Welcome Back, Carter

Back in the day, nine-year-old Derrick Carter used to play disco records at his family reunions in Chicago's western burbs. While his aunts and uncles chowed down and danced, young Derrick was slowly learning how to keep a party flowing.

The training paid off. In the mid-'80s, Carter started playing with DJ and recording equipment and producing house tracks, which he eventually shopped out to labels including Transmat, SRO and finally KMS. When the house scene picked up again in the '90s after a brief dip, Carter re-emerged through Felix da House Cat's label Radikal Fear. Then came regular gigs at Chi-town hotspots such as the legendary Smart Bar. He gained a rep for mad production and remix skills, one that he has maintained, as he also remixes pop tunes.

A power player in the global house scene, Carter now plays only the hottest house parties in Europe, including sweaty, sexed-up joints in Ibiza and London. The Chicago cat is back stateside, and comes to Houston today to drop some serious house, soul, jazz and whatever he thinks is fresh. You know, like disco on vinyl.
Sat., July 1, 9 p.m.