Stop the presses: Dance music just got a surprise album. Detroit techno legend Carl Craig and Chicago house music legend Green Velvet have released a new, collaborative, surprise album titled Unity. Released on Relief Records, the longtime home of Green Velvet, the seven-track album combines the best of both worlds from these two artists's warm, pulsating beats, steady tech-y bass lines, sporadic bells and synths with horns, helping to give more weight to the tunes. Some tracks eschew more toward the side of Craig's techno roots and some toward Velvet's house background, but there is a clear middle ground met between these two electronic music greats. Stream it now.
"From the outer reaches of the galaxy come two captains from two worlds -- worlds that hold traditions which shape the branial particles and molecules of the munchkins, who will and have come to dominate the not-so-distant future with multiple galaxies and intercosmic cosmo cities," said the voiceover on the intro to Unity.
It has become almost expected in hip-hop and pop by now for artists to drop an album unexpectedly after everyone saw the success Beyoncé had with hers in 2013.
But dance music has not followed the same path as of yet, sticking to more traditional promotional schedules with albums and with less resources at the labels, looking to social media as a primary way to engage fans in the process. This is one of the first major surprise albums for a house and techno artist, but it is unlikely to be the last with industry trends.
Listen to the album below on SoundCloud and purchase the LP on Beatport. Let us know what you think down in the comments section.
Carl Craig and Green Velvet Unity Tracklist
01. Intro
02. So What
03. Rosalie
04. Party
05. Murder of the Innocent
06. How
07. Let It Go
