On the verge of unleashing his genre-bending Liberty EP, the man best known as Cyantific opens up the vaults for Kmag so we can see what kind of beats continue to make their influence felt to this day.

 

MICHAEL JACKSON – THRILLER (SINGLE MIX) – EPIC (1982)
Michael was the reason I even got into music in the first place. I don't think I really appreciated how insanely talented he was until he died. There are so many tracks to choose from but this one is my favourite. The video changed the way music videos were made thereafter, and the song itself is just too much, too good - how could it be anything but, given that it's produced by the mighty Quincy Jones? I love the way in the full length video mix you have to wait ages for the chorus to come in, but I think the arrangement in the single mix is better. About as close to perfect as it gets.

 

 

 

THE PRODIGY - EVERYBODY IN THE PLACE - XL (1992)

This track is the first track that made me really take notice of electronic music. I was about 12, and I think it got into the charts. There were a few things about, getting plays on Top of the Pops, like 'Sesame's Treat' and 'Ebeneezer Goode,' but I'm pretty sure 'Everybody In The Place' was the one I noticed most. From that point I became pretty obsessed with The Prodigy! I had all the CDs, videos and a record bag etc., the whole lot!

 

 

 

JONNY L - PIPER – XL (1997)

I used to hang out at this record store in Kingston market called Funky T's Record Shack. I'd save my school lunch money and go and buy records there. I remember going there one day and seeing this record before the release. It looked different, being it was a 10" and the artwork was really different to the other stuff there. The DJ, this guy Magik, told me it was going to blow me away and played the whole thing start to finish. He wasn't wrong! I'd never heard anything like it! I wore out my copy of it and had to re-buy it. This was the one that made me really think about producing my own music.

 

 

 

TODD EDWARDS - SHUT THE DOOR (TODD'S HEALED FROM WITHIN DUB) - LOCKED ON (2000)

This is one of those pieces of music that floors you, and leaves you thinking 'how did they do that?' Total madness. I was certainly no fan of Garage at the time but it really changed the way I thought about using vocals in a tune. I know there were others like DJ MK, but Todd Edwards is the best, bar none, at manipulating vocals even to this day. He takes the vocals and cuts them up by syllable to make new words...WHAT!? But listen to it - it more than makes sense.

 

 

 

DILLINJA - ELECTRO BOOGIE – VALVE (2006)

How low does your sub go? Probably not as low as this. I'm a big fan of 80s Electro and this track is spot on – Dillinja got it 100% right. I'm not sure if that fact was lost on people, but props are due. This was the initial inspiration to write 'Ghetto Blaster' and get down a take on that Electro/Miami Bass sound. And there's also the fact that it's so damn brutal!

 

 

As told to: Chris Muniz

 

Get on your dancing shoes, Cyantific’s Liberty EP hits the streets October 29th worldwide.

 

Related Links:

• Free Cyantific Mix
• Cyantific Guest Mix
• High Contrast Directs Kid Adrift Video
• Cyantific Returns With New Label
• Issue 56

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