Jeremy P. Caulfield
At a time when so much techno feels like endless variations on a played-out theme, it’s heartening to know that there are still a handful of artists, labels and DJs who can combine experience, skill and forward-looking ideals in style. Step forward Jeremy P. Caulfield, who amply ticks all of the above boxes. As proprietor of leading neuro-minimal imprint Dumb Unit, DJ of widely-acclaimed repute, and occasional producer of stripped-back, ominous dancefloor bombs, Jeremy has emerged from his early days on the Canadian techno circuit to become a leading light of today’s underground club scene. Using his fifteen years of DJing experience as a springboard, Jeremy has utilised Dumb Unit as a pivotal platform for the blossoming careers of artists including Butane, Lee Curtiss, Sweet N’ Candy and Seph, loosely defining a hinterland micro-scene of murky, intricate sounds that play with the darkest recesses of the mind while remaining firmly attached the propulsive drive of the dance-floor.
It’s an ambiguous definition best articulated by his series of Detached:Works mix tapes and CDs, which over the course of three volumes and 10 years neatly plots Jeremy’s evolution from sparky underground enthusiast to undisputed connoisseur of finely-tuned contemporary techno. From early residencies at Toronto’s legendary Blue and Fukhouse parties (where he knocked around with like-minded local jocks Adam Marshall, Ian Guthrie and Jeff Milligan, while playing alongside techno deities like Richie Hawtin, Derrick May and Jeff Mills), Jeremy’s established himself as one of North America’s finest DJs.
