Celldweller

Infobox musical artist

Name = Celldweller


Landscape =
Background = group_or_band
Origin = Detroit, Michigan, USA
Instrument =
Genre = Industrial metal
Electronic rock
Industrial rock
Occupation =
Label = FIXT Music
Years_active = 1999 – present
URL = [http://www.celldweller.com Celldweller.com]
Associated_acts = Circle of Dust Argyle Park Criss Angel
Current_members = Klayton

Celldweller is a Detroit, United States based industrial metal band that was created by Klayton (formerly created music as the 90's project Circle of Dust), who writes all of the music and performs the majority of vocals and instruments on studio recordings. Celldweller has previously performed live with Klayton (vocals, guitar, keyboard, percussion, programming) and a full line-up of backing musicians. The band's sound can be described as electronic rock that incorporates elements from rock, nu metal, techno, and electronica.

Biography

Limited Edition EP

In 1999, Klayton released a 250-copy limited edition of a self-titled EP featuring 5 tracks ("Symbiont", "Own Little World", "Fadeaway", "Beginning of the End", "Kemikal"). The first three tracks were demos of songs that were later completed and released on the self-titled debut CD. The last two tracks were later made available on the double CD set "The Beta Cessions".

Eponymous Debut

The self-titled debut LP "Celldweller" was released in 2003 on record label Esion Media (currently known as FIXT Music) and Position Music after being sold exclusively via the internet on Celldweller's own website and CD Baby, then later on iTunes. The album debuted at #17 on Billboard's Internet Sales Chart. In 2004, the album took home five awards at the Just Plain Folks Music Awards, winning Album of the Year, Producer of the Year, Industrial Album of the Year, Metal Song of the Year ("One Good Reason", the instrumental version of which is available on the "" soundtrack) and Best Industrial Rock Song ("Switchback"), and also took runner-up in Best Industrial Song (to its own song) with "Stay with Me (Unlikely)" and Best Rock Song with "I Believe You".

Every song on "Celldweller" has been licensed at least once for a movie, video game or another form of media with titles including "Doom", "Mr. and Mrs. Smith", "Supercross", ', "Spider-Man 2", "Constantine", "Catwoman", "The Punisher", "Paycheck", "Timeline", "Mindhunters", "National Security", "Bad Boys II", "Redline", "Project Gotham Racing 3", "NHL 2003", "Enter the Matrix", ', "The Hills Have Eyes 2", "Crackdown", "", "America's Next Top Model" and "Pimp My Ride". This is a feat that has been accomplished by only two other artists; Moby and The Crystal Method.

The Beta Cessions

A two-disc LP titled "The Beta Cessions" was released in 2004. The first CD contains new recordings (such as a re-recorded version of the final Circle of Dust song "Goodbye" and two earlier alternate versions of the song "Switchback" with different lyrics) as well as remixes and demo versions of songs from the debut album. The second CD includes slightly reworked instrumental versions of each song from the debut album.

Digital Releases

On October 4, 2005, Celldweller released "Frozen (DJ RiB Mix)" and "Goodbye (Klayton Revision)" to iTunes and other companies that sell music over the internet. Although artwork was made for the release, there was no official CD release. The remix of Frozen is also available on the double-CD compilation "Dark Trance vs Neo Goth V1 / Nonstop Mix" (2005).

On November 8, 2005, Celldweller released "Shapeshifter" to iTunes and other companies that sell music over the internet. This song features the vocals of alternative rap group Styles of Beyond. Although artwork was made for the release, there was no official CD release. The song is also available on the in-game soundtrack for "" (2005). There is also an instrumental version of Shapeshifter available entitled "Transistor".

On April 24, 2006, Celldweller released "Tragedy" to iTunes, BuyMusic, Napster and several other companies that sell music over the internet. Tragedy was originally performed by The Bee Gees and spent two weeks at #1 in 1979. Although artwork was made for the release, there was no official CD release for this single. An instrumental version of the song was also available for purchase.

