Green Velvet (aka Cajmere) studied chemical
engineering at the University of Illinois, where he exposed
himself to the energetic culture and lifestyle of house. In
1991, midway though graduate school, Cajmere returned to Chicago
to pursue his dream of producing house music.
In 1992, after surviving on cheese sandwiches and maximizing
credit limits, Cajmere finally made an imprint on the dance
community with his infectious experiment, "Coffee Pot"
(It's Time for the Percolator) Clubhouse Records. Then he
moved on to more complex musical and lyrical arrangements
with songs like Lidell Townsell's "Get With U" (Mercury
Records).
The Cajmere and Dajae collaboration resulted in a #2 Billboard
Dance Chart and International dance hit - "Brighter Days".
It was at this point that Cajmere decided to start Cajual
Records. Having his own label gave Cajmere the autonomy to
attain his goal of developing a sound that was representative
of Chicago - thus, putting Chicago back on the map.
In 1993 Cajmere created Relief Records. The label became
an outlet for he and other producers' more track-oriented
work.
The Relief label also gave birth to the experimental and
eccentric, afro wig-wearing entity we know as Green Velvet
- a Cajmere alter ego.
Green Velvet produced the first release on the Relief label,
"Preacher Man." He followed up the debut release
with "Flash" and "The Stalker", both of
which brought about unexpected praise and worldwide recognition.
In 1997, Green Velvet's attempt to combine 80s electronic
funk with Chicago's cult of a perfect track led to his creation,
"Answering Machine" - with the more humorous but
rather contagious hook - "I don't need this shit!"
For 1999 Green Velvet has crafted "Constant Chaos",
an electronic trip over a lyrical landscape or as Green Velvet
muses in a recent Muzik interview, "I guess it's sorta
like folk music for the rave scene."
