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| CYLAB Reviews |
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"Coming off the release of their second album, Satellites, Cylab offer up a full length remix album to the tune of
13 remixes and one cover song. With the exception of "Greys" and "Motion Fix", all of the original versions for the
remixes com from Satellites, with the exceptions coming from their debut release Unparallel Universe.
Cylab, in general, has a trip-hop bend to their music in the style of the vocals and these remixes do a very good
job of preserving that feel while putting them into different contexts. The remix of "Embryo Time" by Pacific Mile
makes the song even more chill with a smooth bass beat and an almost house feel to it, it reminds me of any number
of Delerium songs and remixes. The remix of "Greys" by Shok sounds like it could have been done originally by Garbage
and remixed by Nine Inch Nails or Filter. "Dented Halos" gets remix treatment by both Imperative Reaction and Skinjob,
both who make it into an even more floor pounding electro-industrial dance track. One of the big differences between
the remixes of "Dented Halos" is the increase in tempo (from about 116 to 130 bpm) of the Imperative Reaction mix,
while the other remix keeps the tempo of the original. Displacer’s remix of of "Satellites" makes this song even more
chilling and hypnotizing with the vocal effects they run throughout the song and layer with less processed airy tracks
of the same vox, and the repetitive nature of this remix tops it off making it hard to stop listening to over and over
again. Combichrist appears on this disc and delivers a disco fueled remix of "Kundalini" with a groove that’s got a real
dirty feel due to the synth they break in during the chorus, almost like running a trumpet line that’s slurred through an
overdrive effect. The Hype in a Party remix of “Parting Fields” is a very sparse but effective mix layering a rhythm track,
synth-bass, vocals and not much else to create a very head nodding (Roxbury style) groove from beginning to end. Not to
be forgotten, Cylab’s cover of Nirvana’s "Heart Shaped Box" really delivers, the smooth female vocals and excellent
delivery really make this cover shine and I’d dare say it’s almost worth the price of the CD for the cover. This version
of “Heart Shaped Box” would have no problem holding up on the dancefloor.
I could go on with all the other tracks but I’ll simply stop here and say that if any of the above piqued your interest
that this album is well worth the money whether you decide to buy the CD or snag it off iTunes.
- DJ Rift , Powered By Noise, 2008
"To hear Cylab perform live is to risk sending your heart into arrhythmia; the sheer amount of bass pounding out
of the speakers was enough to awaken the dead. In his introduction, Kantrip made note of the group's incorporation
of trip-hop, evident throughout their performance from the foggy ambience that permeated throughout such songs
as "Dented Halos" and "Path," and the chilling yet melodic vocals of Severina. With the other band members throwing
themselves about behind their synthesizer racks, it was up to Severina to provide the visual focal point, dancing about
on stage, throwing herself completely into the distorted rhythms and even donning a mask for "Mask of Silence" for a
bit of eeriness, with her red and black locks flowing wildly. Another facet of Cylab's performance was the inclusion of
a rather unlikely cover: Nirvana's "Heart-Shaped Box." Indeed, until the now famous chorus of "Hey! Wait! I've got a new
complaint!," one would be hard pressed to recognize the song. Transforming those sedate guitar arpeggios for a
throbbing electro bass line that could almost crawl under the skin, and with Severina seductively drawing the audience in,
the band managed to successfully make the song all their own. By the end of their set, the audience was spellbound by
Cylab's genre-bending electro style, recalling the danceable tension of Haujobb mixed with the discomforting calm of
Sneaker Pimps."
- Eccentrik Festival 2007 Performance - Ilker Yücel, Assistant Editor , Re:Gen Webzine
"Wow! Thirty seconds into the title track that opens Satellites, and you'llbe hooked (and I mean HOOKED) on this
album! Fusing the highest-caliber arrangements of beats with the ever-awesome and alluring vocals of Severina
Sol, Cylab puts forth music that is masterfully executed on every level. This release is a perfect soundtrack for just
about any situation you could imagine on your way to the club, doing housework, entertaining guests, you name it;
take it from me, have this one on hand! I can't pick a favorite of these songs, but I can highlight Content, Parting
Fields, and Masks of Silence in addition to the opener, Satellites."
- Gothic Beauty, Issue 29, 2007
"Listening to Cylab's second release, following the debut Unparallel Universe, a wave of simultaneous relief
and excitement splashes across this writer's brain; rare is it to hear a band combine fine musicianship with
edgy production in a way that can appeal to one's intellect and base instincts to dance like there's no tomorrow.
