Detroit Love, Brooklyn Edition by Night with Carl Craig, DJ Holographic + more

Who they are

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  Carl Craig

  Detroit · 13 bookings since Aug 2023

  “Carl Craig is described as a creative visionary, an electronic music icon, an esteemed Grammy-nominated composer, a world-class DJ and an ambassador for his native Detroit.”

  their own biography

  the whole biography

  Carl Craig is described as a creative visionary, an electronic music icon, an esteemed Grammy-nominated composer, a world-class DJ and an ambassador for his native Detroit. Yet the common thread that runs through Craig’s broad musical canon and creative projects is a resounding fascination with futurism. The prolific producer has cultivated a unique path as an artist, entrepreneur and civic leader, guided by his tendency toward forward thinking. “My livelihood is making music that I can perform, whether I’m doing orchestral production or modular strangeness or generating club music. I don’t restrict myself,” said Craig. “I defined myself by being who I am. The ultimate self respect is when you say you’re going to do something and you go and do it to the best of your ability.” Craig released his first track in 1989 on a Virgin UK compilation album, with two singles following on labels run by his first collaborator Derrick May. After a series of ambitious releases for his co-owned Retroactive imprint, in 1991 Craig launched his second record label Planet E with the groundbreaking EP “4 Jazz Funk Classics”, under his alias 69. Planet-E turned 20 in 2011 and Craig celebrated the label’s history by taking Planet-E and its artists and collaborators on a world tour for the first time ever. He also previewed the 69 Live show for the first time, at select festivals around the world, fusing masks, darkness and the music of 69, Craig created 69’s own entity. As well as this, Planet-E invited friends of the label – like Luciano, Kirk Del Giorgio, Loco Dice and more - to pick their favourite Planet-E track to remix and re-release. Reflecting a year that was packed with events and releases, Craig readily admits that when he started the label he was hoping “it would last forever.” He cites artistic freedom as the highlight of running the label and adds, “It was never a struggle for the label to be an outlet for my or other people's music. It was always a struggle to stay in business, actually a war to stay in business.” Looking back now to Craig's early releases from 1989-1992, one can see how much the wild variety found in his early music set the groundwork for his diverse career. He's fortunate to serve as an inspiration and influence to countless artists in the underground electronic music scene as well as crossover acts like Underworld, Hot Chip and LCD Soundsystem. His 1992 Innerzone Orchestra cut “Bug in the Bassbin” was credited as the spark that inspired the evolution of drum‘n’bass. In typical Craig fashion, “Bug...” continued to develop, morphing into a live jazz composition in 1996. In turn, those experiments laid the ground for Craig to incorporate Jazz elements onto his 1999 I.O. album “Programmed.” Then in the 00's Craig explored jazz further still as producer on the albums “The Detroit Experiment” and “Rebirth” (2009) for legendary Detroit Jazz collective Tribe. This is but one example of Craig's continually evolving exploration of sound. Craig’s prolific nature is reflected in the many recording projects he has used throughout his career including 69, BFC, C2, Innerzone Orchestra, No Boundaries, Psyche, Paperclip People and Tres Demented. This rotating cast of aliases has enabled him to continually explore new directions through a long succession of full length albums, mix CDs and singles including “Throw” (1994), “Landcruising” (1995), “The Secret Tapes of Dr Eich” (1996), “More Songs About Food and Revolutionary Art” (1997), “Programmed” (1999), “The Detroit Experiment” (2002), “The Workout” (2002), “Just Another Day” (2004), “Fabric 25” (2005), “The Album Formerly Known As” (2005), “Paris Live” (2007), “Sessions” (2008), “Recomposed” (with Moritz Von Oswald) (2008), “The Legendary Adventures of a Filter King” (2009) and “Modular Pursuits” (2010). Craig’s interest in collaboration continually grows. As "Versus", one of his boldest endeavors to date, Craig combines techno and classical music, opening himself up to working in a new format by collaborating with orchestrator / pianist Francesco Tristano, French orchestra Les Siècles, conductor Francois Xavier Roth and Moritz Von Oswald. Inspired by well-received performances in large concerts halls in Paris, Milan and Germany, Craig started the process of developing the project into an album. He also performs as Trio alongside Von Oswald and Tristano. His occasional appearances with the electronic collective jam band Narod Niki, alongside Villalobos, Luciano, Richie Hawtin, Zip and others, have led to him appearing in part live / part DJ gigs with Luciano. Additionally he’s taken to occasionally bringing keyboardists like Mike Banks (UR), Amp Fiddler and Tristano into the DJ booth with him for special one-off gigs. These mixed performances add some variety in a non-stop DJ schedule that finds him spinning at top clubs worldwide. Craig acknowledges, “Touring has always been the most important aspect of the music industry for artists. There will always be that desire for human interaction.”