Cédric 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, Cédric’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 Cédric’s musical language, making this anthology a perfect introduction to his future work.
This anthology compiles some of Cédric’s best pieces released between 1997 & 2005 under the S.E.L. moniker. Remastered by Rashad Becker at D&M and pressed on 185g vinyl 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.
