Desire: The Carl Craig Story
Music documentaries tend to follow the same general format of talking heads saying snappy sound bites to describe key moments in the artist’s life. Desire: The Carl Craig Story breaks free from this mould to refreshing effect. While family members and collaborators do regularly chime in with their thoughts on the career and music of Detroit DJ Carl Craig, they do so in a more thoughtful and measured manner as they explore the musicianship and influences behind Craig’s works. Director Jean-Cosme Delaloye’s Desire: The Carl Craig Story would be better described as a feature-length video essay on the artist’s genre-defying musicality, and that’s meant in the best possible way.
The film opens with Craig sitting in a studio, strumming a guitar his parents bought him in the 1980s. He talks about his early love of music, improvisation, and the wide range of influences (including Black Sabbath and Gary Numan) which would go on to inspire him. After this brief introductory segment, Delaloye begins to dig into the music history that’s lovingly embedded in the subject’s work. He does so with methodical precision by tackling a specific genre or musician in turn, often tying it to a specific album or track by Craig. Fellow artists passionately discuss not just what his music means to them but elaborate on why it’s a significant work of art, with the jazz roots of the drum and bass track Bug in the Bass Bin being one of the most fascinating talking points.
While this documentary takes a more cerebral approach to its subject matter, the filmmaker still allocates plenty of space for Craig’s music to speak for itself, with whole sequences seemingly designed to allow audiences to immerse themselves within the dreamlike techno beats. Even without knowing anything about techno, listening to these sounds is enough for viewers to understand why Craig is a noteworthy figure within the scene.
Delaloye’s academic spin on the music documentary with Desire: The Carl Craig Story is filled with insightful observations surrounding genre and music history, inspiring a deeper appreciation for the acclaimed DJ and the various contributions he’s made over the decades.
Andrew Murray
Desire: The Carl Craig Story is released nationwide on 8th May 2025.
Watch the trailer for Desire: The Carl Craig Story here:
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