. Lets also mention that he has recently performed live soundtracks to films, first in Amsterdam then in New York, where he improvised live to an Andy Warhol film at Unsound Festival. The fact is, unpredictability is the only predictable thing about Craig and his music. Outside of his Planet E recordings, Craig also continues to be one of the most sought-after remixers in the world. Craig has produced a seemingly never-ending list of remixes that now extends over 100 cuts, including mixes for the likes of LCD Soundsystem, Hot Chip, Friendly Fires, Caribou, Theo Parrish, Gavin Russom & Delia Gonzalez, Tori Amos, Can, Goldfrapp, Unkle, Yello and others. He was nominated for a Grammy in 2008 for his mix of the Junior Boys “Like a Child.” “It’s been proven that the remix is a valid art form,” Craig said. “When I take on a project, the ultimate goal is that it becomes my record. In many cases I’m actually recomposing the track and the time that I spend reflects how personal it becomes.” Fortunately there is no shortage of artists looking for that Carl Craig touch, so rest assured you'll hear Craig reconfiguring many of your favorite artists for years to come. In the same way that he likes to make tracks he's remixing his own, Craig’s commitment to his home in Detroit is also something very personal. After launching a festival to rival that of any in Europe with the Detroit Electronic Music Festival in 2000, Craig has shifted his focus to even more ambitious goals with the creation of his non-profit 501-C3 Carl Craig Foundation. “The concept is to find ways to re- educate kids about what’s interesting musically that you can’t get on the radio” says Craig. Partnering with other non-profits to set up music scholarships, in 2010 the Carl Craig Foundation presented a five-day workshop during the Movement Festival at the Detroit School of the Arts, which exposed the students to professionals in sound engineering, music festival production, record/music production and musical performance. Craig sees the primary goal of the foundation as a way “to develop a new music scene that follows the legacy of Detroit music being diverse and interesting, to spot out the most talented young musicians coming out of high school and lend small financial grants to encourage music education at a higher level.” This commitment to Detroit music also extends to how his Planet E family of labels is run. Not only has it given a home to a wide range of Detroit-based artists including Francesco Mora Catlett, Naomi Daniel, Flexitone, Jason Hogans, Kenny Larkin, Monty Luke, Ezana Harris, Moodyman, Mike Agent X, Oliverwho Factory, Recloose, Reference, Kevin Saunderson, Big Tone, Tribe, Urban Tribe, and Chaz Vincent, it has also been serving as a distributor for Detroit imprints including Derrick May's Transmat and Stacey Pullen's Black Flag. “The reality of the business is that you have to change. That’s a very difficult process, especially as an independent. I made a conscious decision a few years ago to invest in what I do. It’s turning it around and putting it into the studio and the label for my music to develop. We’re fighters around here. We fight to find new ways of selling. We do manufacture vinyl and there are people who want it. We’re fighting to keep it alive. Fighting for music that we have a vision for,” Craig say about Detroit. “My commitment to the city is like a commitment to your family. I’ve been here all my life and I’ve seen great things happen elsewhere, why not be involved in making my home great?” When Craig explains his philosophy, his wry sense of humor seeps into his explanations of far-reaching concepts that merge worlds together. “I have a very special career. When I feel that I’m tired of going on the road I can go in the studio. When I’m tired of concentrating on the studio I can go on the road. I can work with concert pianists, jazz musicians or rock guys. Very few people have that range of interests. Very few people juggle a career that they choose specifically.” No one else can pull it all together quite like Carl Craig.
  SoundCloud ↗Discography ↗
  Their RA profile lists fabric Records, Clone Records, Ibadan Records, Planet E and 6 more.

