Going into the second annual Seattle World Tour, I really had no idea what Cuff Lynx was all about. I didn’t know their music was incredible until the day before writing this story. Working on this tour is a blessing because Respect My Region gets to support every artist on the bill at a higher level. Lowkey, I was really excited to connect with Cuff Lynx and learn more about them since I’ve slept on them for three years already.
I met with Jordan Hatzialexiou and Matt Ogle at their Capitol Hill apartment on a wet and windy Tuesday. During our brief time together, we talked about their experiences in music and what each of them contributes to Cuff Lynx. Plus, they shared some great stories about their musical journey thus far.
A Little Background Knowledge
Cuff Lynx was formed in Bellingham, WA while Jordan and Matt were in college at Western Washington University. While RMR was getting our start back at CWU, these guys were just starting to create music and DJ at WWU’S house parties. They played all kinds of house shows and worked their way up to Bham’s Wild Buffalo. Leading to them being booked to perform at a major block party and festival.
Cuff Lynx blends current digital techniques with vintage and retro electric vibes inspired by sounds from the 80’s and 90’s electronic scene. Sounds that provide a perfect balance between weird and approachable.
They enjoy artists and groups with fuller sounds, appreciating live-performers and studio bands each for different things. They like the balance between electronic-infused artists that put a lot into production and over-the-top studio edits. But, who also scale down certain things to create more of a raw sound.
The Influences
Matt and Jordan weren’t huge fans of the basic house, dubstep, and trap music that was really thriving from 2009-2015. During that time period, electronic production wasn’t transcending genres at the level we’re hearing today. DJ sets were, and still usually are pre-recorded. Plus, oftentimes the performer’s faces were buried in their laptops.
When artists like Disclosure and Justice started to really gain traction across the world, electronic music changed. Specifically, the audio and visual production side of things changed drastically. We started seeing live performances with more creativity and greater attention to detail. Both Jordan and Matt expressed that these two artists are good examples of artists that they look up to because of those detailed elements that essentially drive each set.
The Cuff Lynx Experience
The days of artists hiding behind their laptops is no longer the experience most fans are looking for. People want an original performance complete with love, energy, passion, live-instrumentation, and the occasional mistake. Everyone loves the rawness that human error brings to a live performance right?
The answer might be no for some, but for Cuff Lynx, this element adds to the experience. They are following in the footsteps of Soul Wax, Rezz and other unique artists, to create a sonic experience that is elevating the fan experience one performance at a time.
Cuff Lynx recognized the need to create their own experience after going to school for audio production and spending countless hours working with artists at different studios and venues. They needed something that drives the senses and showcases their skills at the same time. Their unique live-performances are significantly different from their DJ sets. It just depends on the venue or type of set they’re booked for.
Each performance usually comes complete with new music (for R&D) along with custom visuals courtesy of Matt. Things can get stressful leading up to each performance, often spending hours designing each visual component for their set. Both artists own up to the fact that their shows are rarely perfect, sharing that those moments make each night memorable in their own way.
Let’s Talk Projects
Cuff Lynx shared that they dropped a project called Land Speed Record in early 2018. A four-track EP that took roughly two to three years to complete. Jordan and Matt said that they really worked backward to actually complete the project.
There was a period where every time that they sat down to work on music, they would learn something new. This was both a blessing and a curse because both artists would process that new knowledge, then go back through their entire project to get everything dialed in on a new level. Getting to the point where one person is comfortable enough with each project is a big challenge in itself. With two people though, the difficulty is usually even greater.
The release of Land Speed Record was a major moment for Cuff Lynx. It is clear that 2019 will be even more exciting with the duo planning on releasing a few remixes and possibly some original music too.
Listen To Cuff Lynx Land Speed Record
Click here to visit the official Facebook event for their Seattle performance on January 8th.
Performing alongside Biddadat, Trick Candles, and All Star Opera, this show is the first of five that are included in the Seattle World Tour. Each of the shows, including this one, is raising donations for the No Child Sleeps Outside campaign in partnership with Mary’s Place.
This campaign is collecting clothes, food, toys, and money for homeless children in the greater Seattle area. If you’re interested in supporting and seeing Cuff Lynx live, tickets for their upcoming show at Nectar Lounge are currently available for sale here.
Sponsors for this event include Dick’s Drive-In, Zeek’s Pizza, Jones Soda, Guayaki Yerba Mate, Lyft, Seattle Hot Tub Boats. As well as Lux Pot Shop, Happy Apple, Reeb, and Lilac City Gardens.
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