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"Hello, My Name is Cylob, and I Make Electronic Music."

Welcome to CYLOB.COM - last updated: 29 December 2008
I am from the United Kingdom but live in Berlin.
My music is available on Cylob Industries.
I have also released records on rephlex, breakin and WeMe.
You can listen to sound clips HERE.
For gig offers or other correspondance, please contact dj_cylob@durftal.com.
Sorry I don't update this website very much! You can find all the latest news and thoughts at the CYLOBLOG: http://cylob.blogspot.com
click the following for more info:
FAQ - Biography - Press Pics - Gigs - Cylob Music System - Flyers - Rave Pics - Discography - Links
Latest Releases on Cylob Industries:
Available on Bleep, BoomKat, Rough Trade Digital and many more:
CSR 001 M - Rock The Trojan Fader - 3 track single
CSR 002 M - Trojan Fader Style - 1 track album
CSR 003 M - Formant Potaton - 12 track album
CSR 004 M - Bounds Green - 12 track album
CSR 005 M - Late In The Day - 6 track single
* Nearly 3 hours of new music *
You may also order the limited edition Bounds Green vinyl double disc set from WeMe Records.
PLUS..."Private Life" by
Private Lives (me & DMX Krew) is out now on SoulJazz Records. It's
an acid tinged italo-disco modern day classic.
Forthcoming Gigs:
7 January 2009 - [DJ] - Berlin, Germany / Deutschland.
Killekill @ Berghain Kantine.
Online Music & Video Guide:
DJ in Fribourg, Switzerland, December 2007
Live in London, December 2007
Live in Japan, October 2007
YouTube Channel
Live at Bangface, London, December 2006
DJ at Acid On Sea 2006 alongside Ceephax
Myspace Page with some exclusive tracks
Many DJ mixes and unreleased tracks at DURFTAL
Cylobotnia (me + Aleksi Perala) Myspace page with exclusive tracks
030303 party track (click through - also mixes from Luke Vibert and Ceephax)
Alpine Acid - 6 quickly made -> artless <- tracks.
FAQ
Anyone
is welcome to e-mail me at dj_cylob@durftal.com. I get mail all the
time from people who like my music (and sometimes those who don't!) and
I read and appreciate them all. I reply to as many as I can. Here are
some questions which have been asked many times. I don't mind being
asked them again, but if it helps you and saves some time, here are the
answers already.
Q: When are you coming to play (insert name of town)?
A: Just as soon as a promoter mails me at dj_cylob@durftal.com with a proposal.
Q: Do you have the new Rephlex contact details? Will you listen to my music and tell me what you think?
A: Rephlex have discontinued their P.O. Box for reasons of their own.
It would rather suggest they are no longer interested in receiving
demos, so maybe it is best to take the hint. I never appraise other
people's music as it has got me into trouble so many times in the past.
I honestly don't think I am a good judge in any case.
Q: What software / equipment do you use? Can you tell me what programs I should use?
A: I write my own software in Supercollider for composition and
synthesis, as detailed elsewhere on this site. There are so many
programs these days, and the results that can be obtained on even the
simplest program are of such a high standard, that there is little to
distinguish what can be achieved on one setup from another. As always,
the most important music making equipment is your brain, ears and
fingers. There are many resources on the net for electronic music
making. Start here: http://www.soundonsound.com/ or
http://www.createdigitalmusic.com/. There are forums on both sites.
Also, Yahoo groups has many relevant forums.
Biography
Cylob is the alias of electronic
music maker Chris Jeffs. A trombone player in his youth, he progressed
to experimenting with electronic music and recording in his late teens.
At first inspired by early 80's
synth-pop, old-school hip-hop and electro, and dance pioneers Art Of
Noise, 808 State and LFO, Chris gave a demo tape to Aphex Twin at a gig
in early 1993, subsequently signing to his Rephlex label a short time
after.
Since his debut, he has released 13 singles and 5 albums on Rephlex, in addition to the EP "Spider Report" for Breakin' Records.
Initial releases under the name
Kinesthesia comprised of two EP's of crunchy beats and exhilarating
melodies (Volumes 1 and 2), an album of isolationist ambience ("Empathy
Box") and a 12" of remixes from the album, from artists including
Mu-ziq, Autechre and Aphex Twin.
This monicker was laid to rest
in 1995, when Chris decided to concentrate on the Cylob name first used
on his "Industrial Folk Songs" EP and his remix of Aphex Twin's
"Ventolin" for WARP. This was followed by the lush melodies of the 1996
album "Cylobian Sunset", reckoned by many connoisseurs to be a classic
electronic album.
Then followed the harsh
dancefloor sonics of "Cylob's Latest Effort" and "Lobster Tracks" (with
its Chris Cunningham-illustrated sleeve), pop pastiche with "Living In
The 1980's", soothing bells and gongs on "Mood Bells" and the
electronic funk and braindance of "CMS 3000" Volumes 1 & 2.
2007 sees the launch of Cylob's
own net label, Cylob Industries. 2 singles and 3 albums are scheduled
to be released before the end of the year, initially on bleep.com.
These include "Trojan fader Style", a one track album lasting almost an
hour, "Formant Potaton" which features computer generated vocals, and
"Bounds Green", a collection of previously unreleased ambient tracks
from the mid 90's.
Although Cylob's music is
predominantly instrumental, his most well known tracks have been the
underground hits "Rewind" and "Cut The Midrange, Drop The Bass" which
pioneered computer-generated rapping and singing on top of signature
Cylob beats. A video to "Rewind" directed by Mark Adcock and featuring
renowned martial artist Chloe Bruce saw a fair amount of MTV airplay on
its release in 1999.
In addition, there have been
remixes for artists such as Soulwax (aka 2 Many DJ's), Cristian Vogel
(NovaMute), Mike Flowers Pops (Lo) and DMX Krew (Rephlex.) A few forays
into media composing have resulted in themes for UK and US cable
stations, and animation music for the official FIFA World Cup 2002
website.
Apart from his solo recordings,
Cylob has also engaged in sporadic collaborations, releasing tracks
with the likes of Squarepusher and Aleksi Perala (the latter as
"Cylobotnia"). More recently, this year an acid house tinged italodisco
project created with fellow Rephlex artist Ed DMX was released on
SoulJazz records under the name "Private Lives".
Cylob makes his music using his
own Cylob Music System program, written in the Supercollider language.
This continuing work in progress, started in 2001, has led to his sound
becoming increasingly distinctive. Details of this software can be
found on his website.
Cylob has been playing live and
DJ'ing since 1994, playing his first set in legendary Leeds techno club
The Orbit, and since touring extensively in Europe, North America,
Japan, Australia and Russia. These gigs include two appearances at the
Glade festival and several appearances at renowned neo-rave event
Bangface. He has also made the occasional broadcast on radio worldwide
including twice on BBC Radio 1's Breezeblock show. He continues to
perform regularly and work on recording projects.