  Recently at public records, 99 Scott Ave, Brooklyn Storehouse · often with Moodymann, Chaim, Lauren Ritter, none of them here that night

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  DJ Holographic

  Detroit · 21 bookings since Nov 2023

  “DJ Holographic's mission is to serve up a mix of musical cuisine that combines House, passionate R&B, Hip Hop, unreserved Disco, true Detroit Techno, and Motown.”

  their own biography

  the whole biography

  DJ Holographic's mission is to serve up a mix of musical cuisine that combines House, passionate R&B, Hip Hop, unreserved Disco, true Detroit Techno, and Motown. Join her as she concocts her next rhythmic dish. Having spent these past few years traveling the world and playing for crowds in Berlin, London, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, she has thrilled crowds on hallowed dance floors at Smart Bar, Panorama Bar, Output, and beyond. Featured in print by Mixmag, DJ Mag, and more, top tier DJ's such as The Blessed Madonna and Carl Craig sing her praises regularly. 2020 saw the release of Holographic's debut EP "Parallel Shifting" on her own label Hitchhiker, with more releases to follow. On April 16th Planet-E's Detroit Love Vol. 5 hits shelves which Holographic compiled and mixed full of unreleased exclusives from some of her favorite producers across the globe.
  SoundCloud ↗
  Their RA profile lists Planet E.

  Recently at Signal, Good Room, Greenpoint Terminal · often with Stacey Hotwaxx Hale, Cosmo, Massimiliano Pagliara, none of them here that night

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  SKIN

  London, United Kingdom · 10 bookings since Nov 2023

  “Best known as the lead singer of Skunk Anansie, Skin is one of Britain’s leading and acclaimed rock singers & songwriters.”

  their own biography

  the whole biography

  Best known as the lead singer of Skunk Anansie, Skin is one of Britain’s leading and acclaimed rock singers & songwriters. Born and brought up in Brixton, South London, she rejected the safe haven of soul/R&B session singing by literally diving headlong into hardcore rock. Since she emerged in the mid ‘90s with Skunk Anansie, Skin has been a groundbreaking presence. Seeing a lot of similarities between dance music & rock music , she convinced the band to do remixes with DJs at a time when this wasn’t commonplace. This led to their hit song ‘Weep’ being remixed by the legendary Junior Vasquez with heavy rotation on the infamous Twilo dancefloor. Her love of the dancefloor began at early acid raves in the countryside to weekends taking in the London underground at TRADE, Heaven & DTPM. After spending years spinning at house parties from her massive collection of vinyl, in 2007 she was sold an old Pioneer Mixer by her friend and Legendary Dj Damien Lazarus and her jump to digital and her new obsession took hold. Flash forward years later & Skin has found her passion with sexy techno grooves that ooze warmth and fat bottom bass. “There is no fast road to being a good Dj, it literally takes years of non-stop work, it takes years of failure to understand how to get it right, it’s the same with production, luckily I already had a few skills in that area, mainly good ears but still you never really know until you test them on the dancefloor...when you feel that room shake THAT’S when you know you got it right!” She has also released Techno music under the pseudonym ‘ Juvenal’ on Nicole Moudaber’s Mood Records (2016) along with a 5 track collaboration with Nicole called #Breed that included a collab with Zebra Katz, original Techno Tracks with Nicole, and a Remix album #BREEDRMXS with remixes by Jamie Jones, Carl Craig, Pan Pot, Paco Osuna, Scuba & more. She has played at iconic clubs all over the world from Fabric Nightclub in London, Sound in LA, Space in Ibiza, Plastic & Magazzini Generalli in Milan, Output & Avant Gardner in NY, along with sets at festivals from Coachella to Kappa Future Festival in Torino, LadyLand Festival in Brooklyn, & Love Festival in London. After taking some time off to tour with Skunk Anansie & to write her chart topping memoir “It Takes Blood & Guts” she’s been working on a new solo electronic album & continuing with her seasonal weekly radio show on Abolut Radio. Skin has recently relocated to Brooklyn & is looking forward to bringing her upbeat yet dark techno vibes to sweaty dancefloors on this side of the pond!
  Their RA profile lists Mood Records.

  Recently at Artsdistrict Brooklyn · often with Michael Magnan, Josh Steers, Kim Anh, none of them here that night

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  Van Der Laan

  New York City · 23 bookings since Feb 2024

  SoundCloud ↗

  Recently at Elsewhere, 96 Morgan Ave, Dead Letter No. 9 · often with Atilla Ural, Ksenyeah, Manguito, none of them here that night