'Fluid' techno flows into Detroit

Two of the artists performing, Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson, revolutionized the world of dance music in the mid to late '80s at a now-legendary club known as The Music Institute where the music now referred to as techno first began to materialize. The other three artists performing Thanksgiving night at "Fluid" - Carl Craig, Kenny Larkin and Stacey Pullen - were understudies of May and Saunderson and eventually led the second wave of Detroit techno, spanning from the early '90s to the present.

This monumental event in the history of electronic music Thursday night will take place at a brand new, undisclosed location in Detroit, said Carl Craig, whose goal is to eventually have the concept of "Fluid" evolve into a club similar to what the Music Institute was 10 years ago.

"In 1988, I had a place that was a temple," Craig explains. "What we're trying to do here is make this the testing ground, maybe even the breeding ground for the new pioneers."

Over the past few years, Detroit's gigantic underground raves held in shady abandoned buildings hidden deep within the decay of the inner-city on a weekly basis have created a culture where the importance of partying surpasses that of innovative music.

"You go to Chicago and they're living house music," Craig said, contrasting the current attitude in Detroit. "We used to be trend-setters, or we used to be pioneers. We're not finding those pioneers anymore. I don't know of any artists out there right now doing things totally different on a totally new level."

Craig's first-ever Detroit performance tomorrow night promises to be ambitious and far from mundane. Although his performance "is something the rest of the world has seen," Craig rarely performs in his hometown due to the international popularity of his music. "Detroit is a place that's very individual and very special to me. I'd rather do it on a level that's very special," he said.

Craig has released music under various personas over the past decade but most will agree Paperclip People is unique. Some of Craig's descriptions of his music include "crazy music," "deep and dark," "party music" and "straight ahead underground stringy kind of thing." He also said that listeners "have to have a certain mentality to be able to comprehend."

This project began several years ago when Craig started releasing singles on 12-inch vinyl such as "Oscillator" and "Throw" under the name Paperclip People until all the material was eventually compiled into an album called "The Secret Tapes of Dr. Eich" in 1996.

"'The Secret Tapes of Dr. Eich' is not a compilation but a kind of essay of the past," Craig said. "I find it's better for me to put together projects in long form. That's why I head my own record label. It gives me more control to release what I want."

Besides Paperclip People, Craig also releases music on his record label, Planet E, under the names Interzone Orchestra, 69, Psyche, BFC and Carl Craig as well as others. He explained his reasons for the multiple aliases rely upon "the whole concept of productivity. If I would have put all the material I was doing before under the name Carl Craig, I would have flooded the market."

"It was also a situation where each song under a different moniker has a different personality," he said. "69 could sound similar to Paperclip People, but it's totally different. To me it sounds completely different. It has a different concept behind it."

Craig's record label, Planet E, remains as vital to the evolution of techno music as his own music. Artists such as the controversial Moodyman and DJ Recloose - who used to spin as DJ Bubblicious at Ann Arbor's own Bird of Paradise and Hiedleburg two years ago - are exported across the globe.

Craig sees a rise from the underground as "better for our movement." His music is made to reach and inspire people, his record label to develop innovative artists and his event, "Fluid," to once again bring Detroit back its status as a world center of music.

"I believe there is a large market of people in America that can be influenced by our music. We have to give them an opportunity to be influenced. They need to be exposed and educated," he said.

Tomorrow night's event will be the first step toward Craig's vision of a musical renaissance in Detroit. His visions are to "take the past like Derrick (May) and match that with the future" in an effort to once again create "that inner city love that comes from being part of the culture."

To hear the location and time of "Fluid," call

(313) 438-0112 any time tomorrow.

11-25-98