Andy Caldwell

by L. Katz
Though the public probably best knows Andy Caldwell through his work with the Bay Area live house act Soulstice, he's actually been active in many other projects in the past decade. He's a regular contributor to Om Records compilations, appearing on everything from the Mushroom Jazz series to Om Lounge. He also has released works on other labels throughout the years, starting out on Brain Candy Enterprises and ending up on Inspirit, Ltd, a UK-based dance label. He is one of a select number of DJs to find a major-label home (Dreamworks, as part of Soulstice) although it didn't last long. Originally a student of piano and brass instruments, Caldwell is versatile in several sub-genres of music, both electronic and organic. His love for jazz and soul music is apparent whenever you listen to any of his Soulstice projects, while his forays into deep house and funky breaks often get showcased through Om compilations. Interestingly, Caldwell's first release was a breakbeat track ("Superfunkidiculous", 1994). It was only in subsequent years that he began to focus on house music. His background as a classical and jazz aficionado still evinces itself in his music, which is often quite a bit more melody-driven than the average house offerings.
Lately, Caldwell's resume reads like a Who's Who of dance music. He has remixed Frankie Boissy, produced tracks for vocalist and Inspirit labelmate Amma, and contributed to mix-CDs released on Deep Dish's sister label Yoshistoshi. In addition to the Dreamworks contract, he reached a mainstream audience by licensing tracks for videos and network TV shows. He released a mix CD on Inspirit in autumn of 2002.