Rhythmism.comQ&A with Carl Craig @ Movement Electronic Music Festival 2011
by rhythmism
Thursday, May 26th 2011, 12:05 PM
Carl Craig is a true legend in the world of electronic music, and specifically, techno - a genre he helped spread to the world as part of Detroit's famed 2nd Wave of producers and DJs. Under the tutelage of original Motor City juggernauts like Derrick May, Carl quickly branched out on his own to found his personal imprint, Planet E. Over two decades the record label has housed work under his numerous aliases, BFC, Psyche, Paperclip People, 69, Designer Music, and Innerzone Orchestra, served as a springboard for young artists, and released tracks from the likes of Kevin Saunderson, Alton Miller and Moodymann.
At present, Carl is starting a tour of live performances as 69, the alias he released his first Planet E track under 20 years ago. The tour will include numerous special guests, including Luciano, a friend and collaborator on numerous artistic endevours, along with Ricardo Villalobos, Dubfire, Sven Vath, Richie Hawtin, Loco Dice, Seth Troxler, Psycatron, Paul Woolford, Radio Slave, Chris Liebing and many others. In February, Carl released 20 F@#&ING Years - We Ain't Dead Yet, a best-of compilation of Planet E productions, while throughout the year dropping a series of monthly Planet E catalogue remixes, produced by some of Carl's expansive group of industry heavyweight friends.
Over Memorial Day Weekend, Carl Craig is playing live under his 69 moniker during Detroit's Movement Electronic Music Festival on Sunday, May 29th, at 11pm on the vitaminwater Stage.
Hi Carl, how you doing?
I'm good, just in the studio.
Oh yea? What are you working on right now?
I'm still mixing the next Urban Tribe album, getting inspiration from this PBS thing on Robert Oppenheimer, the inventor of the atom bomb.
That's an interesting influence.
Yea, I mean, the idea of Urban Tibe has always been about covert actions, very undercover, scientific espionage type stuff, so it's a good thing for inspiration (laughs).
What are you using in the studio when you work on a project like that?
I'm using an analog console, external processors, stuff like that.
All hardware?
Yup.
Nice. So to start with, since this is a retrospective year for you with the Planet E 20 year anniversary and the 69 live tour, talk about some things that helped you grown and begin as a young musician?
I was always interested in just about everything, with music I just chased it however I could, just to make music. I took classes, I could be stubborn in a lot of ways, but I just always tried to be as open as I could be, to get as much information as possible.
Where did the moniker 69 come from?
It's my birth year, and I've always loved double entendres: with a number like 69 you never really know where it's coming from. When I was starting a new label, this new entity, it made sense to use something I felt really personal about. Before when I was working with Derrick May (Carl released his first single "Elements" as Psyche on Transmat, Derrick May's label) it wasn't as personal as using my name. So of course, being a Gemeni, I was doing whatever I could to let my alter egos out.
And that led into founding Planet E?
Yea, it was all about finding my independence. I just wanted to go out on my own and do my own thing. I didnt want anyone coming to tell me what to make, or whether what I did was good.
Running a label now is very different from 20 years ago, why do you think Planet E has been able to survive?
Because it's an artist run label. I dont make my living from sitting in the office. When your in the office, you have to find ways of being creative to sell a product. But Planet E is me, so the way I sell the product is to get on the road. It's just like with bands, the entity of Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones, especially nowadays, the only way they can stay is business is by going out on the road. They cant stay in business by relying on record sales, or at least by selling the quantity that they are used to.
You have lots of collaborations over the years, recently you have been working with Luciano a lot, studio and stage: how did that relationship start?