Satellites is a veritable cornucopia of dark electronics, both ambient and blistering in their intensity, and
complemented by an excellent array of percussion effects that send the rhythms into a frenzy, albeit a
controlled one. Percy Trayanov doesn't waste his classical background as he combines intricate arrangements
with catchy progressions that are sure to stay stuck in your head long after the CD has run its course. The
music is danceable, though it does stray considerably from the standard dance beats, particularly on the
electrifying opening title track, as well as "Parting Fields," which evokes an atmosphere not dissimilar to IDM.
Percy keeps the listener guessing as to just where the songs will go next, from the aggressive clanks and
clatters amidst washes of ambient bliss of "Tides" to the straight up house rhythm of "Embryo Time." Not
to discount the vocals, SeVerina X Sol adds even more depth to this album with her seductive, breathy voice,
recalling her past work in Diva Destruction. Even with the vocoder effects on "Dented Halos," her voice still
possesses enough emotion to provide warmth to the cold electronics, bringing Satellites to a comfortable
musical temperature. And yet, there's an odd stillness to her tone that sets her apart from others in the field
of female-fronted electro acts. It's albums like this that prove the industrial and electronic scenes still have
places to go, new sounds to explore, new neural pathways to stimulate. If you're one to look for music that
rises above the conventions of the genre, then Cylab is a group to watch out for!"
- Ilker Yücel, Assistant Editor , Re:Gen Webzine
"Due to the nature of the topic upon which I am writing I am going to approach this differently than alot
of the reviews you may have read previously. The reason? The 2006 release by CYLAB, 'Satellites,' caught
me by surprise. It was their second release(their first being entitled,"Unparallel Universe,' distributed in 2004)
and while happening on them on MySpace, I found them compelling enough to approach for an opportunity
to review and interview them. Shortly thereafter I received the album in the mail, and began a journey through
Stygian depths to a place of illumination I had never expected to find through music .
Upon first examination, the vocals, musical orchestration, and percussive elements were impressive; but they
didn't hook me. I listened to it as a critic, evaluated what was going on and identified the comparisons that
could be made between their work and a thousand other bands. In other, infinitely more honest, words;
-I liked it, but I cheated myself out of the chance to truly enjoy it. Then, an odd thing happened. I was working
on another piece for publication late one night; another day in an endless cycle. While typing away I reached
over to find the stereo remote, turned it on, and stopped paying attention to what was coming out of it; I am a
background noise junkie, and often times use music as such. Without knowing what I was about to undertake and
what an odyssey I was going on, I became a CYLAB fan. I began listening to the album's eponymous track, 'Satellites,'
without my critical filters on and I took in, initially, tiny elements that I would have missed were I using my fully
conscious mind. I began to pick up little bits of lyrics and unexpected musical transitions; hints of an ideology that
would later take form for me after dedicated reading of liner notes, past interviews, and deeper delving into the
enigmas made flesh known as SeVerina X. SOL and Percy Trayanov. The progenitors of this incredibly vibrant taste of
what life can be are truly the place to start in order to understand and appreciate what they have done.
SeVerina is the vocalist, co-producer, and stylistic director for CYLAB. In most cases, that is a mouthful of self-promotion,
a well-known synonym for bullshit. With SeVerina, those titles are only the tip of a darkly beautiful iceberg waiting beneath
the rhythmic depths you'll find in this album. Through her lyrics she crafts the catchy hooks that radiate and tune you into the
signal that this musical vision is beaming to us. Her choice of imagery manifests the vocalized will of her beliefs, experiences,
and moments of genuflection in a manner reminiscent of ritual magick. Her voice is dark and alluring. When singing, she sounds
like a mixture of Catherine Denueve's heartbreaking beauty and the clarion call of the Greek sirens, with a little more reverb
and a lot more heart. In her voice you can hear the kind of experience and pain that comes from years of self-destruction;
reborn and reforged by spiritual epiphany and bared for the world to learn from and celebrate. She has more pedigrees within
the West Coast music scene than most people could ever dream of, and all of them are well earned. Amongst her previous work
are vocals and development with the following projects: she was a founding member, lead vocalist and co-producer of L.A. based
goth act Diva Destruction (along with Debra Fogarty) where she recorded the group's first album, 'Passion's Price.' An album which
was recognized in Robert Smith's Top Ten favorites, featured rave reviews in all top genre magazines and won many awards. For
five years she was the lead vocalist and partner in the cold-wave/electro formation Fockewolf,and she acts as vocalist and lyricist
for her side projects The Myriad Form, and Xs01 . Vocal appearances by SeVerina can also be heard as a contributor for bands such
as Anguisette, and Caustic.
Providing the musical base for the ethereal elements in SeVerina's vocals is Percy Trayanov, the instrumental heart of this project. If
you settle for his bio, he is billed as follows; keyboard, bass, vocals, programming, sound design, engineering and production. A bit
understated on his part as Percy is a musical genius. Genius is a heavy, and heavily over-used word in our age; not one to be used lightly.
