Carl Craig facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carl Craig
Craig DJing in 2010
Background information
Also known as	Psyche BFC 69 Paperclip People Innerzone Orchestra
Born	(1969-05-22) May 22, 1969 (age 56) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Genres	Electronic Detroit techno ambient techno house breakbeat classical
Occupation(s)	Producer DJ
Years active	1989–present
Labels	Planet E Blanco y Negro Deutsche Grammophon InFiné Transmat Retroactive
Associated acts	Derrick May Moritz Von Oswald Green Velvet

Carl Craig (born May 22, 1969) is an American music producer and DJ. He is also the person who started the record label Planet E Communications. Carl Craig is known as a very important person in the "second wave" of Detroit techno music. This was a new style of electronic music that became popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

He has released music under his own name and also using different names, like Psyche, BFC, and Innerzone Orchestra. Many of his early songs were put together in a collection called Elements 1989-1990 in 1996. Carl Craig has made several studio albums, starting with Landcruising in 1995. He has also remixed songs for many other artists, including Depeche Mode. In 2008, he was nominated for a Grammy Award for his remix of the song "Like a Child" by Junior Boys. He has also worked with other musicians like Moritz von Oswald and Green Velvet on albums.

Early Life

Carl Craig was born in Detroit, Michigan, on May 22, 1969. His mom worked as a teacher's assistant, and his dad worked at the post office. He went to Cooley High School, where he became very interested in music. He learned to play the guitar first. Later, he got into club music because his cousin, Doug Craig, helped with the lights at parties in Detroit.

After listening to Derrick May's radio show, Carl Craig started trying to make his own music at home. He used a special cassette player to record his ideas. He met someone who knew Derrick May and was able to share a tape of his music.

Career

Since 1989, Carl Craig has released many songs and albums. He used different names for his music, such as Psyche, BFC, 69, Paperclip People, and Innerzone Orchestra. Many of his first songs released as Psyche and BFC were put together in a collection called Elements 1989–1990 in 1996.

In 1991, Carl Craig started his own record label called Planet E Communications. This label has released music by other famous artists like Kevin Saunderson and Moodymann. His first full album, Landcruising, came out in 1995. In 1996, he released The Secret Tapes of Doctor Eich under the name Paperclip People. In 1997, he released More Songs About Food and Revolutionary Art. This album was listed as one of the best electronic albums ever by Pitchfork. In 1999, he released Programmed using the name Innerzone Orchestra.

Carl Craig helped create and lead the Detroit Electronic Music Festival in 2000 and 2001. There was a disagreement with the festival organizers, but he later returned as artistic director for the festival in 2010. In 2005, he released a new version of his album Landcruising, which he called The Album Formerly Known As.... In 2008, he made an album called Recomposed with Moritz Von Oswald. In 2015, he released Unity with Green Velvet. His album Versus came out in 2017.

In 2020, Carl Craig created a special sound art project called Party/After-Party. It was shown at the Dia Beacon art museum. This was his first big art project. In 2023, the art project was also shown in Los Angeles. Special concerts with DJs and electronic musicians like Moodymann and Kenny Larkin were held there too.

Style and Legacy

Mixmag magazine has called Carl Craig a "leading figure" in the second generation of Detroit techno music. Pitchfork described him as a "techno pioneer." He gets ideas for his techno music from many different styles, including soul, jazz, new wave, industrial, and krautrock. His music includes styles like ambient techno, breakbeat, house, classical, and music made with modular synthesizers. In an interview from 2015, he said that The Electrifying Mojo, Prince, Kraftwerk, Juan Atkins, and Jeff Mills were his biggest influences.

Carl Craig's 1992 song "Bug in the Bassbin," released as Innerzone Orchestra, became very popular with DJs. In the United Kingdom, DJs started playing the song faster than it was meant to be played. This song helped inspire and create the style of music known as drum 'n' bass in England.

According to Vinyl Me, Please, Carl Craig not only pushed the limits of Detroit techno, but he also brought a new energy and beautiful melodies to IDM. This was especially true with albums like More Songs About Food and Revolutionary Art (1997).

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)

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Carl Craig para niños