Cex

Rjyan Kidwell started up Cex in 1998, when he was just sixteen years old. At seventeen, he launched the influential Tigerbeat6 label with Kid 606. By the time he was out of high school, the guy was already something of a well-known figure in underground electronic music. His early material,...

By Tom Murphy

April 24, 2008

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Rjyan Kidwell started up Cex in 1998, when he was just sixteen years old. At seventeen, he launched the influential Tigerbeat6 label with Kid 606. By the time he was out of high school, the guy was already something of a well-known figure in underground electronic music. His early material, which is often lumped in with IDM, is akin to Autechre's impressionistic and delicately textured moments. With an emphasis on rhythm and atmosphere, Cex's recent releases blend elements of hip-hop to varying degrees. The ensuing electronic soundscapes and rapid-fire poetry are reminiscent of Anticon projects, but as Kidwell continually pushes forward, you can expect him to offer up dramatic shifts in musical styles, with each album unified by a sonic playfulness informed by a trickster's sense of humor. Known to perform in various states of undress and with an uncommon energy for someone employing mainly electronics, Cex may not get you laid, but the show should be tons of fun.

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Tom Murphy is a writer, visual artist and musician from Aurora, Colorado. He was a prolific music writer for Westword and a documenter of the Denver music scene.

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Twitter: @simianthinker