Green Velvet ‎– Destination Unknown EP

A truly special and radical moment in the history of Chicago house.
"Destination Unknown" is the furthest foray to date in the dark, crazy and industrial side of house. 9 minutes of psychopathic, oppressive, messy, irrepressible metallic groove sounding litterally like a black sabbath that would climax in a definitive and unforgettable tibetan gong.
This one can be seen as the achievement in the dark dancefloor research started 10 years before during the acid era through classics like Sleezy D's "I've Lost Control", although in my opinion Cajmere is more radical here in the sense that he goes frankly industrial in the beats without losing the house spirit, which can be seen as a real tour de force.
Also visually, the picture sleeve is without question one of the coolest in house history, with the artist succeeding in his devilish unlikely clash between J-C and The Joker, also closing an era of fascinating and wild U.S transvestite club-kids that was litterally buried at the same time with Michael Alig murdering his boyfriend drug dealer in NYC.
One will also note the perfectly cool and nasty "cross" logo that would also be taken with less fun and irony by Justice 10 years later.
I would love to say that this is a genre-defining record but it appeared that nobody was able or crazy enough to follow Cajmere in that perfect and radical balance of nasty and entertainment, so let's say that "Destination Unknown" is the epitome in its own, unique genre, and hope that new kids on the scene will be more looking at this one in search of creepy, twisted inspiration.