Limited Vinylrelease! territories: WORLD EXCL FRANCE

Tracklist:
A1 - At Les - Acoustic Version
A2 - Desire- Acoustic Version
B1 - The Melody - Acoustic Version
B2 - Sandstorms - Acoustic Version

Release Info
From techno to to electronic cross-over classical, and now back again – Carl Craig's Versus project continues to morph and evolve with the release of five beatless versions taken from the eponymous album. On the eve of the Carl Craig concert with the Chinake! Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall (which promises to be mythical) InFiné partners with Planet E for the release of 4 exclusive, purely orchestral, versions. This Versus Beatless EP brings together the classical musical base used in the making of Versus (2017). These pieces "without electronics" give primacy to the orchestral texture of the instruments and to Carl Craig's close work with Les Siècles during the recording sessions at Davoux studio. With this new take on 4 Planet E catalogue classics, Carl Craig and Francesco Tristano transport their listeners into a new time space. Techno is entering concert halls. The European musical tradition pays tribute to the city of Detroit.
More

Tracklist:
A1_The Melody (Henrik Schwarz Remix)
A2_Domina (Benedikt Frey The Game Remix)

B1_At Les (Antigone Remix)
B2_The Melody (Tom Trago Remix)

From techno to classical, and back again - the Versus project continues to morph and evolve, with the release of four remixes from the eponymous album.
As InFiné Records' ten-year anniversary gift to itself Versus was conceived as a platform to continue the label's genre-bridging mission statement. After all, Carl Craig's canonical techno has always lent itself particularly well to hybridization with modern classical, jazz and classic rock forms - even muzak. From an initial 2010 recording, the project birthed a full-length containing two original Francesco Tristano compositions alongside symphonic versions of Carl Craig classics, reworked in the studio by the man himself.
Hot on the heels of a live synth-only tour that hit Sonar, Detroit's Movement and S4W Festival London in 2017; and celebrating the reprise in 2018 at more mythical venues (London's Barbican and Berlin's Funkhaus), we hand-picked a clutch of up-and-coming producers to push the project further into techno territory.
Known for classic remixes of everyone from Pat Thomas & Ebo Taylor to Mari Boine, his collaboration with Bugge Wesseltoft, jazzy-house renaissance man Henrik Schwarz brings his horn- and piano-heavy world music influence to The Melody, keeping everything as uplifting as it is banging.
Always kinetic and just a bit dark, French producer Antigone lightens it up a tad with his version of At Les, built on a vintage beat reminiscent of the early days of IDM, when the genre was still bridging "dance" and mind-melting ambient washes.
Fellow Red Bull Studios collaborator (and founder of Berlin-based label Love Pain Sunshine & Rain) Benedikt Frey brings his pastoral birdsong to a half-driving, half-ambient rendition of Dominas that retains enough strings to keep fans of Tri Repetae-era Autechre blissing throughout.
The EP is book-ended by The Melody, for the final track another version of in the form of a harder slice of functional, dancefloor-ready techno by Dutch producer Tom Trago. We're out of synonyms for "banger", but this one will definitely please the DJs - and crowds.

