Carl Craig released six singles for Retroactive during 1990-91 (as BFC, Paperclip People and Carl Craig) but the label was dissolved in 1991 due to disputes with Booker. That same year, Craig formed the solo concern Planet E Communications for the release of his new EP 4 Jazz Funk Classics (recorded as 69). Deliberately lo-fi and gritty with the implementation of funky beat-box samples, tracks like "If Mojo Was AM" presented a new leap forward after the compulsive sheen of Retroactive singles like "Galaxy" and "From Beyond." Besides the distortion of 4 Jazz Funk Classics, his other Planet E work during 1991 contained off-the-cuff nods to such disparate moods as hip-hop and hardcore techno.

The following year's "Bug in the Bassbin" unveiled another Carl Craig alias, Innerzone Orchestra, and added elements of jazz to his beatbox frenzy. In the process, Craig became an uncommon influence on the early progression of the British drum'n'bass movement -- DJs and producers often pitched up "Bug in the Bassbin" from 33 to 45-rpm for a do-it-yourself jungle breakbeat. The release of Paperclip People's "Throw" added disco and funk to Craig's growing list of active inspirations; his natural progression into remixes during 1994 provided the dance world with versions of Maurizio, Inner City and La Funk Mob tracks plus a stunning reworking of the Tori Amos song "God," that lasted almost ten minutes. Thanks in large part to the Tori Amos remix, Craig soon signed his first contract with major-label exposure, to the Blanco y Negro division of Europe's Mute Records.

His first full-length, 1995's Landcruising, opened up the Carl Craig sound and gave it an epic feel closer in spirit to his earlier recordings, while the thematic tug of a journey around metro Detroit mirrored Juan Atkins' Model 500 tracks like "Night Drive." Landcruising opened up the market for Craig's material and several months later, R&S Records released 69's Sound of Music, a compilation of two EPs released the previous year for the Belgian label. In 1996, the high-profile British house label Ministry of Sound released a new Paperclip People single called "The Floor," composed of hard, clipped techno beats but an elastic bassline and prevalent disco sample that earned it much airplay in house venues. Though he was already one of the most noted names in the world of techno, Craig's reputation began growing in the more general category of mainstream/global dance, and he soon became less tied to the mantle of Detroit techno than many of his contemporaries. Craig helmed one in the series of DJ Kicks albums released by Studio !K7 and spent several months based in London. He returned to Detroit later in 1996 to focus on Planet E, which released a Paperclip People album titled The Secret Tapes of Dr. Eich (mostly collecting previous singles) and a Psyche/BFC retrospective titled Elements 1989-1990.

The new year brought the second proper Carl Craig LP, More Songs About Food & Revolutionary Art. He spent much of 1998 touring the world as Innerzone Orchestra with a jazzy trio. The project also released an LP, Programmed, expanding Craig's full-length output to seven -- though only three had appeared under his own name. Two collections appeared during 1999-2000, including the Planet E mix album House Party 013 and the remix compilation Designer Music. The mix collection, Onsumothasheeat, was issued in early 2001.