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 founder of a record label called Planet E Communications. Carl Craig is a very important person in the world of Detroit techno music. He helped shape the "second wave" of this music style in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He has released music under his own name and also used different names like Psyche, BFC, and Innerzone Orchestra.

Some of Carl Craig's first songs were put together in a collection called Elements 1989-1990 in 1996. He has released several albums, starting with Landcruising in 1995. Carl Craig has also remixed songs for many other artists. These include Manuel Göttsching, Maurizio, Theo Parrish, Tori Amos, and Depeche Mode. In 2008, he was nominated for a Grammy Award for his remix of the Junior Boys song "Like a Child." He has also worked with other musicians like Moritz von Oswald on the album Recomposed (2008) and Green Velvet on Unity (2015).

Early Life and Music Beginnings

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

After listening to Derrick May's radio show, Carl Craig started making his own music. He used a dual-deck cassette player to record his ideas. He met someone who knew Derrick May and gave them a tape of his music. This helped him get noticed.

Carl Craig's 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 early songs as Psyche and BFC were put together in the 1996 collection Elements 1989–1990.

Starting Planet E Communications

In 1991, Carl Craig started his own record label. He named it Planet E Communications. This label has released music by other famous artists. Some of these artists include Kevin Saunderson, Moodymann, and Kenny Larkin.

Key Albums and Projects

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 "50 Best IDM Albums of All Time" by Pitchfork. In 1999, he released Programmed as Innerzone Orchestra.

Carl Craig also helped create and direct the Detroit Electronic Music Festival in 2000 and 2001. He later returned as artistic director for the festival in 2010.

In 2005, he released a new version of Landcruising. It was called The Album Formerly Known As.... In 2008, he worked with Moritz Von Oswald on an album called Recomposed. In 2015, he released Unity with Green Velvet. In 2017, he released Versus.

Art Installations and Collaborations

In 2020, Carl Craig created an art project called Party/After-Party. This was a sound and light show. It was shown at Dia Beacon and later at MOCA. It is now a permanent part of the collections at Dia:Beacon. This project was his first step into the art world. It combined Detroit techno music with minimalist sound art. Carl Craig said Party/After-Party was like looking into his own mind. The show used techno sounds to guide viewers from a party to an after-party, and then to dawn. It showed what an evening is like from a DJ's point of view. In 2023, the show came to MOCA in Los Angeles. There, Carl Craig worked with Insomniac and Secret Project to put on concerts. These concerts celebrated techno music and featured other artists.

In 2021, Carl Craig worked with Daniel Lee. Daniel Lee was the Creative Director for Bottega Veneta, a fashion house. They created Runway, a multi-floor experience in Detroit. It had special sound sculptures and light shows.

Documentary Film

A documentary film about Carl Craig, called ‘Desire, the Carl Craig Story’, came out in June 2024. It was shown for the first time at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. The film follows Carl Craig's life. It shows his high school years and how he became famous in Detroit. It also talks about how Detroit changed over time. The film includes interviews with his family and other famous DJs. These include Laurent Garnier, DJ Minx, Moodymann, and Gilles Peterson.

Carl Craig's Music Style and Influence

Carl Craig is known as a very important person in Detroit techno music. He is called a "techno pioneer." He gets ideas for his music from many different styles. These include soul, jazz, new wave, and classical music. His own music includes styles like ambient techno, breakbeat, and house.

In an interview from 2015, he said that The Electrifying Mojo, Prince, Kraftwerk, Juan Atkins, and Jeff Mills were big influences on his music.

His album Landcruising is described as "synth-heavy, atmospheric techno." It takes ideas from outside Detroit but still feels like it belongs to the city. It also honors Detroit, as it was made to be like a soundtrack for driving around its streets.

Carl Craig's 1992 song "Bug in the Bassbin" was released under the Innerzone Orchestra name. DJs like 4hero and Goldie started playing it. In the United Kingdom, DJs played 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.

Some people think Landcruising is one of the greatest dance music albums ever made.

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

See also

In Spanish: Carl Craig para niños