Most electronic music producers who reach a certain standard tend to have done so because they have one good idea. If they’re lucky, they will spend many years refining and honing that idea before the creativity gets tarnished and the dust begins to settle. In Carl Craig’s case, he has explored a multitude of great ideas, identities and projects over the years, which have then been copied by artists who are inspired to emulate him.
Details have surfaced from Planet E HQ of plans to release a fully remastered edition of more classic Carl Craig material in the shape of Elements 1989-1990.
Planet E have announced details of a remastered 2xLP version of Carl Craig‘s classic album, The Secret Tapes of Dr. Eich, originally released under the Paperclip People alias in 1996.
If ever there was a time for Carl Craig to sit back and reflect on his frankly dazzling career, it would be now. Planet E, the label he birthed as an aspiring producer in Detroit, turns 20 this year. As part of Detroit’s lauded second wave, Craig followed in the footsteps of techno forefathers Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson and Derrick May, and came to prominence around the same time as the likes of Richie Hawtin and Jeff Mills.
From sweaty 10 hour basement sets to live jazz-techno performances at opera halls across Europe, Craig has seen and done it all before, and for this interview we honed in on the bridges he has built from his home city of Detroit to other musical styles and genres. Few can lay claim to have facilitated cross pollination between genres as much as him – from his seminal work in bringing an artful and jazzy element to techno, to re-editing and remixing artists affiliated to afrobeat, reggae, broken beat and indie, to his Innerzone Orchestra project, which served as a catalyst and inspiration for a nascent UK drum and bass scene in the 90s.
Planet E has been used both as a conduit for Craig’s own productions under various pseudonyms, and a platform for a raft of other talent from Detroit and beyond. To celebrate two decades of releasing records, Craig will be taking Planet E on the road in 2011 – a simultaneous valedictory tour honoring the label’s past and a showcase to promote its future. The tour kicks off this Friday night (March 4) in the auspicious surroundings of Berghain in Berlin, with the London showcase taking place the following evening.
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You may have heard that this Carl Craig character is celebrating two decades of running a reasonably successful label called Planet E.
Interesting developments over the weekend as Carl Craig responded to the uncredited usage of one of his productions on a mysterious twelve inch by re-editing the track in question and distributing it for free via his Soundcloud page.