Ciel

The many faces of GRATEFUL, starring me. I never thought I'd win anything, much less a JUNO Award back when I first started taking Ableton lessons in 2017. Never thought I'd have to find the words to fill an acceptance speech... guess that explains why I said "hi everyone, good night!" onstage in front of thousands before I had even said my thank you's... 😂😂🤦🏻‍♀️ I suppose moments like that are a reminder that we are all human, with imperfections, and the music we release into the world are but a reflection of our imperfect selves expressed during a specific time in our lives that was particularly significant. I made Homesick to process the vicious anti-Chinese racism I witnessed during the lockdowns and turned them into an expression of pride over my culture. It was a 2 year process that begun with a lengthy @canada.council grant application in 2021 and culminated in three separate mixdown sessions in my former studio, @halfmoonaudio , and in my home studio. 'Bamboo' was the first song I wrote December 2021 after a very inspiring IC party at Blkspace that I will never forget, a sample of a breakbeat from that party eventually found itself onto 'Bamboo', with @heidi_wy_chan on Xiao, a Chinese flute made from bamboo. S/O to Laura, Gary, Ryan, Scott, Sofia, & Aftab for that night & all the nights since. 🩷 Since I lost my marbles on the long walk from my table to the stage, here's everyone who contributed to the record I didn't get to thank who nevertheless deserve a shoutout: @lissshu + @mugwert for the beautiful artwork; Dolores Chung; Music of May for the Chinese instruments; @eastendmastering for the stellar work on the whole LP; @jamesthian + Peter Lapin for the MV; @scissorkick for all the helpful advice; everyone at @dawncreativeldn + @basic__chanel ; @barbicastelvi for being my #1 hypewoman; @sandro___sp @justdanonly + all the pals who gave me feedback during the writing process. It truly takes a community & I thank all my Toronto fam for being a part of this win. Wearing: vintage Kookai from @sidebysidestore + boots from stylist + bag by @abronzeage Hair: Zen Den Hair in YVR Styled by me + @bby_aj I did my own makeup!

It's hard to believe that I'm finally announcing my debut album after two years, but today I'm so proud to share this news with you. 🕊️ In 2021, spurred on by a productive creative streak and the economic austerity of pandemic lockdowns, I applied for grant funding from the Canada Council for the Arts to write my debut album. Tbh I never thought I'd gain the self-confidence to write an album. It wasn’t until after spending time away from clubs & festivals whilst dedicating myself to daily sessions in the studio that I found the motivation and aspiration to make a musical statement that only an album could express. Like many other Chinese diaspora people in the West, I had felt a great deal of pain at the rise of anti-Chinese sentiment and racism in the media after the start of the covid-19 pandemic. Tired of expressing my frustrations online, I felt inspired to channel that into my music, to turn something that was filled with hate into a thing of joy and beauty. It was within this context that Homesick began to take shape. After researching the history of Chinese instruments, a concept began to form in which I could marry my love of sampling and analogue instruments. Using the 8 types of traditional Chinese instruments (silk, bamboo, wood, stone, metal, clay, gourd, and hide) as a guideline, I began writing each track with a focus on 1 of the eight. I worked with Chinese instrumentalists to play the guzheng and the xiao, whilst teaching myself the smaller hand drums like the kuaiban (bamboo clappers) and muyu (temple blocks). After successfully getting the grant, I wrote, recorded, arranged, and mixed all nine tracks over the first three months of 2022. More than just highlighting Chinese instruments, the music on this album encapsulates so many musical influences from my childhood when I began my lifelong love affair with music, and true to my style, incorporates a diversity of genres I love, from drum & bass to house, electro to breaks - even downtempo. Releases Nov 24, 2023 on @weareparallelminds Mastered by @eastendmastering Distributed by @oneyewitness Artwork by @mugwert & @lissshu 1st single 'Bamboo' is out now - Bandcamp preorder link in bio.

