Carl Craig

Carl Craig (born May 22, 1969) is an American electronic music producer and DJ from Detroit, Michigan.[4] He is known as a leading figure in the second wave of Detroit techno artists during the late 1980s and early 1990s.[5][6] Pitchfork described him as a "techno pioneer."[7] He is the founder of the record label Planet E Communications.[8]

For the football manager, see Carl Craig (football manager).
Carl Craig
Background information
Also known as
  • Psyche
  • BFC
  • 69
  • Paperclip People
  • Innerzone Orchestra
Born (1969-05-22) May 22, 1969
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Producer
  • DJ
Years active1989–present
Labels
Associated acts
Websitecarlcraig.net

As of 2008, Craig has released over 200 singles and remixes under numerous aliases.[6] He was nominated for the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical for his remix of Junior Boys' "Like a Child".[9]

Early life

Carl Craig was born in Detroit, Michigan, on May 22, 1969.[6] His mother is a teacher's assistant and his father is a post office worker.[7] He attended Cooley High School, where he developed an interest in music.[6] He learned to play guitar and later became interested in club music through his cousin Doug Craig, who worked lighting for Detroit area parties.[6] After hearing Derrick May's radio show on WJLB, Craig began experimenting with recording on a dual-deck cassette player.[6] Craig met someone who knew May and passed along a tape of some of his home studio productions.[6]

Career

Since 1989, Craig has released many recordings under a large number of aliases, including Psyche, BFC, 69, Paperclip People, and Innerzone Orchestra.[6] Craig founded his own record label called Planet E Communications in 1991.[7] Since then, it has released records by other artists such as Kevin Saunderson, Moodymann, and Kenny Larkin.[10]

His first studio album, Landcruising, was released on Blanco y Negro Records in 1995.[6] In 1996, he released The Secret Tapes of Doctor Eich under the Paperclip People moniker.[11] Elements 1989-1990, a compilation album which collected Craig's early material as Psyche and BFC, was also released in 1996.[12] In 1997, he released More Songs About Food and Revolutionary Art.[11] It was placed at number 29 on Pitchfork's "50 Best IDM Albums of All Time" list.[13] In 1999, he released Programmed under the Innerzone Orchestra moniker.[11]

Craig served as co-creator and artistic director for the Detroit Electronic Music Festival in 2000 and 2001.[14] His subsequent dismissal by festival organizers caused substantial controversy within the Detroit techno community, igniting a high-profile campaign in his favor.[15] In 2001, he filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit against festival producer Pop Culture Media.[16]

He released a reworked version of Landcruising, titled The Album Formerly Known As..., in 2005.[17] In 2008, he released a collaborative album with Moritz Von Oswald, titled Recomposed, on Deutsche Grammophon.[17] He returned as artistic director for the 2010 Detroit Electronic Music Festival.[18] In 2015, he released a collaborative album with Green Velvet, titled Unity, on Relief Records.[19] In 2017, he released Versus on InFiné.[20]

Craig created a sound installation, titled Party/After-Party, which opened at the Dia Beacon art museum in March 2020.[21] The culmination of a five-year-long engagement with Dia Beacon,[22] it was his first foray into the art world.[21]

Style and influences

Mixmag called Carl Craig "a leading figure in Detroit techno's second generation,"[5] while Exclaim! called him a "central figure" in the genre's second wave.[6] Pitchfork described him as "techno pioneer."[7] He has approached techno using inspiration from a wide range of musical genres, including soul, jazz, new wave, industrial, and Krautrock, while his works have spanned ambient techno, breakbeat, house, and modular synthesizer-based stylings.[3] In a 2015 interview, he cited The Electrifying Mojo, Prince, Kraftwerk, Juan Atkins, and Jeff Mills as the major influences on his music.[23]

Regarding the many positions he has held in the music industry (artist, producer, DJ, record label boss, and more), Craig has said, "I have a bad habit of getting my hands dirty in every little thing, and I really do enjoy it."[24]

Legacy

Craig's 1992 track "Bug in the Bassbin", released under the Innerzone Orchestra moniker, was picked up by DJs such as 4hero, Goldie, and J Majik.[25] In the United Kingdom, DJs started playing the track at 45 rpm instead of the intended 33 rpm.[26] According to Now, the track "ended up providing inspiration and in many ways writing the blueprint for what drum 'n' bass was to become in England."[26]

Discography

Albums
  • Landcruising (1995)
  • The Secret Tapes of Doctor Eich (1996) (as Paperclip People)
  • More Songs About Food and Revolutionary Art (1997)
  • Programmed (1999) (as Innerzone Orchestra)
  • The Album Formerly Known As... (2005)
  • Recomposed (2008) (with Moritz von Oswald)
  • Unity (2015) (with Green Velvet)
  • Versus (2017)

Compilations
  • The Sound of Music (1995) (as 69)
  • Elements 1989-1990 (1996) (as Psyche/BFC)
  • Designer Music V1 (2000)
  • Abstract Funk Theory (2001)
  • From the Vault: Planet E Classics Collection Vol. 1 (2006)
  • The Legendary Adventures of a Filter King (2009) (as 69)

