

Yes.

I’ve played for this stalker guy from Brighton named Lee Smith, you might know him.

He does a good night called Kliks.

Him and his partner are kind of spooky, but I like the dark stuff, and find Brighton has this patina of grit on it which gets me going.

I’m playing there in April.

I’ve also played at The End, and for Damian [Lazarus] a few times.

I’ve never been to the north, though…

What can Fabric’s audience expect to hear this Saturday?

Well, a tight and moving set of a lot of new music, and a lot of custom edits of released stuff, as well as a few extended mixes of old gems that won’t sound old.

I’m playing for a few hours so I hope to move through my crackly surface techno into some dry dark bumpers, and then get all wooden and pulsing and in the end, swampy, dirty...Yoda’s den kind of stuff, always moving.

I also have a few new bootlegs I whipped up.

They should also expect to hear Lee Curtiss, who is a rocket.

Please don’t buy him drinks.

What about your own production? Anything in construction?

Hmm ...I have to admit not much.

But I am playing at Mutek this year...umm, shit...I think that’s confirmed.

Anyhow, I also am working more on extended DJ / live sets with 2 computers and efx, running Ableton and Serato, and a few toys.

But not a big show of technology.

I mean the set up is modern, but I’m not going to send you a press release about it.

The music and mood I’m going for is deeper, clean and extended in terms of depth, not just flashy.

I want to have the ability to move a lot more in and out of the mix than you can with two records, but with a focus on being smooth, and silky.

So to answer your question; my head is really just on DJing right now and I spend a lot of time preparing.

But maybe I’ll build a track of Spanish guitars from all the ones I took out.

Like dualling banjos but with guitar.

Would you buy that ?

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