✧*̥˚ Punctuality 008 *̥˚✧ - Right on time it's Ciel & Mathis Ruffing Ciel & Mathis Ruffing - ‘Hot Squid' (Incl. Roza Terenzi Remix) [PNCT008] 4 tripped out techy house trax from a powerful link-up of Ciel & Mathis Ruffing with a slick remix from Roza Terenzi Stepping up for Punctuality number 8 is the dynamic duo of Ciel and Mathis Ruffing. Needing little introduction, both artists are prolific producers and collaborators across tempos and genres. Toronto-based Ciel has released music on labels like NAFF, Peach Discs, and !K7, while Berliner Mathis Ruffing’s work can be found on International Chrome, Infinite Drift, and Strictly Strictly, to name just a few. Tracklist: A1. Hot Squid A2. Hot Squid (Roza Terenzi Remix) B1. Little Voice B2. Late Summer B3. Bong Bong Cat Num.: PNCT008 Format: 12” / Digi Credits: Written & Produced by Cindy Li & Mathis Ruffing Mastered & Cut by Marco Pellegrino Artwork by Alexander Alien Release Text: Eoin Ryan Release Date: 27.02.26 @ciel_dj @mathisruffingxx @rozaterenzi @alexanderalien.world @eoin_dj @oneyewitness @marcopellegrino_ancut

There was a regrettable time in the @turborecordings history when our email filters would prevent anything called Groovedeep from reaching our senior A&R braintrust. We felt we needed to shield their sensibilities and sanity from demos by acts like The Rhythm Pilgrims and Loop Addict, but it ended up costing us potential stars like SonicVisions and Beatweaver. Someone had to stand up and say no more. With this benighted era behind us, Turbo is proud of itself for presenting you with the decidedly modern banger Funk Solo, from international supergroup Groovedeep, comprised of Toronto’s @ciel_dj and DC’s @_james_bangura and @jacksonryland . After a flourishing response to the OG mix, we’re here to hit you with a trio of remixes just in time for your spring fling. Timedance head @batu_timedance provides a remix that slathers on bass-boosted ultrasound gel and nestles into the club sub-woofer where the low frequencies massage our kidneys and sacrum and the twinned demons of treble and vision cannot touch us. Shed is inseparable from the pillars of Berlin techno, having formed deep bonds with institutions like Hard Wax and Ostgut Ton over of decades of dedication to the scene. To make his Turbo debut, he cuts deep into the groove with his heads-down-eyes-closed take on Funk Solo. @markbroom is about as prolific as it gets in this world of dance music, making a breed of techno track that seems to end up in anyone+everyone’s deejay sets. He was number one on the remix hit list for this one, and Mark sure has answered the call with pure power, per usual. Our ace in the hole to round out this killer-no-filler 12”. The FUNK SOLO REMIXES are all out now, and the 12” (which includes the original mix as well) is available to order, shipping in a few short weeks time. Link in bio. Design by @davidkochs

The 4th edition of my radio show "Understory" aired this past Sunday worldwide via @kiosk.radio 🫧 An hour of slow dub and ambient music bound together by a shared watery texture. I call it the Liquidub special. I spent the last few weeks at home enjoying the spring season — sometimes chilly, sometimes wet, always contemplative. In a place like Canada where spring rarely lasts longer than a few weeks each year, this quiet introspection through the rainy season has been very restorative. It inspired me to gather some of my wettest sounding trip hop, downtempo, chuggy bass and put them together in this ode to liquid textures in dub music. Perfect for long train rides through a wet drizzle. Slide 1 - New Composers - 'Mineral Water' Slide 2 - Ivano Tetelepta - 'Rotterdam / Zeeland' Slide 3 - @itspeach_ 'Rainy Season' x Miki Nakatani - 'Superstar (Andrea Parker remix)' Slide 4 - JFC - 'Love Dub' Slide 5 - @dialogsound - 'Silence' Slide 6 - @andyrantzen - 'Dub Generator' Slide 7 - Tolouse Low Trax - 'Rushing into Water' Slide 8 - Malka Spigel - 'Strumgliding' Swipe for clips & full tracklist (missing Andy Rantzen) Listen on Soundcloud 🍶💧🌿

Two remarkable headliners & a b2b featuring two LA favorites to celebrate 2 years of Auntie 🧚🏼 🧚🏼 May 30th w/ Ciel Introspekt Danny Goliger Max Ellington DTLA / 11pm-Late / Tickets on RA and in bio Flyer: @ivana_are Get your boots ready 👢👢

Life over the last while, plus dates for the next 💟 May 8 - @standardtime.to vinyl b2b w/ @blis_dalton - TO May 14 - @venusfestival mentorship - Toronto CA May 16 - @parameter_sf (trip hop set) - SF USA May 22 - @signalnyc - Brooklyn USA May 23 - @exiletoronto - Toronto CA May 29 - @silent.tension - Calgary CA May 30 - @auntie.allthetime - Los Angeles USA June 4 - @kalafestival - Dhermi AL June 5 - @kalafestival b2b w @ccl_url - Dhermi AL June 6 - @fitzroyclub - Berlin DE June 12 - @antia.club - Enschede, NL June 19 - Slowburn - Toronto CA June 20 - Research - Seattle USA June 26 - Body Language Festival - Nova Scotia CA June 28 - Private Pride party - Toronto CA First pic shot by @callmealbs All other pics from my camera roll 🦜 Check RA for tickets! See you out there 💋