Rest assured, I am not doing so here. Percy grew up in a home structured around music; both his parents were classically trained musicians
and brought their love of music into his life from early on. He began learning to play piano from his father at a young age, and developed
a life-long love affair with it. He later returned to school to study Bass Guitar at The Academy of Music. In addition to creating beautifully
ambient accompaniment and driving rhythmic tempos with CYLAB, He has appeared on stage for 7 shows with multi-platinum Virgin
recording artist RBD, and contributed to television's Extra, The Cartoon Network, and CD USA, in the last year. In the past, he has lent his
remixing and production talents to genre artists such as Collide, Christ Analogue, Atomica, In Strict Confidence, and Agonized by Love.
Joining the line up is Databomb, as live percussion. Among his past works are the following; beginning in 1984, he was a founding member
of Noisebox and remained as such until 1992. In '92 he began the Databomb project to inseminate the world with his solo releases. Joining
Derek of Ampersand fame, he also jointly founded Thee High Council. He has toured extensively as DJ Shyza spinning his mixes all over the
world, has been a Skinny Puppy contributor (most recently in the approaching album release, 'Mythmaker,' which was reviewed by my
publication before anyone else had a copy!), and has an endless list of other projects and bands he has been involved with. Here is an example,
as per his MySpace page: "And Christ Wept, Christdriver, T.N.A.T.R., Otto Von Schirach, Terrorfakt, Manufactura, Element, The Operative,
W.A.S.T.E., The Magus, Unter Null, Cylab, Dirty Sanchez, Midnight Laserbeam, Iszoloscope, Architect, Converter, Razed In Black, Caustic,
Death Party, Cyrusrex, Skinny Puppy, Download, CTC, The Tear Garden, The Galaxy Rangers, Sedition, Anathema, Octavius, Vuxnut, and many
more I'm sure I forgot..." Databomb is a force to be reckoned with, and his role in CYLAB is one I cannot wait to see defined.
Every track on 'Satellites' is exceptionally well-crafted. As I've sat and listened to the music I get the image of someone that has worked hard
to become a master-craftsman, a Faberge in musical eggs, working into the small hours of the night to perfect the objects of beauty that
are being offered to the world. The harmonies that Percy Trayanov composes fit hand in hand with the ethereal vocals of SeVerina. Unlike
many projects I have encountered that have a female vocalist, there is nothing here that draws away from her voice. Every note is written to
compliment it. Percy shows his masterful talents as a pianist on songs such as, 'Masks of Silence,' his classical background on the instrumentation
of, 'Tides,' and the driving drums and sequencing of, 'Dented Halos.' With the exception of 'Tides,' on which she co-wrote the lyrics with Percy,
SeVerina is responsible for the lyrical content of every song on this album. She has taken her past and present experiences, merged them with a
hope and vision for the future, and is beaming them out into the world through her music. 'Content,' the album's second song, shows how alluring
her voice can truly be, and the use of delay on her vocals is very ethereal and compelling. Very well done! Of particular note is the song 'His Lost
Reflection,' on which the delicacy in her voice is cast aside, and she displays just what steel lies behind the pleasing to the eye veneer and
ear-caressing vocals. In that song, she becomes the Valkyrie-esque embodiment of attitude. Of all the songs on this album, were I to choose
my favorite(a very hard task, indeed) I would have to select 'Parting Fields.' This song contains every element of CYLAB that I enjoyed,
encapsulated into one track. Driving percussion, excellent sequencing, a sense of movement and growth, beautiful lyrics sung in several voices,
and a sense of transformation through self-analysis. It's gives me chills to listen to, even after listening to this album several times. I could go
on at length about the quality of her vocals, and the brilliance of Percy's orchestration, but it's better to let you find out on your own. Check it
out on their MySpace page(http://www.myspace.com/cylabband), their Vampire Freaks profile(http://vampirefreaks.com/u/Cylab), and their
homepage(http://www.cylabonline.com/), where you can order their music. Be sure to tune in periodically to read the approaching interview
with the band, and hear it told in their own words. At this point, they are probably less biased about their music than I am.
Critic reborn as a fan,
- Benny Hell, Kulturkampf Media Productions, LLC.
"No matter what genre your particular tastes fit into these days, it's not hard to argue the fact that
the electronic music scene in general is devoid of groundbreaking material. Then, Cylab came along with
their followup to 2004's "Unparallel Universe" and unleashed the complex beauty that is "Satellites".
From start to finish, it's impossible to put this album into one particular niche. In taking structures
from various electronic forms, Cylab have managed to do the unthinkable: create a solid album worthy not
only of an honest listen, but sincere praise.
