Artist
CIEL
Ciel is a Xi'an-born and Toronto-based music producer, DJ, pianist, and radio presenter. She is the creator of Work in Progress, a women-prioritizing concert series in Toronto; a co-founder of the immersive multidisciplinary events platform It's Not U It's Me; a co-owner of Toronto electronic music label Parallel Minds; a member of the internationally-renowned women & LGBTQIA+ DJ collective Discwoman; and she also produces a monthly radio show on Rinse FM in London, UK.
Cindy Li, Ciel, had her debut EP released on Shanti Celeste & Gramrcy's UK label Peach Discs in 2017 to great critical acclaim. This was quickly followed up with Cindy's 'Hundred Flowers' EP on London's Coastal Haze in 2018 and then a 4-tracker on Ghostly International's sister label, Spectral Sound in 2019. The following year in 2020, Li's next solo record 'Trojan Horse' was released on NYC label Thanks for Enlightening Me, and then she dropped her 5th EP on storied NYC imprint Mister Saturday Night in late 2021. More recently in 2023, Eris Drew called upon the Canadian producer to compile a set of her digitally-only tracks for a double LP vinyl compilation which became the debut release on her new label Ecstatic Editions as well as the renowned German imprint !K7 Records released a solo 4-track EP. In short, she's a busy bee.
Ciel also finds inspiration in the studio making music with others. She released her first collaborative EP as Psychedelic Budz with Berlin-based artist D.Tiffany on Planet Euphorique in 2020. Her next collaborative EP with Toronto-based Dan Only as Cloudsteppers came out on X-Kalay Records in 2021, followed by a much-loved record she made with Montréal's Priori under the name of Loopchasers for US label Terrafirm. Two more collaborative EPs were released in 2022, one with American artist Ali Berger and another with UK producer Kilig. The lockdowns had a huge impact on Ciel and nowadays her hands are in a lot of different baskets, from remixes to collabs to solo releases, even mastering projects. In short, producing records is her top priority, and she often finds herself working on multiple releases simultaneously.
In 2021 she debuted a live PA of all original production at Mutek. In 2022, with grant funding from the Canadian government, she wrote her debut album 'Homesick', which will be released on her own label Parallel Minds in November 2023. Other forthcoming releases include a collaborative EP with Mathis Ruffing for DJ Haus' label Unknown to the Unknown; a followup Cloudsteppers release on Peach Discs; a followup Psychedelic Budz EP for UK label Banoffee Pies; and a CCL collaboration EP on the label NAFF.
Her recent touring schedule is similarly impressive: at the start of 2023, she had a two weekend tour in Australia, after which she flew home to Toronto to perform a label showcase for Parallel Minds hosted by Boiler Room. During the summer months, Cindy played at a string of festivals - Electric Castle in Romania, Nation of Gondwana in Germany, Secret Sundaze's Multi Multi in London, Paramount in Japan, Kala in Albania - as well as playing legendary clubs such as Panorama Bar in Berlin, fabric in London, De School in Amsterdam, Good Room in New York, and La Machine du Moulin Rouge in Paris. As ever, North American shows will be peppered throughout fall and winter as well as returning to Australasia, India & far east Asia before the end of the year.
Whether a label boss, grassroots rave promoter, established producer or adventurous DJ, the same strongly-held beliefs shine through everything Cindy does: that of focus on the community, upholding diversity and inclusivity, and playing her part to leave the scene in a better place than when she first entered. At heart, Ciel's work in electronic music boils down to a simple truth. If everyone isn't having a good time, what's the fucking point?
Cindy Li, Ciel, had her debut EP released on Shanti Celeste & Gramrcy's UK label Peach Discs in 2017 to great critical acclaim. This was quickly followed up with Cindy's 'Hundred Flowers' EP on London's Coastal Haze in 2018 and then a 4-tracker on Ghostly International's sister label, Spectral Sound in 2019. The following year in 2020, Li's next solo record 'Trojan Horse' was released on NYC label Thanks for Enlightening Me, and then she dropped her 5th EP on storied NYC imprint Mister Saturday Night in late 2021. More recently in 2023, Eris Drew called upon the Canadian producer to compile a set of her digitally-only tracks for a double LP vinyl compilation which became the debut release on her new label Ecstatic Editions as well as the renowned German imprint !K7 Records released a solo 4-track EP. In short, she's a busy bee.
Ciel also finds inspiration in the studio making music with others. She released her first collaborative EP as Psychedelic Budz with Berlin-based artist D.Tiffany on Planet Euphorique in 2020. Her next collaborative EP with Toronto-based Dan Only as Cloudsteppers came out on X-Kalay Records in 2021, followed by a much-loved record she made with Montréal's Priori under the name of Loopchasers for US label Terrafirm. Two more collaborative EPs were released in 2022, one with American artist Ali Berger and another with UK producer Kilig. The lockdowns had a huge impact on Ciel and nowadays her hands are in a lot of different baskets, from remixes to collabs to solo releases, even mastering projects. In short, producing records is her top priority, and she often finds herself working on multiple releases simultaneously.
In 2021 she debuted a live PA of all original production at Mutek. In 2022, with grant funding from the Canadian government, she wrote her debut album 'Homesick', which will be released on her own label Parallel Minds in November 2023. Other forthcoming releases include a collaborative EP with Mathis Ruffing for DJ Haus' label Unknown to the Unknown; a followup Cloudsteppers release on Peach Discs; a followup Psychedelic Budz EP for UK label Banoffee Pies; and a CCL collaboration EP on the label NAFF.
Her recent touring schedule is similarly impressive: at the start of 2023, she had a two weekend tour in Australia, after which she flew home to Toronto to perform a label showcase for Parallel Minds hosted by Boiler Room. During the summer months, Cindy played at a string of festivals - Electric Castle in Romania, Nation of Gondwana in Germany, Secret Sundaze's Multi Multi in London, Paramount in Japan, Kala in Albania - as well as playing legendary clubs such as Panorama Bar in Berlin, fabric in London, De School in Amsterdam, Good Room in New York, and La Machine du Moulin Rouge in Paris. As ever, North American shows will be peppered throughout fall and winter as well as returning to Australasia, India & far east Asia before the end of the year.
Whether a label boss, grassroots rave promoter, established producer or adventurous DJ, the same strongly-held beliefs shine through everything Cindy does: that of focus on the community, upholding diversity and inclusivity, and playing her part to leave the scene in a better place than when she first entered. At heart, Ciel's work in electronic music boils down to a simple truth. If everyone isn't having a good time, what's the fucking point?
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