Who Is Cajmere and Why Is He Important to Chicago House Music?
Cajmere is the recording alias of Chicago house producer Curtis Jones, and he matters to Chicago house because he founded Cajual Records in 1992 as an outlet for his own productions and other Chicago artists. If you are trying to place a track, a label credit, or a name you keep seeing on Chicago house records, the short answer is that Cajmere and Cajual Records are two sides of the same project: the artist and the label he built around his own sound.
The basics: Cajmere, Curtis Jones, and Cajual Records
Cajmere is not a separate person from Curtis Jones — it is the name he records under. Cajual Records, based in Chicago and established in 1992, is the label he founded and that carries the Cajual name.
| Name | What it refers to |
|---|---|
| Cajmere | Recording alias of Chicago house producer Curtis Jones |
| Curtis Jones | The artist behind the Cajmere alias |
| Cajual Records | Chicago house label founded in 1992, an outlet for his productions and other Chicago artists |
| Green Velvet | Another alias Jones records under, with a more techno and vocal-driven sound |
The key relationship to remember: Cajmere is the artist name, Cajual Records is the label, and both trace back to Curtis Jones.
Why Cajmere matters to Chicago house
Chicago house is usually told through its labels and its club records as much as its individual producers, and Cajual Records is one of the labels that carries that story into the 1990s. By founding the label in 1992, Jones created a home for his own Cajmere material and a platform for other Chicago artists, which is why the name shows up both as an artist credit and as a label credit.
His best-known tracks include "Brighter Days" and "Coffee Pot (It's Time for the Percolator)." Those two titles are a useful shorthand for the range involved: one leans toward the vocal, uplifting side of house, the other toward the percussive, club-tool side. Both are the kind of records that get cited when people talk about 1990s Chicago house and dance music.
Cajmere vs. Green Velvet
The alias split is the part that confuses people most, so it is worth separating clearly:
- Cajmere — the house-oriented alias, tied to Cajual Records and tracks like "Brighter Days" and "Coffee Pot (It's Time for the Percolator)."
- Green Velvet — another alias of Curtis Jones, known for a more techno and vocal-driven sound.
So if you see a record credited to Green Velvet, you are still looking at the same artist behind Cajmere. The difference is the style and the name on the label, not the person.
How to explore the catalog
If you want to hear the music rather than just place the name, there are two practical routes:
- Start with the Cajual Records releases. The label is the through-line for the Cajmere material and the other Chicago artists it put out, so working through its catalog gives you the context, not just the singles.
- Use streaming platforms for the individual tracks. Tracks like "Brighter Days" and "Coffee Pot (It's Time for the Percolator)" are the common entry points if you want to hear the Cajmere sound before digging into the wider label output.
A reasonable order is: listen to the best-known Cajmere tracks first, then follow the Cajual Records catalog to see how the label fit into the 1990s Chicago house and dance music scene, and finally check the Green Velvet material to hear the more techno and vocal-driven side of the same artist.
What to take away
Cajmere is Curtis Jones, the producer who founded Cajual Records in Chicago in 1992. The alias covers his house output, including "Brighter Days" and "Coffee Pot (It's Time for the Percolator)"; Green Velvet is the same artist under a more techno and vocal-driven name; and Cajual Records is the label that connects his own productions to other Chicago artists. If you only remember one thing, remember that the artist and the label share a name and a founder.