Cex

Cex has no qualms about his desire to be a Rolex-wearing pop and rap star, and his music actually lies in the realm of intelligent dance music. At the age of 19, Rjyan Kidwell already had a catalog of releases and a record label behind him. His upbeat and over the top personality splattered a large dash of color across a subgenre of techno that is often bland and too mechanical. In 1998, Kidwell started <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Underscore+Records%22">Underscore Records</a> and released a triplet of CD-Rs, one by him and two by friends. Only 600 of the CD-Rs were made and given to a handful of friends and sold to a few distributors. With the label, he released two more singles, and eventually put it to rest to start another label, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Tigerbeat6%22">Tigerbeat6</a>, with San Francisco's <a href="spotify:artist:7kDf1ziRxPFtWbbZB1XmrM">Kid 606</a>. Slowly the label moved to the forefront of the San Francisco IDM scene, comparable to <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Orthlorng+Musork%22">Orthlorng Musork</a> and L.A.'s <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Plug+Research%22">Plug Research</a>. Continuing his lucky streak, Cex released an applauded full-length, Role Model, in August 2000. His pop culture goofiness can be seen in such songs as "Academy Award [Cex's Radio Edit]" and "Wallstreet Kid." He has also been included on compilations such as Ricci's Pieces (on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Mindfield%22">Mindfield</a>) and Kid606 and Friends, Vol. 1 (on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Tigerbeat6%22">Tigerbeat6</a>), and has recorded for Stewart Anderson's label <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22555+Recordings%22">555 Recordings</a> of Leeds.

In 2000, he toured with <a href="spotify:artist:7kDf1ziRxPFtWbbZB1XmrM">Kid 606</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0FL2BL1JsSafi9D1A9qklz">Gold Chains</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:2iDfyLGn8aPFWfY6v7yd40">Blectdum from Blechdom</a>, wowing audiences with his energetic and comical show. The constant touring also helped support his 2001 release, Starship Galactica. Cex only continued confounding expectations by following a 2001 electronic pop LP (Oops, I Did It Again!) with a record named Tall, Dark & Handcuffed, indebted to the golden age of hip-hop. Being Ridden appeared in 2003 (in both a regular and instrumental version) before Cex made his <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Jade+Tree%22">Jade Tree</a> debut in the fall of that same year with Maryland Mansions. The Know Doubt EP followed in 2005 and the charmingly titled Actual Fucking was issued by <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Automation+Records%22">Automation Records</a> a year later. After a slow-paced instrumental release on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Temporary+Residence%22">Temporary Residence</a>, titled Sketchi, Kidwell dabbled in experimental techno for the remainder of the decade, with Dannibal, Bataille Royal, and a number of underground cassette releases. Then, in 2011, he changed styles once again for Tiny Creature, an album that showcased his new glitchy approach. ~ Diana Potts, Rovi