While both the excellent production and music from Percy Trayanov and dynamically velvet vocals from
Sevrina X Sol could easily stand out in their own right; It's the two of them coming together that makes
"Satellites" such a great album from one track to the next. There is an almost seamless narration that I
followed throughout it. Sol candidly wears her heart on her sleeve in songs like "Content" in which she
openly expresses the sacrifices ("I know I prayed for this storm...I knew what I had to do") and resolute
happiness ("For the way we walk foward not back, there's essential truth in light...With every breath I
hope you'll stay here, we are content within the rhythm of life") that each partner brings into a
relationship. In fact, one couldn't help but assume that true love was her muse in writing it.
While it explores the vast realm of relationships, there is plenty of introspection contained throughout,
as songs like "Path" succeed in illustrating self-discovery ("There is a larger purpose, that I am aware,
there is a piece in here...A collective in time, of which we're all a part"). Other gems include the
Siouxsie-esque anger in "His Lost Reflection", fan favorite "Dented Halos" and pulsing classic alt-rock
melody you can't ignore in "Kundalini": the latter of which took me right back to the days of listening
to Shirley Manson breaking through the speakers on killer b-sides like "Butterfly Collector" and "Subhuman".
Again, this is an album anchored by its ability to blend various elements in electronic music, solid
production and sincere, autobiographical lyrics. Cylab pull it off like nothing I've heard in a long time.
It literally took three weeks until I could get the cd out of my car, and had it in constant rotation on
almost every drive."
- Elemental Reality Webzine
"All too often the world of dark electro-industrial music finds itself
preoccupied with being noisy and heavy for the sake of being noisy and heavy. It is then a pleasant
change to hear someone taking a different approach to this genre.
Cylab are essentially a male / female duo, albeit with the recent addition of a live percussionist.
They manage to create a refreshing hybrid of dark trip-hop, electro and industrial, on this, the
follow-up album to their 2004 debut. The songs have a beautiful, melancholic air to them, thanks to
SeVerina X Sols gorgeous tones and the coherent, slick production.
If you had to imagine a mood or situation to put with these sounds, it would have to be driving through
a dark rainy night with the one you love, escaping to a new life and leaving everything else behind.
One of the highlights of this album is the drifting, washing pleasure that is Embryo Time. Lustrous pads
sweep over a mechanized beat. This is smooth and dark like the first espresso of the day.
Kundalini is the gem of the album though this is a menacing slice of noise, with enough kick to fill any
dancefloor, and unbelievable hooks.
Forget the world of genres, scenes and clicks - Cylab have the potential to make it really big. This is
the stuff of mainstream success. It is not often that something this good comes along. Grab a piece of this
dark beauty while you can."
- Grave Concerns Magazine
"...Sexy dark electro that comes alive through the angelic voice of SeVerina. The seduction continues when
Percy sings the title track with his deep voice amidst EBM and synths..."
- Outburn Magazine
"...Unparallel universe is a sensible collection marked by the diverse musical influences of Percy and SeVerina.
Dark, yet easily accessible, Cylab successfully presents raw emotions put into music..."
- Hard Wired Webzine
"...Given the background of experiences of two artists, the sound of Cylab does not orientate itself to strictly
electro, but the pieces reveal also in different pulse of nature, that give back the proposal a little more
variegated one and winning..."
- Resurrecturis webzine
"The atmosphere Cylab creates is deep, dark and emotive"
- Pierre Pinsonneault CFOU 89.1 Quebec, Canada
"A blend of all genres dark and lovely this disc breaks through musical boundaries questioning them and working
them into new vistas. Pulsating eerie beats and sexy sweet vox glide over you like liquid night with tracks like
Musicbox and Maze you can hardly go wrong with this one"
- Ectomag webzine
"This band was brought to my attention by a close DJ friend that I work with. Once I was
finally able to pick it up I could not get it out of my CD player. The music is very original
and the vocals are fucking outstanding. Cylab remind me a bit of Collide, in that the album
explores different sides of "Electronic Music". Some songs are a bit trip-hop, some experimental,
and others are straight up EBM. All in all the CD is a very solid release and I would recommend
this to anyone who enjoys any of the genres I listed above. Some of my personal favorite songs
are: Musicbox: For the programming and beautiful vocals. Motionfix: Because this song has the
best chorus of 2004-2005. The vocals grab you and when the chorus hits it knocks you right on
your ass. This would be a great song to spin and dance to at any industrial/synthpop club. Pure
booty-shakin' music! Unparallel Universe: Reminds me a bit of Fragile era NIN. The male vocals
fit this song perfectly and yet again we have another song with an amazing and catchy chorus.
Not as upbeat as motionfix, but definitely sets the mood... c21d18no3: Instrumental song that
reminds me of something Download or Bitcrush would do. Great fucking stuff!"
- DJ Dredd Mekano
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