More

About Versus: Monumental symphonic versions of Carl Craig?s? classic material, re-enforced and magnified by Les Siecles Orchestra. Iconic French conductor François-Xavier Roth is at the helm of the symphony whilst InFiné mainstay Francesco Tristano supports on piano. From an initial recording in 2010, the project evolved into a full album that has been tweaked further in the studio by Craig himself. The re-works reveal the timelessness of `At Les´ and `Darkness´ through tense yet fragile new arrangements, along with two original compositions by Tristano ? ?Barcelona Trist? and ?The Melody? Versus first took form as a captivating live concert on May 18th, 2008 at Paris? Cité de la Musique, featuring this very same line-up. The hedonism of club culture made a rare incursion into the hallowed grounds of more serious traditional music, merging the vocabularies and syntaxes of two genres that seem to be from their own faraway galaxies, but actually turned out to be more porous than expected as they collided into one another. A bemused Carl Craig recalls that the ?audience stopped just short of snapping their fingers to the rhythm. Everyone was literally on the verge of dancing, and François-Xavier was getting his first taste of that thrill that DJs get when they are playing for a room. We were like two kids rummaging through a candy shop ? I toured him through my universe and he showed me his.? The album?s release is also set to coincide with the launch of the Versus Synthesiser Ensemble, a back-to-basics live performance featuring six synthesisers and a piano, as directed by Craig. Detroit?s Movement Festival will be the tour?s launching pad, allowing for the possible grafting of a full symphonic orchestra as time progresses. The Versus universe is thus one that is predicated on transforming, remixing and reinterpreting, on creating of new forms of expression, but also on breaking down hierarchies to confront genres and worlds that seem further apart than they really are. An optimistic, if not idealistic project, with a title that was perfectly chosen to echo Carl?s mantra: ?the point is to change the audience?s perceptions, to surprise people, but also blow the dust off the conventional wisdom about music, its place in the world, and its audience ? without demagoguery and with fresh and new arguments.? This much awaited new studio album will be available worldwide on May 5th as a 2LP gatefold vinyl, a limited edition 3LP edition that incudes a bonus vinyl of stripped back versions (2000 copies only) and CD.

SPECS: 3LP in 8mm gatefold vinyl sleeve with download card (digital download is the full CD version)
Limited edition vinyl (2000 units worldwide) More

About Versus: Monumental symphonic versions of Carl Craig?s? classic material, re-enforced and magnified by Les Siecles Orchestra. Iconic French conductor François-Xavier Roth is at the helm of the symphony whilst InFiné mainstay Francesco Tristano supports on piano. From an initial recording in 2010, the project evolved into a full album that has been tweaked further in the studio by Craig himself. The re-works reveal the timelessness of `At Les´ and `Darkness´ through tense yet fragile new arrangements, along with two original compositions by Tristano ? ?Barcelona Trist? and ?The Melody? Versus first took form as a captivating live concert on May 18th, 2008 at Paris? Cité de la Musique, featuring this very same line-up. The hedonism of club culture made a rare incursion into the hallowed grounds of more serious traditional music, merging the vocabularies and syntaxes of two genres that seem to be from their own faraway galaxies, but actually turned out to be more porous than expected as they collided into one another. A bemused Carl Craig recalls that the ?audience stopped just short of snapping their fingers to the rhythm. Everyone was literally on the verge of dancing, and François-Xavier was getting his first taste of that thrill that DJs get when they are playing for a room. We were like two kids rummaging through a candy shop ? I toured him through my universe and he showed me his.? The album?s release is also set to coincide with the launch of the Versus Synthesiser Ensemble, a back-to-basics live performance featuring six synthesisers and a piano, as directed by Craig. Detroit?s Movement Festival will be the tour?s launching pad, allowing for the possible grafting of a full symphonic orchestra as time progresses. The Versus universe is thus one that is predicated on transforming, remixing and reinterpreting, on creating of new forms of expression, but also on breaking down hierarchies to confront genres and worlds that seem further apart than they really are. An optimistic, if not idealistic project, with a title that was perfectly chosen to echo Carl?s mantra: ?the point is to change the audience?s perceptions, to surprise people, but also blow the dust off the conventional wisdom about music, its place in the world, and its audience ? without demagoguery and with fresh and new arguments.? This much awaited new studio album will be available worldwide on May 5th as a 2LP gatefold vinyl, a limited edition 3LP edition that incudes a bonus vinyl of stripped back versions (2000 copies only) and CD.

