Jeff Samuel’s exposure to electronic music came through the underground scenes of Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Jeff began his DJ career in 1996, getting his first breaks at the legendary ele_mental parties in Columbus. Soon after, he purchased his first synth and drum machine.
Music from his first demo was signed to the Frankfurt label Lo-fi Stereo. The “Bidooba” single was released in 1999 and featured a remix from Kompakt’s Michael Mayer. Other tracks from the same demo found their way to minimal techno pioneer Daniel Bell, who released them on his 7th City label in 2001. That same year, Jeff contributed the track “Lost” to the mysterious Remains label in NYC.
Jeff pushed into the new millennium continuing his career. 2002 proved to be a significant year which saw his ‘Digital Self’ Tektite EP remixed by Ricardo Villalobos, his abstract material released by UK label Emoticon, and the beginning of a long relationship with Cologne-based Trapez Recordings. He also left Ohio for the northwestern port city of Seattle, where he pursued a career as a Sound Designer in the videogame industry.
Throughout the first half of the new decade, Jeff greatly expanded his discography. He released EP’s for such highly regarded labels as Poker Flat, Spectral Sound, Contexterrior, Morris Audio, Frankie and Karloff. A listen through these releases reveal Jeff’s true range as an artist. From experimental bleeps to Chicago-influenced jack trax to the melodic direction of his recent work, his unmistakable trademark style remains constant. This range also carries over to Jeff’s legendary DJ sets, which have brought him all over the world. A sample of recent DJ outings include Fabric (London), Yellow (Tokyo), Loft (Barcelona), Panoramabar (Berlin) and the Batofar (Paris). Jeff has also performed at both the DEMF and MUTEK electronic music festivals.
The latter half of the decade has propelled Jeff to the top of techno’s most respected artists and DJ’s. In 2005, the Logistic label re-released a series of his older material recorded 5 years earlier. In 2007, Trapez re-released “Lost,” now considered a true classic of minimal techno. Across the years, Jeff has also handled remix duties for such diverse artists as: Hot Chip, Phonique, Der Dritte Raum and Guido Schneider.
The long-awaited “Step” LP was released by Trapez in late 2006. Groove Magazine called it “timeless,” and the album received 4 stars in URB as well as top marks in De:Bug, Resident Advisor and many many more. “Step” was a daring exploration into melodic techno, taking Jeff’s pop sensibilities as far as he could take them. It also marks the end of the outwardly melodic direction his music has taken in later years.
The present time is a fresh start for Jeff. He now counts himself among the many artists who have relocated to Berlin to pursue music full-time. He is currently maintaining a busy DJ schedule and working on fresh sounds in his brand new studio.
Discography can be found at the excellent Discogs website: http://www.discogs.com/artist/Jeff+Samuel
hello!hope your bookings after midsommar went better^^ ...let me know when you're going to play in berlin on another time again...i'll be there :) good night and good luck! isa
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