CFCF (musician)

Last updated
CFCF
Birth nameMichael Silver
Born Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Genres Electronic
Occupation(s)Musician, composer, arranger
Labels
Website https://www.cfcfmusic.com/

CFCF is the stage name of Canadian electronic musician/vocalist Michael "Mike" Silver. [1] Based in Montreal, Silver took the name CFCF from the call sign of the city's CFCF-TV. [2] Silver's work oftentimes involves themes of nostalgia. [3]

Contents

Silver has released ten albums, 1 score, and several EPs. In 2015 he released two albums within two weeks: Radiance and Submission on July 31, and The Colours of Life on August 14. His most recent release is memoryland (2021).

Background

Originally from Montreal, Silver became interested in electronic music at an early age. Self-taught, he cites Peter Gabriel, DJ Shadow, Yellow Magic Orchestra and Talk Talk as important influences. [4]

Career

His first 7" single "You Hear Colours" / "Invitation to Love" was released on March 8, 2009, on the Acéphale label. [5] The title of his first EP Panesian Nights was chosen in reference to the developer of Japanese erotic video games. [6]

Describing his creative approach on 2012's Exercises and 2013's Music for Objects Silver says “A lot of people think the things that will give your life meaning are those grand, giant emotions, like you’re terrified, or you’re in love, but what the EPs are trying to do is fill in the gaps between." [3]

In 2013 Silver released his second studio album Outside. Inspirations for the album include The Letting Go by Bonnie "Prince" Billy (Outside also features a cover of that album's second track "Strange Form Of Life"), Notebook on Cities and Clothes by Wim Wenders and Peter Gabriel. [3]

In 2016, Silver was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical for his remix of "Berlin By Overnight" by Daniel Hope. [7]

Silver composed the score for the 2022 film You Can Live Forever . [8] [9]

Style

In a 2013 interview with Aimee Cliff for DMY magazine Silver calls his melodies "evocate, rather than provocative". Cliff goes on to write that Silver's music "is never close enough to divulge anything personal, but they aren’t devoid of humanity either. Maybe this is because they aren’t studies as much as they are reflections." [3]

Discography

Remixes

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<i>The Colours of Life</i> 2015 studio album (composition) by CFCF

"The Colours of Life'" is a composition written and recorded in 2011 by Canadian electronic musician Michael Silver, known by his stage name as CFCF. The 40-minute, twelve-movement track was influenced by what Silver described as "some really cornball music," such as the works of singer Phil Collins and the Windham Hill label. The style Silver went for with "The Colours of Life" was "call waiting background music, just the most pleasant thing and kind of trying to push to the edges of tolerable cheese in some places, but also have it be totally sincere and not ironic, like actually purely pleasurable music."

<i>Continent</i> (CFCF album) 2009 studio album by CFCF

Continent is the debut studio album by Canadian electronic musician Michael Silver, known by his stage name as CFCF. It was released on October 27, 2009 by the label Paper Bag Records. Continent is a downtempo dance album that was described by one reviewer as "dance music that doesn't want you to dance." It includes elements from a variety of styles such as IDM, balearic, synthpop, rave, and disco and differs from later CFCF albums more focused on new age and ambient compositions. Continent features a cover of the song "Big Love" by Fleetwood Mac. The LP garnered very favorable reviews from professional music reviewers, praises going towards its compositions, arrangements and use of musical styles.

<i>The River</i> (EP) 2010 EP by CFCF

The River is an extended play written and produced from 2009 to 2010 by Canadian electronic musician Michael Silver, known by his stage name as CFCF. It was inspired by Werner Herzog's 1982 film Fitzcarraldo. Described by RVNG Intl.'s press release as a series of "lucid sound sequences from a lunatic mind," the experimental downtempo psychedelic new age EP was analyzed by music journalist Jonny Coleman as the story of a character who is stranded in a rural, tribal land. The River is a set of six original tracks by Silver with digital download versions of the record containing four remixes of songs from the EP by acts such as Jacques Renault, Coyote, and Games. The River was released by label RVNG Intl. on October 12, 2010 to generally positive reviews from critics, some reviewers calling its more modern-sounding cuts to be the best of the entire record.

<i>Outside</i> (CFCF album) 2013 studio album by CFCF

Outside is the second studio album of Canadian electronic musician Michael Silver, known by his stage name as CFCF. Silver began work on a second CFCF LP shortly after the release of his debut album Continent (2009) in order to increase his reputation of being more than just a "house DJ." The record has feelings of being tired and hoping to reach something, which was influenced by Silver's experience in traveling to and from places such as New York, Toronto, and Montreal. He would often look at other landscapes while he was bored during travels and became "immersed" in the fantasies caused by looking at them.

References

  1. "CFCF's quest for pure pop". Entrepreneur , July 2009.
  2. "Q&A with CFCF | Anthem". 2010-12-12. Archived from the original on December 12, 2010. Retrieved 2015-10-11.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Cliff, Aimee (22 October 2013). "CFCF interview: "Evocative rather than provocative."". DMY magazine. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  4. "The Emotional Life of Objects: An Interview with CFCF's Michael Silver". PopMatters. 4 September 2013. Retrieved 2015-10-11.
  5. "CFCF – You Hear Colours / Invitation To Love (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. 2009-03-08. Retrieved 2015-10-11.
  6. "NES Games Published By Panesian". NESguide. Retrieved 2015-10-11.
  7. Billboard Staff (12 July 2015). "Grammy Nominations 2016: See the Full List of Nominees". Billboard . Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  8. Feldberg, Isaac (5 May 2023). "You Can Live Forever". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  9. Fran Hoepfner, "‘You Can Live Forever’ Film Review: Queer Love Blooms Amid Religious Repression". TheWrap , June 11, 2022.