Biography
Jean-Luc De Meyer and Marc Heal already possessed extensive stage and studio backgrounds by the time their paths crossed in 1995, at which point they immediately recognized an exceptional creative alignment. De Meyer, the frontman of Front 242—the Belgian group founded in 1982 that pioneered the reign of terror electronica—joined forces with Heal, a member of the English industrial terrorists Cubanate, and Ged Denton from Crisis N.T.I. Operating initially under the name Cyber-Tec Project, an offshoot of the U.K. imprint Cyber-Tec Records, the trio began reshaping techno rhythms into more abrasive mutations.
Their earliest release, the EP Let Your Body Die, featured De Meyer alongside Denton and Jonathan Sharp. Because Heal remained occupied with Cubanate, he sat out that session yet returned for the subsequent recording after Sharp departed. Sensing greater autonomy and recognizing that they now operated as a complete, forward-moving unit, the musicians shortened the project name to C-Tec. In December 1997 the band secured a deal with WaxTrax!, the same label associated with Cubanate; Dave Bianchi, another Cubanate alumnus, and Julian Beeston, previously of Nitzer Ebb and its early-’90s dark goth sound, completed the lineup.
C-Tec issued its first full-length album, Darker, in January 1998 and embarked on an inaugural European and American tour accompanied by an elaborate light show. The follow-up album Cut appeared in Germany in 2001 and reached the United States solely as an import, extending the group’s established pattern of frenzied, harsh, haunting rhythms.
Their earliest release, the EP Let Your Body Die, featured De Meyer alongside Denton and Jonathan Sharp. Because Heal remained occupied with Cubanate, he sat out that session yet returned for the subsequent recording after Sharp departed. Sensing greater autonomy and recognizing that they now operated as a complete, forward-moving unit, the musicians shortened the project name to C-Tec. In December 1997 the band secured a deal with WaxTrax!, the same label associated with Cubanate; Dave Bianchi, another Cubanate alumnus, and Julian Beeston, previously of Nitzer Ebb and its early-’90s dark goth sound, completed the lineup.
C-Tec issued its first full-length album, Darker, in January 1998 and embarked on an inaugural European and American tour accompanied by an elaborate light show. The follow-up album Cut appeared in Germany in 2001 and reached the United States solely as an import, extending the group’s established pattern of frenzied, harsh, haunting rhythms.
Albums
