cedric stevens / leyland kirby / motion sickness of time travel / fennesz - the syncopated elevators legacy (2x12inch vinyl lp)

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It's interesting that techno musicians often tire of the back beat and shift into more watery, exploratory realms over time, while the opposite seems true for those with roots in drone or ambience (even now, 'experimental' dance music is on the rise). Cedric Stevens certainly falls into the former group -- a DJ/producer who felt the urge to venture beyond the confines of a 4/4 thump in the late 90s. The Syncopated Elevators Legacy (S.E.L.) was the project he formed, and after a dozen or so years of activity we get an expansive anthology of his work via the Discrepant label. From the outset this compilation focuses on ethereal, often eerie patches of sound and bright electronic bleeps. It is markedly different from the current trend in electronic music in that it doesn't sound overtly analog, at least to my ears. Instead of vintage throwback, S.E.L. provides bubbles of early 21st century electronic futurism, the kind that starts with a steaming, industrialized landscape vibe before panning up to a crystal clear, multi-colored skyline. The dark tones here are cleverly offset by a shimmering high end that, taken with a grain of salt, can enter the conceptual territory of light complimenting dark, or progress vs. decay. - Keith Rankin, Experimedia

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Cedric Stevens career began in 1993 as a DJ and techno producer under the pseudonym "Acid Kirk". He quickly established himself as a pivotal figure in the Belgian underground, producing over a dozen 12'' and EPs.

In 1997, driven by his growing interest in experimental music, he launched his side project: "The Syncopated Elevators Legacy" (S.E.L.). The project served as a vehicle for Cedric to explore a more ambitious sound, based around experimentation rather than repetitive beats. Across the next decade, several EPs and mini LPs were released on different labels, each one with its very own specific approach. From experiments in electric currents and serpent patching (Siamese Level EP) to his own take on ‘musique concrete' (Still Between the Battle & the Sheet EP) S.E.L.'s sound never ceased to investigate the most improbable sound sources as compositional tools.

Despite having little exposure outside his native Belgium, the S.E.L. records were enthusiastically received by a number of prestigious artists, namely Christian Fennesz and My Cat Is An Alien, as well as being played on rotation by the late John Peel.

Leaving the techno sound completely behind, Cedric's experimentations with S.E.L. soon pushed him to create other projects both solo and as a member of a live band (South Of No North). The S.E.L. project eventually faded away but its experiments remain the foundations of Cedric's musical language, making this anthology a perfect introduction to his future work.

This anthology compiles some of Cedric's best pieces released between 1997 & 2005 under the S.E.L. moniker. Remastered by Rashad Becker at D&M, it comes with previously unreleased material and with remixes from Fennesz, Leyland Kirby, My Cat Is An Alien, Burning Star Core, Sylvain Chauveau & Motion Sickness Of Time Travel.