I met him years back, when he was living in Berlin, and we have always kept our friendship up - as I've grown he has grown. The first time we did anything was with the Narod Niki project, Ricardo Villalobos's thing. We all got together, me, Luci, Richie (Hawtin), Ricardo (Villalobos), Dandy Jack, Zip, and we were all onstage at Montreux Jazz Festival, just jamming. Since that point we have kept in contact. Last year Luci asked me to do something at his Vagabundos night at Pacha (Ibiza), and made the suggestion that we could do something like we did with Narod Niki, but just with us two. The chemistry was perfect, so we kept doing it.
Many see you two as being very different, what do you say to that?
We're both music lovers, we're both food lovers, and we're both creative lovers. We both love doing things that are so similar in our spare time that it comes together when we are playing out. The difference is I can give him space to do what he does, and not push my way in. He gives me room for that as well.
Tell me a bit about the 69 live show.
Well, 69 was the first Planet E release, it made sense to do a performance as 69, since it's the first one.
What are you using on stage?
Thats a secret.
Alright. Which young producers, in your opinion, hold the most promise for the future of techno?
There are always some new kids who are coming around, so I can't just say there is any one that holds the most promise. Kyle Hall from Detroit is doing a smash, bang-up job right now, as a DJ and as far as making music to. He is linked with new movements that are coming out of the UK, like the dubstep guys. There is a lot of great new music that is coming out, also the more guitar-based with a dance spin like Friendly Fires.
Mentioning dubstep, what do you think about it as a genre?
Dubstep is just a natural progression from drum and bass, when music gets fast, you gotta slow it down. I think it's a very interesting and imaginative form of music, that's really all I can say about it. I'm sure next year somebody will say another form of music is the next big thing, so let's just wait until then.
This coming weekend is Movement Electronic Music Festival, tell me a bit about what that festival means to you, being from Detroit?
It's great that its still going on, it's the 12th year, Detroit really needs it.
Saturday-Monday, May 28-30, 2011
Paxahau presents
MOVEMENT 2011
69 (Carl Craig) live, Adam Beyer, Al Ester, Ambivalent, Ana Sia, Anthony Attalla, Aril, Brikha - live, Art Department, Ataxia - live, Aux 88 - live, B. Bravo - live, Beardyman live, Ben Klock, Boo Williams, Brian Starski Gillespie, Bruce Bailey, Calvertron and Figure, Chuck Daniels, Cio D'or, Clark Warner, Claude Young, Com Truise - live, Dabura, Daedalus - live, Dam-Funk & Master Blazter live, Delano Smith, Deniz Kurtel - live, District 909 - live, DJ Cent, DJ Godfather, DJ Harvey, DJ T-1000, DJ Three, DJ X-Change, Dr. Atmo, DTM 5x5 (DJ Seoul, T.Linder, Neil V, Darkcube, DJ Psycho), Dubfire, Echospace live, Elliot Lipp live, Eric Johnson, Erika Sherman, Fatboy Slim, Felix Da Housecat, Flying Lotus - live, Franki Juncaj aka DJ 3000, Gaiser - live, Gaslamp Killer, Glenn Underground, Goldie, Green Velvet live, Guti - live, Heartthrob - live, Hudson Mohawke live, James Zabiela, John Collins, JPLS - live, Justin Martin, Kero live, Kerri Chandler, Little Dragon - live, Livio & Roby, Loco Dice, Marc Houle - live, Marcel Dettman, Margaret Dygas, Mark Flash, Martin Buttrich live, Matt Clarke, Matthew Hawtin, Metro Area, Michael Geiger, Mike Brown, Mike Servito, Mimosa, Minx, Monolake - live, N-Ter - live, Nospectacle with Markus Guentner - live, Paranormal Tek, Paul Kalkbrenner - live, Pulshar - live, Ramadanman, Reference, Richard Devine - live, Richie Hawtin, Ryan Elliott, Sammy Dee, Scuba, Secrets - live, Shlomi Aber, Skrillex live, Soul Clap, Space Dimension Controller - live, Space Time Continuum - live, Steve Rachmad, Sven Vδth, Terrence Parker, The Dirtbombs live, The Siege live, Tini, Tortured Soul - live, Traversable Wormhole aka Adam X - live, Venetian Snares - live, Victor Calderone, Visionquest live/DJ
Hart Plaza
Detroit, MI
12-12, all ages
$70 in advance while supplies last.
