Carl Craig is a multi-disciplined visionary artist whose eclectic tastes and influences all converge into his “main discipline” – Carl Craig. The Detroit pioneer’s lifelong pursuit of independence and self-gratification has been the catalyst behind three decades of innovation and achievement within the realm of electronic music. His standing within Motor City’s highly influential techno fraternity places him at the forefront of the global community, inspiring future generations of techno enthusiasts from day one. Recent career milestones include a full-length documentary (Desire: The Carl Craig Story), an artist-in-residence position at Michigan State University and a cover feature with iconic music zine, Faith.
Going with the flow is a fundamental component of Carl’s forward motion. There’s no fixed plan or rigid vision, just a desire to keep pushing boundaries, embrace change and stay flexible and open. He’s constantly editing and re-editing the music he selects for his DJ sets, always trying to find new ways to present the music he loves. In the studio, it’s much the same, thanks to his natural propensity for innovation – fueled by a need to keep things interesting for himself.
As a producer and performer, Carl’s history is well documented. Even from his earliest forays into making music it was clear he had a unique sonic identity; emotional, funky, mature, daring and poetic. Under a variety of aliases – 69, Paperclip People, C2 and many more – as well as his real name, Carl has expanded the techno sphere into unexplored realms. Projects such as Innerzone Orchestra – a project that incorporated live musicians and performance into the creation of techno music – have imbued the genre with new flavours, while also inspiring the evolution of affiliated styles. This includes drum’n’bass, where the now-infamous ‘Bug in the Bass Bin’ was played at 45rpm, partly inspiring a whole style of jazz-influenced DnB.
Carl’s boundless creativity has produced a discography that includes an exhaustive collection of solo cuts, collaborations, remixes and albums. He has produced six LPs, the most recent being Versus, with his back catalogue including a dizzying number of remixes for a diverse cross section of electronic music artists, from Depeche Mode and Tori Amos to his friends Kenny Larkin and Kevin Saunderson, plus many, many more. In 2008, Carl’s tireless remix work was recognised at the GRAMMY Awards where he was nominated for his rework of Junior Boys ‘Like A Child’.
Carl has always sought to express his creativity beyond the confines of orthodoxy, resulting in innovative projects such as his ReComposed collaboration with longtime friend and dub techno pioneer, Moritz Von Oswald. Similarly, his Versus album, released in 2017, reimagined key tracks from Carl’s back catalogue as orchestral interpretations. With London’s Royal Albert Hall, the Barbican and New York’s Carnegie Hall among the prestigious venues he’s performed at.
Beyond music culture, he channeled his creative energy into an immersive installation, Party/After Party, in 2021. The result of five years of development, the piece combined a soundscape and programmed lighting effects to engage participants in Carl’s interpretation of his experiences on the road while touring, from the club to the after-party. After showing at the world-renowned DIA:Beacon, and now acquired as part of the DIA’s permanent collection, Party/After Party toured the world with esteemed venues such as the MOCA LA.
Every February he presents the All Black Vinyl video series for Black History Month. In a time when US Government policy has given way to a series of atrocities on home soil, as well as increasingly abhorrent discriminatory actions across the board, the video series stands as a defiant and necessary showcase of the music created by a wide range of Black artists. A vital voice, reminding us all of the contributions Black musicians have made to global music culture.
Forever an ambassador for his hometown, Carl pays homage to Motor City with his Detroit Love compilations and global events, while also being instrumental in launching DEMF, which now exists 25 years later as Movement, still performing there every year and hosting the Detroit Love stage on the first day of the festival each year. He also runs his own artist agency – Detroit Premiere Artists. Of course, also fully representing wherever he is in the world, simply by exuding his charisma, pride and presence as a Black man from the D.
Along the way, his label Planet E has supported underground acts, while also offering a home to more established artists, driven by the vision that techno is a broad spectrum of sounds and influences. Carl is a conduit for the multitude of sounds he grew up on and was inspired by, from the legendary radio icon Electrifying Mojo, to luminaries such as Kraftwerk, Visage, Gary Numan, Sun Ra and Miles Davis. This open-minded approach has led to releases that dip into hip hop, jazz, funk, and more esoteric electronic compositions, purposely avoiding commercial-sounding music. Being an extension of Carl himself, Planet E “keeps it real” with every release – an essential component of anything he does, such as his Ride Or Die “Uncle Carl” persona.
The notion of being an “Uncle”, or elder, within the electronic music community emphasises a core driver behind Carl’s connections with younger artists – whether he’s playing back-to-back with fellow Detroit artists like Seth Troxler or signing fresh acts to his label – there’s the essence of lineage and perpetuating heritage. He draws a line between Marcus Belgrave and J Dilla (via Amp Fiddler) – the power of mentorship and how that transmits culture and creative energy is essential to Carl’s outlook, and something he thrives on. It’s a two-way learning process, with Carl also taking influence from the new generation of artists he spends time with.
This is echoed in his extended period as the MSUFCU Arts Power Up artist-in-residence. The program invites visionary artists to explore the intersections of creativity, research and technology – core pillars of Detroit techno, no doubt. The synergy between Carl’s foundations and the residency are clear to see. During his time with the project, he will be working in close collaboration with researchers at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), a world-unique rare isotope research laboratory. Through this residency, Carl will engage directly with cutting-edge scientific inquiry, translating complex research environments into new creative and conceptual forms.
Carl’s life was the subject of recent documentary, Desire: The Carl Craig Story. The 90-minute film, directed by Jean-Cosme Delaloye, explores his upbringing, development as an artist and his current life on the road. Featuring his family members, wife and a host of friends from the music community, Desire offers a deeper insight into Carl’s story and the influences and experiences that sparked his unique musical expression. The film was accompanied by a soundtrack, released via Planet E, featuring never-before-released compositions, along with a whole host of classic Carl Craig material.
As a young man Carl was always falling in love with girls, showing off and trying to win their hearts. Those formative years fed into his output and he cites several key tracks from his discography as being ‘love songs’. This open hearted approach has encouraged a level of fearlessness that ensured Carl has never got in the way of himself. He sets his mind on something and makes it happen, musically or otherwise. Always taking chances, never playing it safe – “Balls to the wall”, as he says. Here lies his essence: embodying a bold, boundary-defying outlook and never straying from his true calling. In doing so, Carl Craig sets a compelling example to younger generations. Put simply, you don’t need to compromise your integrity to achieve, and maintain, a high level of success.
Through more than 30 years of embodying his truth, staunchly preserving his independence and innovating within his chosen craft, Carl Craig has demonstrated a unwavering will. Refusing to be bound by external limitations, Carl operates in a world of his own, Planet E, where he has consistently channeled the spirit of Detroit and its diverse cultural influences into his work. His contribution to global electronic music culture has been vast. Despite widespread critical acclaim and success, he continues to inject his innovative energy into everything he does, establishing a legacy that will stand long after the wheels of his car finally fall off…