On November 2, 2006, Celldweller released "Switchback (Klayton Revision)" and "Own Little World (Remorse Code Remix)" to iTunes and Rhapsody. The Remorse Code Remix was done by Celldweller's sound engineer, Thomas Covert, (Mixing, Sound Design, and Synthetic Elements) and Bret Autry (Vocals, Guitar, and Drum Programming). An instrumental version of each remix was also released. Although artwork was made for the release, there was no official CD release.

econd Album/Sophomore

Celldweller is currently working on his second album tentatively titled Sophomore. It was originally slated to come out in the summer of 2006, but the album has been delayed several times. Of the fifty songs Klayton has written, he has narrowed it down to eleven or twelve that will comprise the album. The anticipated tracklist may include the following songs: "Blackstar", "Tainted", "Tragedy", "So Long Sentiment", "The Lucky One", "Against The Tide", "The Best It's Gonna Get", "Shapeshifter", "Louder Than Words", "Eon", and "Baseline" (currently titled "Birthright"). Klayton officially said on Youtube TV Cellout that the second album will be released in 2009.

Previews of tracks slated for the album have been made available sporadically. Birthright (titled as Baseline) was uploaded to the band's MySpace page on April 9. The original version of Birthright was used in a T.V. spot for Spider-Man 3 and the current version was used in the second Theatrical Trailer for "Speed Racer" and a T.V. spot for "Iron Man". In December 2007, Klayton posted Birthright on the band's MySpace and PureVolume pages. Along with Switchback Razorblade mix, Frozen, The Last Firstborn, and Halloween [a tribute song to the "Halloween" series] .

On December 24th, 2007 Klayton posted a blog at MySpace containing a link for downloading a demo version of the song Birthright, via FIXT Store.It is available for download at [http://store.fixtmusic.com FIXT Store.com] under the "New album pre-release mp3 Birthright Demo Download" link.

On May 30th, 2008, Klayton posted a blog at MySpace containing a viral widget for downloading a 16 Free Songs, containing Birthright, Switchback, Frozen, Own Little World and a collection of remixes from the FiXT Remix Competition Rounds 1-3. It is available for download at [http://fixtonline.com/freedownloads.html FIXTonline.com] .An official remix of Birthright and Erasus were recently released

On July 25th, 2008, Klayton posted another blog explaining the recording progress on the album, adding more free tracks into the viral widget while also displaying a screen on different folders of the rumored tracks in a directory named "Celldweller Sophomore". Sophomore has been previously mentioned numerous times on Klayton's MySpace and in different news posts about Birthright, leading to assume that it is the title of the album. In the blog, Klayton mentioned "I've already named the album, but I'm not telling that part just yet". The directory also included folders to the mentioned anticipated tracks, every song was listed except for "Pursuit of the Hunted" while another unmentioned track appears entitled "I Can't Wait".

Beta Cessions II Speculation

It is also rumored that some of the leftover recordings done for the second album will end up on a different release.

"If things work out the way I'm anticipating, you will all be able to get a whole full discs worth of unreleased songs when the Beta Cessions II comes out. (I make no promises, but simply offer potentially false hopes.)": - Klayton, November 13, 2005"There are actually only 4 songs to date that are definitely making the next Celldweller CD. 'The Way She Wants To Die', 'Blackstar' and 'Tainted' are in. Then there is that mysterious 70's disco song I covered that will most likely be the fourth track to make it. Now, there are another 4 tracks that I think will make the cut but need more work before that can be determined. Then I'll have 2 more songs to create or flesh out to finish the track list for the disc. This currently leaves around 16 tracks for 'The Beta Cessions 02' (or whatever it will be called.) The reality is that I won't complete all of those either but rather pick the best of the bunch to finish for the TBC 02.": - Klayton January 28, 2006

The Soundtrack For The Voices In My Head Vol.1

Sometime in September, Klayton announced that in the upcoming Fall, he will be releasing a Celldweller album entitled "The Soundtrack For The Voices In My Head Vol.1." This is not the official second album, this is some-what of another Beta Cessions album.The tracks are all Instrumental-Score based written, recorded, performed, and produced by Klayton.One of the tracks from the upcoming album, Through The Gates, was uploaded on Celldweller's mypsace.The album will also feature Birthright, the beta test version, the instrumental version which was featured on the trailers for Iron Man and Speed Racer, the first version [at the time known as 'Baseline'] which was featured in a TV spot for Spider-Man 3, and the Blue Stahali remix.The final version of the song will be featured on the second Celldweller album.The announced tracks for the album are "Animatronic, Aurora Borealis, Descent, Narrow Escape, Pursuit Of The Hunted, Scardonia, Solaris, Surgical, Through The Gates, and Ursa Minor".On October 3, 2008, Solaris was used in the new trailer for The Spirit.