www.Movement.us
www.paxahau.com
www.facebook.com/movementdetroit
twitter.com/paxahau
At present, Carl is starting a tour of live performances as 69, the alias he released his first Planet E track under 20 years ago. The tour will include numerous special guests, including Luciano, a friend and collaborator on numerous artistic endevours, along with Ricardo Villalobos, Dubfire, Sven Vath, Richie Hawtin, Loco Dice, Seth Troxler, Psycatron, Paul Woolford, Radio Slave, Chris Liebing and many others. In February, Carl released 20 F@#&ING Years - We Ain't Dead Yet, a best-of compilation of Planet E productions, while throughout the year dropping a series of monthly Planet E catalogue remixes, produced by some of Carl's expansive group of industry heavyweight friends.
Over Memorial Day Weekend, Carl Craig is playing live under his 69 moniker during Detroit's Movement Electronic Music Festival on Sunday, May 29th, at 11pm on the vitaminwater Stage.
Hi Carl, how you doing?
I'm good, just in the studio.
Oh yea? What are you working on right now?
I'm still mixing the next Urban Tribe album, getting inspiration from this PBS thing on Robert Oppenheimer, the inventor of the atom bomb.
That's an interesting influence.
Yea, I mean, the idea of Urban Tibe has always been about covert actions, very undercover, scientific espionage type stuff, so it's a good thing for inspiration (laughs).
What are you using in the studio when you work on a project like that?
I'm using an analog console, external processors, stuff like that.
All hardware?
Yup.
Nice. So to start with, since this is a retrospective year for you with the Planet E 20 year anniversary and the 69 live tour, talk about some things that helped you grown and begin as a young musician?
I was always interested in just about everything, with music I just chased it however I could, just to make music. I took classes, I could be stubborn in a lot of ways, but I just always tried to be as open as I could be, to get as much information as possible.
Where did the moniker 69 come from?
It's my birth year, and I've always loved double entendres: with a number like 69 you never really know where it's coming from. When I was starting a new label, this new entity, it made sense to use something I felt really personal about. Before when I was working with Derrick May (Carl released his first single "Elements" as Psyche on Transmat, Derrick May's label) it wasn't as personal as using my name. So of course, being a Gemeni, I was doing whatever I could to let my alter egos out.
And that led into founding Planet E?
Yea, it was all about finding my independence. I just wanted to go out on my own and do my own thing. I didnt want anyone coming to tell me what to make, or whether what I did was good.
Running a label now is very different from 20 years ago, why do you think Planet E has been able to survive?
Because it's an artist run label. I dont make my living from sitting in the office. When your in the office, you have to find ways of being creative to sell a product. But Planet E is me, so the way I sell the product is to get on the road. It's just like with bands, the entity of Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones, especially nowadays, the only way they can stay is business is by going out on the road. They cant stay in business by relying on record sales, or at least by selling the quantity that they are used to.
You have lots of collaborations over the years, recently you have been working with Luciano a lot, studio and stage: how did that relationship start?
I met him years back, when he was living in Berlin, and we have always kept our friendship up - as I've grown he has grown. The first time we did anything was with the Narod Niki project, Ricardo Villalobos's thing. We all got together, me, Luci, Richie (Hawtin), Ricardo (Villalobos), Dandy Jack, Zip, and we were all onstage at Montreux Jazz Festival, just jamming. Since that point we have kept in contact. Last year Luci asked me to do something at his Vagabundos night at Pacha (Ibiza), and made the suggestion that we could do something like we did with Narod Niki, but just with us two. The chemistry was perfect, so we kept doing it.
Many see you two as being very different, what do you say to that?