SPECS: 2LP in 5mm gatefold vinyl sleeve with download card (digital download is the full CD version) More

About Versus: Monumental symphonic versions of Carl Craig?s? classic material, re-enforced and magnified by Les Siecles Orchestra. Iconic French conductor François-Xavier Roth is at the helm of the symphony whilst InFiné mainstay Francesco Tristano supports on piano. From an initial recording in 2010, the project evolved into a full album that has been tweaked further in the studio by Craig himself. The re-works reveal the timelessness of `At Les´ and `Darkness´ through tense yet fragile new arrangements, along with two original compositions by Tristano ? ?Barcelona Trist? and ?The Melody? Versus first took form as a captivating live concert on May 18th, 2008 at Paris? Cité de la Musique, featuring this very same line-up. The hedonism of club culture made a rare incursion into the hallowed grounds of more serious traditional music, merging the vocabularies and syntaxes of two genres that seem to be from their own faraway galaxies, but actually turned out to be more porous than expected as they collided into one another. A bemused Carl Craig recalls that the ?audience stopped just short of snapping their fingers to the rhythm. Everyone was literally on the verge of dancing, and François-Xavier was getting his first taste of that thrill that DJs get when they are playing for a room. We were like two kids rummaging through a candy shop ? I toured him through my universe and he showed me his.? The album?s release is also set to coincide with the launch of the Versus Synthesiser Ensemble, a back-to-basics live performance featuring six synthesisers and a piano, as directed by Craig. Detroit?s Movement Festival will be the tour?s launching pad, allowing for the possible grafting of a full symphonic orchestra as time progresses. The Versus universe is thus one that is predicated on transforming, remixing and reinterpreting, on creating of new forms of expression, but also on breaking down hierarchies to confront genres and worlds that seem further apart than they really are. An optimistic, if not idealistic project, with a title that was perfectly chosen to echo Carl?s mantra: ?the point is to change the audience?s perceptions, to surprise people, but also blow the dust off the conventional wisdom about music, its place in the world, and its audience ? without demagoguery and with fresh and new arguments.? This much awaited new studio album will be available worldwide on May 5th as a 2LP gatefold vinyl, a limited edition 3LP edition that incudes a bonus vinyl of stripped back versions (2000 copies only) and CD.

More

Territory: World

Tracklist

A1 From Beyond (C2 2023 Mix)
A2 From Beyond (Seth Troxler Remix)
B1 From Beyond (Ataxia Remix)
B2 From Beyond (Admn Remix)

Release Info:
The year is 1989. Techno’s second generation has begun to permeate the globe leading a young Carl Craig to a tiny village in the countryside of Belgium. It is here, undistracted and determined to break out, that Craig encounters one of the country’s only drum machines, an Alesis controlled midi-808. In a single session he composes and mixes a handful of records that are still to this day regarded as some of his most raw and explosive contributions to the fabric of electronic music history.

Carl revisits this fateful chapter through the lens of a famed cut from his Psyche alias ‘From Beyond’, with a ‘C2 2023 Mix’ and remixes from Seth Troxler, Ataxia and Admn, out July 14 on Planet E Communications.

The Psyche alias, known for early Transmat releases like ‘Crack\down’ and ‘Elements’, embodied a stripped back, less sample based yin attitude to the yang of Carl’s more aggressive 69 and sample-forward BFC and Paperclip People identities. ‘From Beyond’, first released in 1990 via the ‘Crackdown’ 12” on Transmat, offers an eerie glimpse into the simplistic production that came through Carl’s mastery of the 808 and the sonic value of restricting himself to this movement defining tool.

This new ‘From Beyond’ package sees Carl lift and bend the original in his ‘C2 2023 Mix’ alongside a package of remixes from artists near to the hearts of Detroit and the Planet E fold. Seth Troxler brings a subdued acid tinge to the package, while label regular Ataxia pays homage to the source material with a renewed percussive energy, followed by a soulful rework by Admn.

Whether it be through the 30 year repertoire of his seminal Planet E, his Party / After-Party sound and light installation now on display at Los Angeles’ MOCA, or his continuous work as a champion of Black-led creativity, the Carl Craig mission remains the same: to always rep Detroit and be the realest mutha f***a alive.