Out now: Hercules & Love Affair — Someone Else Is Calling Remixes. ⚡️🙌🏼 A full-circle moment—bringing in some of the original inspirations alongside a new wave of voices, all reworking the record in their own language. Featuring Larry Heard (Mr. Fingers), Ciel, Luke Solomon & CPEN, and Mystery Affair. Out everywhere now via Stratasonic. Stream, buy, or pick up the vinyl Link in bio 🔥 @herculesandloveaffair @hipsandlips___ @larryheard4 @ciel_dj @lukesolomon @cpenmusic @mysteryaffair @stratasonic_records @theorchard @hmhorn @jlmafi @pentaxplayboi @bill_patrick @jonnymacaroni @xhannahmiller @jesse_rogg @craigucci @nitin_ @maherdaniel

@markbroom is about as prolific as it gets in this world of dance music, making a breed of techno track that seems to end up in anyone+everyone’s deejay sets. He was number one on the GROOVEDEEP - ie @ciel_dj @_james_bangura @jacksonryland - remix hit list for the Funk Solo prokect, and Mark sure has answered the call with pure power, per usual. Our ace in the hole to round out this killer-no-filler 12”. OUT NOW, with the full 12” landing next month alongside mixes from @batu_timedance and shed 👀

Happy remix season to me 🫡🌸🌸 Last month I dropped my remix of @shanticeleste 's Softie, one of my fav tunes from her 2025 album, and I was really pleased with how my interpretation turned out. 🥹 This month our little super group Groovedeep (made up of @_james_bangura @jacksonryland and myself) received the remix treatment from @batu_timedance and I'm obsessed with the drum groove on this one. Thanks Omar! And thanks to @turborecordings for making it happen! And finally I've remixed this brand new project by @pletnevdj and @justdanonly on brand new label @999.goosebumps 🐸 I played this all summer last year to great response and I'm super happy to be a part of the labels inaugural release, and with pals! Three distinct sounds, all 🔗 by me. Music is the best 🫶🏼 Find them all on DSPs/Bandcamp for now. Vinyl to come!

Standard Time welcomes Ciel b2b Lis Dalton - OPEN to CLOSE! Since the pair first DJ’d on the same lineup in 2017 at a Montreal warehouse deep in the Plateau, there was an instant mutual love and affinity between Lis Dalton and Ciel. Lis was playing all vinyl house and techno, Ciel played almost entirely 90s UK bleep and breaks. With an appreciation for older records and a passion for genre-fluidity, the pair have played back to back since then in North American cities from NYC and Boston, to Toronto, and all over the Montreal metro area. The two DJs also share the honour of having been asked to play the closing set at BOOT over two consecutive years. After a blazing all-vinyl B2B at a 254BSMT back in 2025, Lis and Ciel have been slowly plotting another vinyl set together. So it made perfect sense to invite Lis along for Ciel’s residency at ST, and this time they get to play open til close, all night long baby. As the Canadian adage goes, come early, stay late. These b2b all nighters have built a loyal and passionate following in our city and we hope to see you all there on May 8. Tickets now available on RA and DICE - link in Standard Time’s bio. May 8th - doors 10pm Artwork @westend_todd

The 3rd edition of my @kiosk.radio show, Understory, was broadcast this past Sunday. 🐛 An hour of bubblin', dubby tech house recorded last month in Berlin, packed full of unreleased dubs by me, my friends, and forthcoming gems on our label @weareparallelminds 💠💠 Slide 1 - unreleased by @sergio___sp (forthcoming on PM) Slide 2 - classic tech house bomb by Can-con icon Altitude aka @mattthibideau Slide 3 - blend of two unreleased tunes by me - first is collab with @_emisiv , second is collab with C3DE Slide 4 - track by Mr. G Slide 5 - forthcoming beauty by @_y0hei on PM blended w/ Bandulu remix of David Holmes Swipe for full tracklist at the end of the carousel! Thank you all for listening! Thanks to Kiosk for making it Staff Pick. And thank you @clothildefm for the artwork. ❤️❤️❤️❤️