We're both music lovers, we're both food lovers, and we're both creative lovers. We both love doing things that are so similar in our spare time that it comes together when we are playing out. The difference is I can give him space to do what he does, and not push my way in. He gives me room for that as well.
Tell me a bit about the 69 live show.
Well, 69 was the first Planet E release, it made sense to do a performance as 69, since it's the first one.
What are you using on stage?
Thats a secret.
Alright. Which young producers, in your opinion, hold the most promise for the future of techno?
There are always some new kids who are coming around, so I can't just say there is any one that holds the most promise. Kyle Hall from Detroit is doing a smash, bang-up job right now, as a DJ and as far as making music to. He is linked with new movements that are coming out of the UK, like the dubstep guys. There is a lot of great new music that is coming out, also the more guitar-based with a dance spin like Friendly Fires.
Mentioning dubstep, what do you think about it as a genre?
Dubstep is just a natural progression from drum and bass, when music gets fast, you gotta slow it down. I think it's a very interesting and imaginative form of music, that's really all I can say about it. I'm sure next year somebody will say another form of music is the next big thing, so let's just wait until then.
This coming weekend is Movement Electronic Music Festival, tell me a bit about what that festival means to you, being from Detroit?
It's great that its still going on, it's the 12th year, Detroit really needs it.
Saturday-Monday, May 28-30, 2011
Paxahau presents
MOVEMENT 2011
69 (Carl Craig) live, Adam Beyer, Al Ester, Ambivalent, Ana Sia, Anthony Attalla, Aril, Brikha - live, Art Department, Ataxia - live, Aux 88 - live, B. Bravo - live, Beardyman live, Ben Klock, Boo Williams, Brian Starski Gillespie, Bruce Bailey, Calvertron and Figure, Chuck Daniels, Cio D'or, Clark Warner, Claude Young, Com Truise - live, Dabura, Daedalus - live, Dam-Funk & Master Blazter live, Delano Smith, Deniz Kurtel - live, District 909 - live, DJ Cent, DJ Godfather, DJ Harvey, DJ T-1000, DJ Three, DJ X-Change, Dr. Atmo, DTM 5x5 (DJ Seoul, T.Linder, Neil V, Darkcube, DJ Psycho), Dubfire, Echospace live, Elliot Lipp live, Eric Johnson, Erika Sherman, Fatboy Slim, Felix Da Housecat, Flying Lotus - live, Franki Juncaj aka DJ 3000, Gaiser - live, Gaslamp Killer, Glenn Underground, Goldie, Green Velvet live, Guti - live, Heartthrob - live, Hudson Mohawke live, James Zabiela, John Collins, JPLS - live, Justin Martin, Kero live, Kerri Chandler, Little Dragon - live, Livio & Roby, Loco Dice, Marc Houle - live, Marcel Dettman, Margaret Dygas, Mark Flash, Martin Buttrich live, Matt Clarke, Matthew Hawtin, Metro Area, Michael Geiger, Mike Brown, Mike Servito, Mimosa, Minx, Monolake - live, N-Ter - live, Nospectacle with Markus Guentner - live, Paranormal Tek, Paul Kalkbrenner - live, Pulshar - live, Ramadanman, Reference, Richard Devine - live, Richie Hawtin, Ryan Elliott, Sammy Dee, Scuba, Secrets - live, Shlomi Aber, Skrillex live, Soul Clap, Space Dimension Controller - live, Space Time Continuum - live, Steve Rachmad, Sven Vδth, Terrence Parker, The Dirtbombs live, The Siege live, Tini, Tortured Soul - live, Traversable Wormhole aka Adam X - live, Venetian Snares - live, Victor Calderone, Visionquest live/DJ
Hart Plaza
Detroit, MI
12-12, all ages
$70 in advance while supplies last.
www.Movement.us
www.paxahau.com
www.facebook.com/movementdetroit
twitter.com/paxahau
