Since releasing his first EP in 2011, Objekt, the Oxford PhD prodigy, has carved out a unique path in music production with his bold, avant-garde, and intricately detailed style. He is celebrated as one of the defining producers and DJs of his generation.

 

Maintaining a hedonistic tone in dance music, he has cleverly redefined the possibilities of club music. In addition to remixing for Radiohead and producing a series of hot dance EPs, he has delivered two groundbreaking albums for the prestigious avant-garde label PAN over the past decade: 2014's *Flatland* and 2018's *Cocoon Crush*. These works create "a world where any landscape can be viewed from all angles," both receiving high scores of 8.0 from Pitchfork. His mixtape *Kern, Vol. 3*, recorded for Tresor, earned an impressive 4.5 rating from Resident Advisor, which praised it as "the essence of a DJ," perfectly capturing the evolution of electronic music over the past 30 years.

 

"Club music is essentially functional. Of course, it can absolutely be emotional, transcendent, and everything else, but it’s still designed to make bodies move on the dancefloor, right? I think it’s important for me to maintain my passion and love for it, and I can only do that by not constantly listening to it."

 

Daring to explore and break conventions is perhaps the most objective and truthful assessment of Objekt, even if it doesn’t come across as strongly stated. To some extent, style, genre, and culture can feel like constraints for him. In his free time, he rarely listens to dance music; instead, he prefers to establish a clear boundary between the club and everyday life. When he stands on stage, he strives to break through that boundary—mastering the essence of dance music, and perhaps therein lies the secret.

 

 

In the recently concluded year of 2024, Mixmag, one of the largest electronic music media platforms globally, generously honored CCL as "one of the 25 DJs defining this year." This recognition is a result of her incredibly diligent approach to work over the past year. In 2024, CCL embarked on a tightly packed tour across three continents, delivering high-quality performances in New Delhi, Bangkok, and Sydney. Her schedule was further filled with charitable events and community sharing sessions, which is why Mixmag highly praised her as "the type of DJ that the scene needs," commending her contributions to the entire club music world.

 

On a personal musical journey, CCL also made new breakthroughs. In 2024, she first released a collaborative EP titled *Tilda's Goat Stare* with Ciel under the Canadian label NAFF Recordings, showcasing a powerful Trance sound as a precursor to her next step. In early November, she released her first record, *Plot Twist*, through the renowned label iK7 Records. The three original tracks span a broad spectrum of dance music styles, while the overall listening experience remains true to CCL’s inherent style—psychedelic and vibrant, rich in content yet accessible.

 

“At the end of 2019, I felt particularly excited about mixing old post-punk bands (some even from before the 80s), psychedelic rock, experimental synth-wave music, disco, and even synth-pop with ultra-modern, fluid beat science like DnB or footwork. I discovered that sometimes their energies are similar, but their emotions and backgrounds are entirely different. For example, mixing Codek – Closer with a track by Homemade Weapons.”

 

When discussing her DJ philosophy, CCL expresses a sense of emotional confusion. “I’m still exploring this part. The things I like span many different genres, sounds, and styles, and often I don’t know how they fit together. The DJs I truly admire know how to draw from a wide palette without being confined to specific genres or styles, or even BPM ranges.”

 

 

Unlike Objekt, who organizes playlists with a near-obsessive adherence to specific structures (such as songs suitable for "intros"), CCL prefers to order her sets based directly on the energy she feels. She doesn’t like to linger too long in the same emotional space, nor does she enjoy playing music that can be overwhelming just to stir emotions. Flexibility is CCL’s first instinct. This is one reason many labels and festivals—like Discwoman, Decibel Festival, and Corridor—choose her, as they appreciate her “strong personal style.”

 

However, even CCL herself may struggle to articulate what this quality feels like musically, as she often says she “doesn’t know which part of herself drives her on stage.” As an important member of the queer music community, CCL identifies as "they/them" and has long supported marginalized groups with a steadfast attitude and tangible actions, helping them explore their identities and express the blood, sweat, and tears hidden within.