CJ Jeff (GR)

Marking 15 years in the game in 2016, CJ Jeff is a Greek electronic music superstar whose talent has been championed by some of the most respected house and techno labels around. Souvenir, Skint, Bedrock and most recently Objektivity and Yoshitoshi have released any array of dancefloor gems over the last decade, and with further releases on similarly esteemed labels on the way, CJ Jeff’s reputation as one of the most exciting producers on the circuit looks set to expand exponentially. Born and bred in Greece, and with influences ranging from Massive Attack and Pink Floyd to Danny Tenaglia, Jeff soon developed an idiosyncratic sound along with a suitable chic aesthetic to match. Having worked closely with fellow Greek producer Thodoris Triantafillou, Jeff's output immerses the listener into deep, rolling percussion-led house music that is both intricate in its construction and devastatingly effective when experienced in a club environment. Early releases on Souvenir and These Days were instant successes, paving the way for high profile remixes for Booka Shade and further releases on John Digweed’s seminal Bedrock and Supernova’s Lapsus Music. 2015 saw some of the biggest records on his career to date, including ‘Leave Me’ on the aforementioned Bedrock and ‘Guetto’, a collaboration with Sharam Key on Bunny Tiger Dubs, which was later named one of the most influential underground labels for the year by Beatport. 2016 has been similarly strong on the release front. ‘Not Only U’ produced with Triantafillou and released on Objektivity is Jeff’s most successful Beatport, release to date, ‘Keep Watching Me’ dropped on Glasgow Underground and there was also a nod to the past with the release of Jeff’s remix of the Eddie Amador classic ‘6am’ that came on Yoshitoshi, marking a quite remarkable run of releases, with EPs Kling Klong, Bedrock, and elrow still to come. Very early on in his career, Jeff started a residency at Dybbuk, a weekly party every Thursday which he still continues to this day: a remarkable achievement for someone who is now an internationally recognised name. Aside from his continuing residency, Jeff has played at many of the world’s best clubs, including Watergate (Berlin), D. Edge (Sao Paulo) and Warung (Praia Brava) – at which he is one of their official European partners – while his appearance at the 2004 Olympics Closing Ceremony in Athens would a live highlight for any DJ. In addition to his continuous production and touring schedule, Jeff has also found time to found and run his own label, Rhythmetic Records. Launched in 2005 with a vinyl release from Jeff himself – complete with a remix from Maetrik aka Maceo Plex – the label as gone on to release music from likes of Nick Curly and No Artificial Colours gracing the catalogue, the label has hit an exceptional run of form of late, with the last four releases all charting highly at Beatport and finding passionate support on the underground scene, with Carl Cox especially championing them heavily in his final season at Space, Ibiza.