The best band you don't know you know.

Band: Celldweller

Label: Fixt site: www.celldweller.com

The best band

you don't know you know.

If you have watched network television, played video games, or been to the movie theatre over the past 5 or 6 years, you have probably heard the electronically fueled sounds that are the product of Klayton’s Celldweller. Labeled everything from Post Industrial to Electonic, to a combination of metal

and trance, Celldweller is all that and more, taking the best elements of each, the heavy guitars of metal, the digital effects of industrial and the flowing beats of trance, while adding haunting and compelling vocals to lyrics that can strike chords with the listener, bringing melody to emotions.

Released on January 28, 2003, Celldweller’s self titled debut release is a 15 track rollercoaster with haunting melodies, aggressive rhythms and ear catching vocals. Klayton, formerly of Circle of Dust, Argyle Park, and Angeldust (with magician Criss Angel), produced, wrote, and played all instruments on the album, not only showing how diverse his talent is, but also allowing his creativity to shine through. Two years later, Celldweller released The Beta Sessions, a two disc set featuring rough cuts from the recording of the first album, as well as pure instrumental versions of many of the tracks, a 29 part odyssey of adrenaline filled sound. Sprinkled throughout the last 5 years Celldweller has released his own remixes as well as other’s remixes of his work, a cover of the disco-era “Tragedy”, a song originally recorded by the Bee Gees

, songs for various video games, and acting as producer on a pair of songs by Breathing Underwater as well as many other bands.

After the release of the debut album Klayton took his own Esion Media label and transformed it into what is now Fixt. Fixt is a multifaceted media company that not only supplies music from muliple bands, including Blue Stahli and The Dreaming, but also merchandise as well as artwork. One of the other projects of Fixt is the “Take it and Break it” series, where various tracks used to create songs, including cuts that do not make the final version, are released to the public with the intention that self aspiring artists will re-mix the songs in their own vision

. The remixes are then submitted into a competition where other (ab)users can vote on their favourite remix. The winner and runner-ups receive various prizes, including, but not limited to iPods, professional audio software and hardware, as well as CD hosting at CD Baby for a year. Previously, once the contests are over, the top remixes will be placed on a CD, which is then sold through www.fixtstore.com/storefront.php. Currently, nine tracks by Celldweller, with a new one upcoming soon, and one track by Subkulture have been given this treatment, spawning some spectacular remixes and giving some talented musicians the outlet they need and deserve.

In August of 2009 Celldweller released the first two tracks of "Wish Upon a Blackstar"; an album that has been in the works since 2005, some songs of which date back to much earlier. The initial digital release date of 8/25/09 saw the Fixt Servers responding to the vast number of attempts to download and purchase the album as a Denial of Service attack, locking both users and administrators out. Over 24 hours, and two server upgrades later, finally saw the release of "Louder Than Words" and "So Long Sentiment." These two songs comprise chapter one of the new album, which will be released in five chapters of two songs each, as Klayton finishes them. The release came in two flavors; a cheap, no fluff version with just the songs, and a deluxe edition, which, in addition to the two tracks and a digital art book, also included various demo tracks of the songs, as well as an audio commentary with Klayton talking about the eveolution of the song over the various demos. "Louder Than Words" is a song about consequences, "Actions speak louder than words do" being repeated throughout, and that theme permiating the song. "So Long Sentiment" is about facing what you are as a product of your past, but moving onward. The melody of this song is both haunting and beautiful, with the use of digital effects and layering peppered throughout the vocals, coupled with the drum beats keeping the song fresh. The lyrics read like a diary as the writer finally accepts who they are and lets go

"Under this crushing wait , I'm sinking
It never goes away, the thinking
Echoes in empty rooms are saying
Time to erase the rest of me"

The second chapter of "Wish Upon a Blackstar," is just as fueled, and the third is coming soon. Proving that he is not one to rest on his laurels, Celldweller has also release "Soundtrack for the Voices in My Head Vol.2 - Chapter 1" which is a vocal-less fueled 4 tracks, clocking in at about half an hour, including a twenty minute track that he created to help himself sleep.

With Chapter 3 of "Wish Upon a Blackstar," the rest of "Soundtrack for the Voices in My Head," and a live show being developed, look for Celldweller to continue to make an audible impact.