More

Territory: World

Tracklist:
A1 Art O Fact
A2 Art O Fact (Luv4Detroit Dub)
B1 Art O Fact (Reprise)
B2 Art O Fact (Edit)

Release Info:
Revered house mainstay Junior Sanchez makes his debut on Carl Craig’s renowned Planet E Communications imprint today with the digital release of his latest EP ‘‘Art O Fact’ out now with a 12” to come this July. Hailing from New Jersey, Sanchez remains a pioneering force in house music for over three decades and a close ally of Craig’s.

‘Art O Fact’ is an exemplar of the energized rhythm and infectious groove that has become synonymous with Sanchez’s work and genre defining productions. The package seamlessly connects scenes and eras, paying homage to the soulful sonic atmosphere of Detroit, Junior Sanchez’s says:

“Art O Fact -- was created purely and simply out of creative inspiration. I walked into the studio one morning not really knowing what to do, so I let my inspiration guide me and my inspiration really was Detroit. I thought about that city, what it meant to me and what techno really meant to my heart. I have loved so many records by Carl Craig, DJ ROLANDO, Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson and Juan Atkins, so the result is something really beautiful and organic, and the fact that it's coming out on Carl Craig's planet E imprint is such an honor.”

In addition to the original mix, the ‘Art O Fact’ EP features a bouncy ‘Luv4Detroit’ Dub, energized edit, and melodic reprise.

Sanchez’s eclectic palette can be credited in part to his time spent in the sonic melting pot of New York City in the 1990s. A pillar of the underground club scene, Junior Sanchez began DJing at iconic New York City institutions such as Limelight and Club USA at the mere age of 13 and released his first track on iconic house imprint Strictly Rhythm at age 15. Sanchez went on to co-found Da Mongaloids collective, composed of the likes of Daft Punk, Armand van Helden, LaidbackLuke, and more which laid the foundation for him to form multi-generational turntablism trio S-Men alongside Roger Sanchez and DJ Sneak.

Sanchez's extensive repertoire of collaborators includes Madonna, Ariana Grande, Good Charlotte, Azealia Banks and more while his own imprints Cube Recordings and Brobot Records have seen releases from the likes of Felix Da Housecat, Sébastien Léger, and Steve Mac.

Led by legendary Detroit techno pioneer Carl Craig, Planet E Communications has been an integral force in shaping electronic music for the past thirty years. Standing testament to the timeless spirit of techno, over the past two years alone Carl has released the leftfield ‘Attenuator’ jazz fusion project from himself and Moritz Von Oswald, DJ Holographic’s multi-genre Detroit Love Vol. 5, and the first electronic music album from Mexican-American percussionist Francisco Mora-Catlett. Planet E continues to transcend the dance floor, as it perpetuates the unifying spirit and unwavering creativity of Detroit.





More

Territory: World

Tracklist

A1 Do It All Night (Original Mix)
B1 Do It All Night (Honey Dijon Remix)

Release Info:
First-Lady of Detroit and longtime member of the Planet E Communications family DJ Minx continues the label’s thirty year anniversary celebration with her ‘Do It All Night’ EP, out on 12” and digital platforms January 28. The EP features a peak time remix from the stratospheric talent Honey Dijon.




More

Matthew Dear has unveiled a new alias, Brain, which will debut with a double-EP called The World on Planet E.

Tracklist

A1 Boss
A2 Corrections
B1 Rafe
B2 Snake Head
C1 Tantricity Pt.I
D1 Tantricity Pt.II

Release Info:
Matthew Dear has unveiled a new alias, Brain, which will debut with a double-EP called The World on Planet E.

It's the latest in a long line of trackier Matthew Dear aliases, including False, Jabberjaw and Audion, whose 2006 classic "Mouth To Mouth" came in at number 20 on Resident Advisor’s Top 100 Tracks Of The '00s feature. The lead-off cut on the inaugural Brain release, "Boss," was first heard on Carl Craig's Detroit Love Vol. 2 compilation.


