The 21 Best Carl Craig Remixes

Just the glimpse of the words Carl Craig remix on the tracklist of an otherwise unremarkable-looking EP will send DJs scrambling for their headphones, ready to have their ears and minds scrambled by the latest interpretation from the man who’s been likened to the Miles Davis of Techno.

Since his first remix in 1988, Carl Craig has an extraordinary 605 remixes credited to his name on Discogs. While not all of these have shown his true skill, the vast majority would make any producer envious of his ability to turn even the blandest pop track into a techno masterpiece capable of sending even the most critical dancefloor into raptures.

To celebrate the Detroit legends numerous gifts to sound systems across the globe, we’ve compiled the best ever Carl Craig remixes.

Cesaria Evora – Angola (Carl Craig remix) [2002]

Organic percussion, psychedelic synth and 909s collide in this killer building remix of Cape Verdean songstress Cesaria Evora.

Hugh Masekela – The Boy’s Doin’ It (Carl Craig remix) [2005]

Two historically politically charged cities join forces as Detroit meets Johannesburg as C2 tackles South African flugelhorn player Hugh Masekela.

Maurizio – Domina (Carl Craig’s mind remix) [1993]

A true house masterpiece as Craig energises Mark Ernestus and Mauritz Von Oswald’s dub techno with swinging 909s, sub-bass and mind-melting pad swirls.

Telex – Moskow Diskow (Carl Craig remix) [1998]

Odd-ball Italo gem from 1979 gets thumped up by C2 in one of his best remixes.

Theo Parrish – Falling Up (Carl Craig remix) [2005]

For many, the quintessential Carl Craig remix. Techno meets Jazz with stunning effect.

Faze Action – In The Trees (Carl Craig mix #1) [2007]

Opening with paranoid synths bursts, the track goes to the next level as those strings come into play.

Throbbing Gristle – Hot On The Heels Of Love (Carl Craig Re-Version) [2004]

Thumping, psychedelic, big room techno

Tony Allen – Kilode (Carl Craig’s straight remix) [2007]

Fela Kuti’s drummer, Tony Allen gets transported into the future as a breaky intro full of street vocals leads into a ridiculously funky bassline, and quite possibly the best kick drum in house history.

Junior Boys – Like A Child (Carl Craig remix) [2006]

C2 turns the playful original into a sinister uptempo soundscape of arpeggio leads, hushed vocals and metallic pads.

Rhythm & Sound – Poor People Must Work (Carl Craig remix) [2006]

Craig, Ernestus and Von Oswald join forces again, this time on the Berlin duos Rhythm & Sound project as Craig takes Bobbo Shanti’s vocals out from under the smokey dub haze into the dancefloor stratosphere. Check out our guide to the best Rhythm & Sound records here

GusGus – Polyesterday (Carl Craig’s Shot In The Leg Dub) [1998]

A severely underplayed remix that easily stands the test of time despite being nearly 20 years old. All acid-riffs, floaty vocals and rolling claps. The vocal remix is equally as good.

Alexander Robotnick – Problèmes D’Amour (Carl Craig Remix) [2007]

The oddball Italo-tinged original gets looped up into a disco-house roller with jazzy drums edits breaking things up.

Delia Gonzalez & Gavin Russom – Relevee (Carl Craig remix) [2006]

An opening burst of kaleidoscopic synths slowly morphs into a full jazz workout over the space of 11 glorious minutes.

Hot Lizard – The Theme (Carl Craig Mix) [1995]

Nearly 23 years old and still sounding like the future.

Beanfield – Tides (C’s Movement #1) [2004]

At the time this was possibly a career-high for Craig, as he turns the soul-drenched original into a brooding-and-then-euphoric club masterpiece.

Factory Floor – Turn It Up (C2 remix) [2013]

A stripped-down 808-driven DJ tool of the highest calibre

Ultramarine – Hooter (Carl Craig / Ver. 1.1) [1994]

808s, tribal rumbles and quintessential Detroit synths collide

Incognito – Out Of The Storm (C’s Planet E Special Mix) [1996]

Jazzy, mellow brilliance

Directions – Busted Trees (C’s Spacestrumental) [2004]

C2 takes the coffee-table jazz original and turns it into a string-driven wonder that builds over the space of 8 and a half glorious minutes.

Dave Angel – Airborne (Carl Craigs Drums Sucks remix) [1995]

12 minutes of beatless Detroit techno

Carl Craig Vs. Johnny Blas – Picadillo 7 (A Lo Blas) [1999]

Another beatless excursion, this time on a remix of Latin conguero Johnny Blas.