Discography

* "Celldweller" (EP, 1999, Self-released / Esion Media)
* "Celldweller" (LP, 2003, FIXT MUSIC / Position Music)
* "The Beta Cessions" (2xLP, 2004, FIXT MUSIC / Position Music)
* "Frozen/Goodbye Remixes" (EP, 2005, FIXT MUSIC Web release)
* "Shapeshifter" (EP, 2005, FIXT MUSIC Web release)
* "Tragedy" (EP, 2006, FIXT MUSIC Web release)
* "Switchback Vinyl" (EP, 2006, Baroque Records)
* "Switchback/Own Little World Remix EP" (EP, 2006, FIXT MUSIC Web release)
* "Symbiont Remixes 2001" (EP, 2007, FIXT MUSIC Web release)
* "Take It & Break It Vol. 1: Own Little World Remixes" (2xLP, 2007, FIXT Music / Position Music)
* "Take It & Break It Vol. 2: Frozen Remixes" (3xLP, 2007, FIXT Music / Position Music)
* "Soundtrack for the Voices in My Head" (LP, 2008, FIXT Music / Position Music)
* "Sophomore (Tentative Title)" (LP, 2008, FIXT Music / Position Music)

tyle

Celldweller's music is extremely multi-faceted; while it can largely be considered as Electronic rock, Celldweller wanders into a large spectrum of musical genres - as an example, the song "The Last Firstborn" has various extreme (but consistent) changes between metal, anthem trance and goa trance.

The Celldweller live show is a "fusion of performance art, rave culture, and the raw energy of a rock show", rather than the standard rock performance. Each show is a complete audio/visual experience with projected video and lighting designed to be part of the music.

The name "Celldweller"

The name "Celldweller" is derived from one of Klayton's earlier projects, Brainchild. On Brainchild's "Metamorphosis" album, one of the tracks is titled "Heldweller". After the album was released, his musician friends joked about the inordinate amount of time he spent in his studio, and as a play off "Heldweller" started calling him "Celldweller". He began using the moniker as producer on Argyle Park's "Misguided" album (he also participated in this project under the aliases "Deathwish" and "Dred"), released in 1995. His first track recorded as Celldweller (at the time spelled as two words: "Cell Dweller") was an ambient reworking of "The Abyss", an instrumental originally recorded by Christian metal band Stryper. Klayton's version of the song was included as the intro on a tribute album to the band, "", jointly released by Liquid Disc and Flying Tart Records in 1996.Fact|date=February 2007

The meanings of both Celldweller's name and lyrics have been a topic for much debate. Celldweller's official statement is that the name "Celldweller" refers to both "personal and cultural bondage" as well as the way that Klayton closes himself off from the outside world at times. Klayton typically no longer explains the meanings and purpose behind his music and chooses to let listeners decide for themselves.

Live Band members

* Klayton - vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion, eyris, programming

Previous live band members

* Dale Van Noreman - electric guitar,keyboards, percussion, backing vocals
* Kemikal - bass guitar, keyboards, percussion, backing vocals
* Cais - acoustic and electronic drums, percussion
* Kenny James - acoustic and electronic drums, percussion
* Del Cheetah - guitar, keyboards, percussion
* Chris Cross aka Tweety - guitar, keyboards, percussion

External links

* [http://www.celldweller.com Official website]
* [http://www.fixtmusic.com FIXT Music (Klayton's label)]
* [http://www.myspace.com/celldweller Celldweller] at MySpace
* [http://www.purevolume.com/celldweller Purevolume]
* [http://www.fabryka.darknation.eu/php-files_en/readarticle.php?article_id=23 Fabryka Industrial Rock webzine interview]