Having started out in the late 80s, guided by his friend and mentor Derrick May, Carl Craig has since enjoyed an exceptional career with landmark projects such as 69, Innerzone Orchestra or Paperclip People. He has further built an outstanding reputation as techno music's most prolific remix artist, recently earning him a Grammy nomination for his version of the Junior Boy's song 'Like A Child'. Growing up in the techno capital Detroit, Carl Craig got into electronic music during his teenage years, listening to Kraftwerk, Human League and of course to the early output of the legendary 'Belleville Three': Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson and Derrick May. And none other than Derrick May took the young producer under his wing after listening to an early version of 'Neurotic Behavior', recorded without beats, since Craig could not afford a drum machine at the time. Craig's career began to get in gear when he accompanied Derrick May on his European tour in 1989, finding the time to record a few tracks in the R&S studios, which later appeared on his debut release 'Crack Down' (as Psyche) on May's Transmat label. Craig began to experiment with sampled percussions, leading to his famous 69 series on his freshly started label Planet E and to more abstract and jazzy experiments under the Innerzone Orchestra guise. Another name still was used for Craig's biggest hit to date: 'Throw' by Paperclip People, a slow, hypnotic builder that can be seen as a blueprint for much of Craig's production work. His first real album 'Landcruising' (1994, re-released as 'The Album Formerly Known As...' in 2005) earned Craig a major label deal, but dissatisfaction with the major industry led Craig to release his second, equally influential album 'More Songs About Food And Revolutionary Art' on his own Planet E imprint. In recent years Craig has focused much of his creative work on the art of remixing other artists work, something he pulls of with unrivaled style and elegance.
Tracks on "The Album Formerly Known As...."
This Album is featured in Update #008:
Virgo, Rick Wilhite, Tevo Howard
It's rush-hour time! In appreciation of the Amsterdam based label we have selected a variety of releases showing the diversity that Rush Hour has cultivated over the past 12 years: What else can be said about a label that rose from a record store and mailorder more...
Carl Craig's first album under his real name, 1995's classic 'Landcruising', has influenced a whole generation of producers. Reworked by the man himself and rereleased on Rush Hour together with bonus versions and unreleased out-takes ('Sparkle'). A hands-down classic and essential purchase.
A Wonderful Life
(Track 10 on this Album)
Sparkle
(Track 09 on this Album)
Science Fiction
(Track 04 on this Album)
They Were
(Track 02 on this Album)