DJ Mixes
  • DJ-Kicks: Carl Craig (1996)
  • House Party 013: A Planet E Mix (1999)
  • Onsumothasheeat (2001)
  • The Workout (2002)
  • Fabric 25 (2005)
  • The Kings of Techno (2006) (with Laurent Garnier)
  • Sessions (2008)
  • Masterpiece (2013)
  • Detroit Love (2019)

EPs
  • 4 Jazz Funk Classics (1991) (as 69)
  • Sound on Sound (1993) (as 69)
  • Lite Music (1994) (as 69)
  • The Floor EP (1996) (as Paperclip People)
  • Just Another Day (2004)
  • Paris Live (2007)

Singles
  • "Crackdown" (1990) (as Psyche)
  • "No More Words" (1991)
  • "Oscillator" (1991) (as Paperclip People)
  • "Jam the Box" (1994) (as 69)
  • "Throw" (1994) (as Paperclip People)
  • "The Climax" (1995) (as Paperclip People)
  • "Science Fiction" (1995)
  • "Bug in the Bass Bin" (1996) (as Innerzone Orchestra)
  • "Floor" (1996) (as Paperclip People)
  • "4 My Peepz" (1998) (as Paperclip People)
  • "People Make The World Go Round" (2000) (as Innerzone Orchestra)
  • "A Wonderful Life" / "As Time Goes By" (2002)
  • "Sparkle" / "Home Entertainment" (2005)
  • "Darkness" / "Angel" (2006)
  • "Sandstorms" (2017)

Awards and nominations
Award Year of ceremony Nominee / work Category Result Ref(s)
Grammy Awards 2008 Junior Boys "Like a Child (Carl Craig Remix)" Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical Nominated [9][27]

References
  1. Jacobs, Mick (May 30, 2019). "Detroit Love: An Interview with Electronic Music Pioneer Carl Craig". PopMatters. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  2. Matos, Michaelangelo (April 20, 2018). "Detroit techno legend Carl Craig discusses his remixing rebirth and DJ roots". City Pages. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  3. Bush, John. "Carl Craig - Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  4. Lhooq, Michelle (July 28, 2016). "Carl Craig Took Me on a Tour of Detroit's Most Sacred Techno Landmarks". Vice. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  5. Hinton, Patrick (September 29, 2017). "The 10 best 90s techno albums". Mixmag. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  6. Nasrallah, Dimitri (March 2008). "Carl Craig - Intergalactic Beats". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on April 20, 2008. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  7. Fitzmaurice, Larry (December 4, 2013). "Carl Craig". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  8. Toland, Justin (February 8, 2011). "Carl Craig: once upon a time in Detroit (page 2 of 3)". Fact. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  9. "Carl Craig and Justice nominated for Grammys". Resident Advisor. December 10, 2007. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  10. Orenstein, Carre (December 16, 2014). "Detroit Love lab LA takeover with Carl Craig and Stacey Pullen". Mixmag. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  11. Cyclone (August 15, 2017). "5 albums that showcase Carl Craig's versatility". Red Bull. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
  12. "Planet E to reissue Carl Craig's juvenilia collection Elements 1989-1990". Fact. November 19, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  13. Patrin, Nate (January 24, 2017). "The 50 Best IDM Albums of All Time (page 3 of 5)". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
  14. Orenstein, Carre (May 19, 2016). "How well do you know the history of Movement Detroit?". Mixmag. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  15. "In gratitude". Metro Times. June 6, 2001. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  16. Schumacher-Rasmussen, Eric (May 14, 2001). "Carl Craig Fires Back At Festival Organizers Who Fired Him". VH1. Archived from the original on March 23, 2007. Retrieved November 14, 2006.
  17. Miles, Milo (July 20, 2017). "Carl Craig's String Theory: The Detroit House Pioneer Gets Orchestral". The Village Voice. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
  18. Taylor, Ken (May 22, 2009). "Movement: Carl Craig is Back". XLR8R. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  19. Ryce, Andrew (March 25, 2015). "Carl Craig and Green Velvet release surprise collaborative LP". Resident Advisor. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
  20. "Versus by Carl Craig". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
  21. Goldfine, Jael (March 12, 2020). "Partying in the Basement of Dia Beacon With Carl Craig". Paper. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  22. Brown, Harley (August 10, 2020). "Why Carl Craig at Dia:Beacon is a Groundbreaking Moment for American Art Institutions". Electronic Beats. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  23. "Watch Carl Craig discuss Detroit, Prince and his biggest influences". Fact. February 19, 2015. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  24. Hutlock, Todd (March 9, 2006). "Carl Craig - Interview". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved August 8, 2009.
  25. Parker, Tristan (November 2, 2009). "Carl Craig and Innerzone Orchestra". Clash. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  26. Boles, Benjamin (January 23, 2003). "Carl Craig". Now. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  27. Breihan, Tom (January 11, 2008). "Carl Craig's Hard-Earned Mastery". The Village Voice. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
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