Born in Richmond, Va. and moved to Myrtle Beach, Sc is where Thomas aka "Cy-tek" began his journey.
At an early age of "16" Cy-tek fell face first into the electronic scene after several years of being "Metal Head". With his roots planted deep into the grime and rage of "metal", he found himself pulled towards the rushing beats of the bass and kick snare of "Drum n' Bass".
After going to his first party at age 16, Cy-tek knew then that this was the energy he was looking for in a show.
Instead of going out to metal shows and rock concerts, Tek found himself going to more and more so-called "raves". The first 2 years of partying and indulging in everything the scene had to offer, tek learned about "P.L.U.R.R. (Peace, Love, Unity, Respect, & Responsibility}
This changed EVERYTHING for tek! With the education from a close friend and veteran of the party scene tek began to learn more and more about what the "Rave" scene was actually about. It was not about the drugs, or the dealers, or even the shows, it was about a whole culture that thrived on gatherings. These gatherings were nothing more than a big pool of love towards each other! Everyone was welcome in this scene! Dancing, playing with beautiful lights, hugging, and cuddling with people you don't even know, was all accepted.
Armed with all of this education of what the scene was about, tek dug farther into this world of "P.L.U.R.R'! Over the span of 4 months in the summer, tek had made friends with some of the areas own local djs. Normally seen, every weekend on the dance floor, dancing and partying with friends, he is now found behind the dj both watching and learning.
Months went by while tek just watched his peers and friends, from over the shoulder, make people dance with the records and turntables. This is when tek gained a much more enlightenment on the "Scene" as a "Whole". Like a light bulb turned on in his head, He got it! The understanding of the whole workings of the scene. From the kids that party up to the people that make it happen on those wheels of steel!
With understanding each aspect of the scene, tek found himself with an opportunity at a local club, that he had been going to for years, with a job as the lighting tech. With open arms he took the job. Working ever weekend at the club was but a dream to him at the time. Working lights became something he looked forward to doing every week because he got to share the same stage with some of his favorite djs!
Time passed as Tek became the "Go to" guy for spectacular light programing in the club. Some of Tek's favorite memories of doing lights include shows for Baby Anne, Andy Kastance, Trixie, Icey, Ak1200, Planet of the Drums, and Dj Empress!
Summertime grew to a close and the "scene" itself in America had started to catch national attention as a "Crisis" for young teenagers using 'club drugs". Thus started a whole downward spiral for the parties in his area. Soon parties were no more, tek was left with his friends that he had brought into the scene and some of the local djs he had made friends with. With Tek and the rest of what was left soon found them self throwing renegade parties where ever they could get a venue. as time went on those type of parties were even stamped out byt the "Rave Act of 2000". With nothing else to do and the scene dead, tek started to venture out to other states, meeting fellow party kids creating his own network within the scene.
After several years of traveling and meeting all types of people, Tek found himself mesmerized by a type of music he had never heard before, "Industrial". Sounding similar to the music he listened to in the party scene, he began to search and educate himself on the scene and the groups that create this music. Taken so much by what he heard he began going to see these artists like: " God Module, Grendel, and Hocico", to name a few. He noticed that the music was very close to teh same as much of what he had heard in the past, but the only thing different was that it was a live performance.... This took him by storm! Feeling like when he was younger at a metal show, but this was no metal show. This was an industrial show! Tek Noticed at the opening of most of these shows there was a dj mixing similar music that the artists were performing later in the night. This made a light go off in Tek's head!!!!
While taking a break from the Local Hula & Fire Show he performed in, Tek invested his money into his first set of Technics turntables. With is roommate already having turntables and a mixer, he hooked up his new tables to his roommates mixer. The mixer that he was using was able to turn mp3s into music on the turntable without having to have the actual record. This immediately took his attention! When Tek was not working or home on lunch, you could find him in his studio mixing and practicing on those tables! Hours and hours standing there trying to figure everything out! Without a teacher and without direction, Tek kept pressing forward with practicing. Over time Tek and his roommate began to start a monday "get together" at his house. Friends that knew how to dj would come over drink and have fun every monday, just playing music. Over time those Mondays became "Monday Night Drum & Bass".
In attendance was old time friend of Tek's "Mix Master Doc", coming out to drink and have some fun while we all threw down on the decks. Time passed and the amount of people that started to come out on monday night were so large, Tek had no choice but to start thinking about a venue to relieve the amount of people coming to his house. Finally a venue! A friend of Tek's found a coffee house that would let them hose a weekly at. With this things were looking up for the scene in the area. After years of nowhere to go to hear electronic music there would finally be a place, once again, that people could gather and dance.
With this first weekly kicking off soon, Tek found himself in a financial situation that was not so easily cured. Work had come to a complete stop! Without income Tek could not keep feeding his habit as a dj, or even devote more time into it. Tek began to look for work where ever he could. Tek's Father currently working in Texas, helping with the Hurricane clean up, he decided to look online for help in his field of work, out in Texas.
Tek found many numbers to companies in and around the Houston, Tx area. At an early morning start he began to call, and to his surprise he found one! They payed for his trip to Galveston Tx, Roomed him for a month and worked him as much as he wanted. After a month Tek decided to go home and close up his house and close his fire performance company, to move to Galveston, Tx.
The money and work were there. With the move and all the money Tek was making he was on the right track to keep perusing his goal as a "Dj" and Future "Producer"
First set, hummmmm well that would have to be at a little coffee house in Lichfield South Carolina
Typical set.... For starters expect BASS and i do mean BASS! My typical set consists of a range of glitch dubstep down to some hard grime with a sprinkle of emotion and melody. On the rare occasion i go back to my roots and drop some D&B from the late 90's to mid 2000's. You would have to come and see Cy play live to get the full effect! Deep bass and an energy coming from himself while onstage that can not even keep him grounded! Not a good show but a performance on stage as well
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Broken branch Rd. by Cy-tek
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