An encompassing view of the current sounds of Techno.
Carl Craig is described as a creative visionary, an electronic music icon, an esteemed Grammy-nominated composer, a world-class DJ, and an ambassador for his native Detroit. Yet the common thread that runs through Craig’s broad musical canon and creative projects is a resounding fascination with futurism. The prolific producer has cultivated a unique path as an artist, entrepreneur, and civic leader, guided by his tendency toward forward thinking.
“My livelihood is making music that I can perform, whether I’m doing orchestral production or modular strangeness or generating club music. I don’t restrict myself,” said Craig. “I defined myself by being who I am. The ultimate self-respect is when you say you’re going to do something and you go and do it to the best of your ability.”
Craig released his first track in 1989 on a Virgin UK compilation album, and two singles followed on labels run by his first collaborator, Derrick May. After a series of ambitious releases for his co-owned Retroactive imprint, in 1991 Craig launched his record label Planet E, with the groundbreaking EP ‘4 Jazz Funk Classics’, under his alias 69.
Craig’s prolific nature is reflected in the many recording projects he has used throughout his career including 69, BFC, C2, Innerzone Orchestra, No Boundaries, Psyche, Paperclip People, and Tres Demented. This rotating cast of aliases has enabled him to continually explore new directions through a long succession of full-length albums, mix CDs, and singles including ‘Throw’ (1994), ‘Landcruising’ (1995), ‘The Secret Tapes of Dr. Eich’ (1996), ‘More Songs About Food and Revolutionary Art’ (1997), ‘Programmed’ (1999), ‘The Detroit Experiment’ (2002), ‘The Workout’ (2002), ‘Just Another Day’ (2004), ‘Fabric 25’ (2005), ‘The Album Formerly Known As’ (2005), ‘Paris Live’ (2007), ‘Sessions’ (2008), ‘Recomposed’ (with Moritz Von Oswald) (2008), ‘The Legendary Adventures of a Filter King’ (2009), ‘Modular Pursuits’ (2010), ‘Last Decade’ (2012), ‘Masterpiece’ (2013) and Green Velvet collaborative album ‘Unity’, which was released as a surprise album in 2015, bringing the sounds of Detroit and Chicago together.
In the same way that he likes to make tracks he’s remixing his own, Craig’s commitment to his home in Detroit is also something very personal. After launching a festival to rival that of any in Europe with the Detroit Electronic Music Festival in 2000 (now entitled Movement, which today he still has a strong role in). This commitment to Detroit music also extends to how his Planet E family of labels is run. Not only has it given a home to a wide range of Detroit-based artists including Francisco Mora Catlett, Naomi Daniel, Flexitone, Jason Hogans, Kenny Larkin, Monty Luke, Ezana Harris, Moodymann, Niko Marks, Mike Agent X, Terrence Parker, Oliverwho Factory, Recloose, Reference, Kevin Saunderson, Big Tone, Tribe, Urban Tribe, and Chaz Vincent, it has also been serving as a distributor for Detroit imprints including Derrick May’s Transmat and Stacey Pullen’s Black Flag.
Craig’s latest project saw the acclaimed Detroit-based techno DJ and producer create a sound installation in dialogue with the unique architecture of Dia Beacon. ‘Party/After-Party’ showcases four tracks of studio versions of the artist’s commission and live recordings from Dia Beacon that highlight the acoustics of the exhibition space. The LP comes with a sixteen-page booklet of liner notes, featuring an introduction to the project by exhibition curator Kelly Kivland, notes on the work’s technical components and its unrepeatability by Randy Gibson, a consideration of the work in light of Black musical traditions and Detroit by DeForrest Brown Jr., and a reflection on the commission by Peter L’Official.
For the very special 100th episode of EG’s Techno series, we have invited Detroit legend Carl Craig, listen below.
