CFCF (musician) explained

CFCF
Birth Name:	Michael Silver
Birth Place:	Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Genre:	Electronic
Occupation:	Musician, composer, arranger
Associated Acts:	Owen Pallett, Health, Mark Barrott, Jose Padilla, Jean-Michel Blais
Website:	https://www.cfcfmusic.com/

CFCF is the stage name of Canadian electronic musician/vocalist Michael "Mike" Silver.^[1] Based in Montreal, Silver took the name CFCF from the call sign of the city's CFCF-TV.^[2] Silver's work oftentimes involves themes of nostalgia.

Silver has released ten albums, 1 score, and several EPs. In 2015 he released two albums within two weeks: Radiance and Submission on July 31, and The Colours of Life on August 14. His most recent release is memoryland (2021).

Background

Originally from Montreal, Silver became interested in electronic music at an early age. Self-taught, he cites Peter Gabriel, DJ Shadow, Yellow Magic Orchestra and Talk Talk as important influences.^[3]

Career

His first 7" single "You Hear Colours" / "Invitation to Love" was released on March 8, 2009, on the Acéphale label.^[4] The title of his first EP Panesian Nights was chosen in reference to the developer of Japanese erotic video games.^[5]

Describing his creative approach on 2012's Exercises and 2013's Music for Objects Silver says “A lot of people think the things that will give your life meaning are those grand, giant emotions, like you’re terrified, or you’re in love, but what the EPs are trying to do is fill in the gaps between."

In 2013 Silver released his second studio album Outside. Inspirations for the album include The Letting Go by Bonnie "Prince" Billy (Outside also features a cover of that album's second track "Strange Form Of Life"), Notebook on Cities and Clothes by Wim Wenders and Peter Gabriel.^[6]

In 2016, Silver was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical for his remix of "Berlin By Overnight" by Daniel Hope.^[7]

Silver composed the score for the 2022 film You Can Live Forever.^[8] ^[9]

Style

In a 2013 interview with Aimee Cliff for DMY magazine Silver calls his melodies "evocate, rather than provocative". Cliff goes on to write that Silver's music "is never close enough to divulge anything personal, but they aren’t devoid of humanity either. Maybe this is because they aren’t studies as much as they are reflections."^[6]

Discography

Studio albums

2009 – Continent, Paper Bag Records
2013 – Outside, Paper Bag Records
2015 – Radiance and Submission, Driftless Recordings
2015 – The Colours of Life, 1080p Collection
2016 – On Vacation, International Feel
2019 – Liquid Colours, BGM Solutions
2021 – Memoryland, BGM Solutions

EPs

2009 – Panesian Nights, Paper Bag Records
2010 – Drifts, Paper Bag Records
2010 – CFCF c28, They Live We Sleep
2010 – The River, RVNG Intl.
2012 – Exercises, Paper Bag Records / Dummy
2013 – Music for Objects, Paper Bag Records / Dummy
2017 – Cascades (with Jean-Michel Blais), Arts & Crafts
2018 – Self Service, Sounds Of Beaubien Ouest

Mixtapes

2010 – Slow R&B for Zellers Locations Canada-Wide
2010 – Do U Like Night Bus
2010 – Altered Zones 4
2011 – Reincarnation
2011 – Slorida
2011 – Night Bus II
2012 – The Flood for SSENSE
2014 – Night Bus 3: Death of Night Bus
2015 – Blowing Up The Workshop 48
2019 – Night Bus 4: Memory of Night Bus
2020 – MMLD 99.9 FM: Dispatches From Memoryland

Singles

2009 – "The Explorers", Paper Bag Records
2009 – "You Hear Colours" / "Invitation to Love", Acephale Records
2011 – "Cometrue", UNO NYC
2018 – "December 25, 1999", BGM Solutions
2021 – "Light Disguise", Collection Disques Durs
2022 – "Sunrise Blue", BGM Solutions
2023 – "Never Going Home", BGM Solutions

Remixes

2008 – Heartsrevolution – "CYOA (CFCF Remix)"
2008 – The Presets – "Talk Like That (CFCF Remix)"
2008 – HEALTH – "Triceratops (CFCF Remix)"
2008 – Sally Shapiro – "Time To Let Go (CFCF Remix)"
2008 – Crystal Castles – "Air War (CFCF Remix)"
2008 – Genghis Tron – "Recursion (CFCF Remix)"
2008 – Memory Cassette – "Last One Awake (CFCF Version)"
2009 – Sally Shapiro – "Love In July (CFCF Remix)"
2009 – Datarock – "The Pretender (CFCF Remix)"
2009 – Fan Death – "The Constellations (CFCF Remix)"
2009 – Midstates and The Choir of Ghosts – "Hate To See You Smile (CFCF Remix)"
2009 – Woodhands – "Dancer (CFCF Remix)"
2010 – Owen Pallett – "Lewis Takes Off His Shirt (CFCF Remix)"
2010 – Azari & III – "Into The Night (CFCF Remix)"
2010 – Historics – "Take It To The Top (CFCF Remix)"
2010 – HEALTH – "Before Tigers (CFCF Remix)"
2012 – Say Lou Lou – "Maybe You (CFCF Remix)"
2012 – Elite Gymnastics – "Here, in Heaven 4 & 5 (CFCF Remix)"
2017 – Kero Kero Bonito – "Heard a Song (CFCF Remix)"
2017 – HEALTH – "Dark Enough (CFCF Remix)"
2018 – Baltra – "Will You Be? (CFCF Remix)"
2022 – The Hellp – "yrstruly (CFCF Remix)"
2023 – The Life – "Grace (CFCF Remix)"
2024 – Basile3 – "U Stole the Summer (CFCF Remix)"

External links

Notes and References

"CFCF's quest for pure pop". Entrepreneur, July 2009.
Web site: Q&A with CFCF | Anthem . 2010-12-12 . 2015-10-11 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101212233213/http://anthemmagazine.com/story/Q-A-with-CFCF . December 12, 2010 .
Web site: The Emotional Life of Objects: An Interview with CFCF's Michael Silver . PopMatters . 4 September 2013. 2015-10-11.
Web site: CFCF – You Hear Colours / Invitation To Love (Vinyl) at Discogs . Discogs.com . 2009-03-08 . 2015-10-11.
Web site: NES Games Published By Panesian . NESguide . 2015-10-11.
Web site: CFCF interview: "Evocative rather than provocative.". Cliff, Aimee. 22 October 2013. 2 October 2024. DMY magazine.
Web site: Grammy Nominations 2016: See the Full List of Nominees. Billboard Staff. 12 July 2015. 19 November 2024. Billboard.
Web site: You Can Live Forever. RogerEbert.com. 5 May 2023. Feldberg, Isaac. 19 November 2024.
Fran Hoepfner, "‘You Can Live Forever’ Film Review: Queer Love Blooms Amid Religious Repression". TheWrap, June 11, 2022.