FOUNDATIONS: DAN CURTIN / PART 1
Transcending futurism and bringing mystery to the fore.
Friends.
It’s Friday, and we’re relaying the foundations.
This week Stef is back with an American master.
Enjoy the ride.
Rubin
DAN CURTIN
Coming from Cleveland, Ohio, a place not immediately associated with electronic music, we focus on Dan Curtin, who is responsible for some of the most innovative and forward-thinking music ever committed to wax. He has released on labels such as 33 RPM / Sinewave, Peacefrog, Buzz, Sublime, Headspace, Elypsia, Down Low Music, and his own imprint, Metamorphic.
Fascinated with music from the early eighties, Dan’s career began in 1992. Whilst not being directly involved, instead observing at a distance the emerging scenes in other US cities that were creating house music. Drawing on his interests he quietly went about designing a unique sound signature; one that not only transcends futurism bringing mystery to the fore, but that is layered with incredible depth consisting of complex percussion programming, beautiful moods and melodies and subtle use of the 303.
There is an extreme beauty in his music that I find hard to put into words, due to its complex layers. However, the ability to effortlessly drop in mid-stream with different elements in sound design arrangements, heightening emotions without altering the feel and flow of the track, is one that few can do as flawlessly, successfully, or consistently as Dan.
His captivating productions draw you deep into his creative music mind. Invigorating and free-flowing for the body, yet at the same time, his music unleashes a melting pot of moody, emotive deepness for your heart and thoughts. An immensely talented producer in complete control of his creative expression and flow, with diverse, interchangeable sound segments in his productions that never distract, enhancing the story being told within the specific piece.
Binaural audio bliss, listen deep and admire the artistic range.
DECEPTION, 1996
It is not easy to know where to start with Dan’s productions. Still, in part one, we focus on this overlooked and under-appreciated 1996 classic album, Deception, and its incredible complementary artwork.
This is his third album; you can find the majority of the tracks here, and the third track of the album, There And Gone - Parts 1 and 2, the shorter version of 1 minute, can be found here, and the last track, Green Girl, is here.
It is edgy, vibrant, mysterious futurist sound design, with beauty and freedom (against the rule) as its primary focus.
I do, however, have to mention the track Voices From Another Age.
This is technically a breathtaking piece of techno perfection; whatever was in Dan’s mind when writing this track would be intriguing to know. Nevertheless, a beautiful yet complexly layered track: a deep, emotive piece that is both ethereal and futuristic. A subtle 303 line, interwoven with the fine percussive programming, makes this one of my personal favourites. Just incredible.
The artwork.
The complete image of the lady, set against a building and the cityscape, is presented in part as a front cover and in whole as a poster insert on the vinyl release. In contrast, the UK CD release is more elaborate, and the complete image is revealed when the packaging is opened and aligned. The artwork of the neon-lit cityscape and the lady, a little battle-torn and leaning on the building, belongs to an unimagined future at that time, and rather than being isolated from the music, here it perfectly complements it. In fact, it is a perfect visual representation of the sound you are about to experience.
THE SILICON DAWN, 1994
The next piece I want to highlight is Dan’s first album, released in 1994, titled The Silicon Dawn.
A masterful programmed album of atmospheric techno, space-themed pads, tight percussion and 303 drop-ins. A beautiful techno album. Listen intently to Population 2 at 3:24.
This embedded video is of this release, which includes two tracks, Outreach and Thalia Lost, not on the vinyl release. The missing track from this upload, found on this release, is this 104 BPM cosmic funk beauty:
PURVEYORS OF FINE FUNK
Before I delve into his Apogee, Planetary, Prototype, and Time Undefined aliases, I would like to focus on his collaborative work with Mike Tilly and Tatsuro Hayashi, known as the Purveyors of Fine Funk.
Their first four releases for Peacefrog, from 1994 to 1997, are notable: Effortlessly combining their musical artistry, they create 16 absorbing songs. It is challenging to determine who did what, and this is a testament to how well these songs are put together and how in tune they are with one another, showcasing their range and mastery of their craft. The first two releases have a distinct nod towards the Chicago music scene. In the following two, there is a more uplifting, feel-fine vibe, bouncy, not in a bad way at all: music that indeed invigorates the listener. I enjoy these immensely and will highlight one from each EP, but please take a moment to listen to them all in their entirety.
Arizona
Space Is The Place EP, Vol. 2
This Is A Track
Ashes Smashing Red
The Truth For You
Part two to follow.
Until the next one, I will leave you with two gems.
Spliffed
It’s All Good (indeed it is)
Peace and Love
Stefan
Again Stefan, surprised how much my tastes align. These are my highlights from Dan Curtin's career, one after the other, I never know why I haven't heard "There and gone" in a dancefloor ever, and "Ashes Smashing Red" is just an incredible piece. He is so good at catching that futuristic stuff - I think it is the dissonance that makes it so outworldly, he is melodic but without being obviously melodic, jazzy but without using the same easy chords. His body of work is full of wonderful tracks and at his best he is immediately recognisable and very difficult to mimic.