More

Tracklist:
A1 Oblivion
B1 Michaelangelos

Release Info:
Having made a huge impact amid Carl Craig’s celebrated 2019 entry in Planet E's Detroit Love mix compilation series, Ataxia's anthemic ‘Oblivion’ arrives on vinyl for the first time alongside a new cut, ‘Michaelangelos’. Each track takes Ataxia’s notoriously detailed production techniques and applies them to a widescreen, enveloping template.

Constructed from rubbery basslines, wormholes of rave power and a structure that applies tension and release to killer effect, ‘Oblivion’ has continued to engross dancers since it’s digital release, transmitting an increasingly rare blend of minimal yet maximal rave pleasures.

On ‘Michaelangelos’, Ataxia further demonstrates a fluid ability to keep listeners on their toes, shuffling the deck but applying the same irresistible tricks to a rhythmic, tripping cut and the unexpected sample at its core.

Consisting of Eric Ricker and Ted Krisko, Ataxia have previously released on labels including Visionquest, 2020 Vision, Leftroom and Kevin Saunderson's KMS Recordings. They currently hold down long term residencies at the legendary Marble Bar and TV Lounge in their hometown of Detroit.


More

Tracklist:
A1 Just Like Muzik (Michele Chiavarini Remix)
A2 Just Like Muzik (Michele Chiavarini Instrumental Remix)
B1 The Sabbath (Steve Crawford Remix)

Planet E present the Michele Chiavarini and DJ Steve Crawford remixes of 'Just Like Muzik' and 'The Sabath' taken from Terrence Parker's 2017 album 'GOD Loves Detroit'. The three-track remix EP is due for release March 8th.

Handpicked by Terrence Parker himself, both remixers offer fresh takes on two of the standout tracks of the original LP.

For the first and last track of the EP Michele Chiavarini reworks 'Just Like Muzik', with a bass lick which dances in and out of shuffling hats, channelling the high energy of the original house patterns and stabs into something different. Soulful pad progressions merge with Merachka's original vocal, before energetic strings and vibraphone solo take over, carrying the listener along.

DJ Steve Crawford's remix of 'The Sabath' sees him transpose the arpeggiated synth rhythm and pads of the original into a fresh grooving 4/4 affair. Congas and punching kicks meet with harmonious string melody and slapped bass, creating a head-nodding reimagining of the master.
More

Tracklist:
A1 Packard
A2 Anna
B1 Marx


Planet E are proud to present ‘AW18 Collection’, a 3 track EP from British producer Tom Flynn due September 14th. Drawing upon a broad and learned musical understanding, ‘AW18 Collection’ fuses disparate strands from the worlds of fashion, club culture and sound design to forge a highly atmospheric, singular release.

‘Packard’, the title of which is inspired by parties in the historic Detroit power plant of the same name, establishes an unrelenting energy from the get go. A bouncing kick lays the foundations for rolling synths, unnerving vocal samples and delicate piano refrains to wander. ‘Anna’ is an indulgent nod to the catwalk, marching with intent amidst immersive chords and subtle melodies.

The B side hosts a trippy cut full of interplanetary glitches and melancholic harmonies. Drawing upon hints to the extraterrestrial, ‘Marx’ creates a dizzying swirl with glistening textures.

Carl Craig was sold straight away: “When Tom sent me his demo of ‘Packard’ I knew I wanted to release it on Planet E. The mix of looped electronics with soul of the piano brought me back to when I first heard the post-Disco classic ‘Beyond the Clouds’. I can imagine the kids on The Scene rockin' hard to this.“



More

Tracklist

A1 Momentum
B1 Repeat After Me

Planet E are proud to present 'Momentum', a two-track collaboration between Carl Craig and Argentinian live electronic collective Klauss due April 13th. The EP is a result of an unplanned production session at the band's Buenos Aires studio in February of last year.?

Each running at over ten minutes long and brimming with tension, both tracks use analogue grooves to form a grounding for meditative loops and mind-bending sonic processes to wander.





More