ARTIST STORY
C2C.
Playing a record is one thing. Making a record speak anew beneath your hands is C2C’s territory. The four French DJs transform short sounds into rhythm and melody, until you almost forget the band is standing behind turntables. On Tetra, that technique becomes a celebration built around real songs.
IMAGE CREDIT: Simon Bonaventure · Le Chabada, September 22, 2012 · via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Cropped to a panoramic format; image editing under the same license.
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Open in Spotify ↗FOUR DJS, ONE GROUP.
C2C was formed in Nantes in 1998. 20syl and Greem are associated with Hocus Pocus; Atom and Pfel make up Beat Torrent. The joint project brings together their love of hip-hop, funk, soul, and digging for records. Behind the stage names are Sylvain Richard, Guillaume Jaulin, Thomas Le Vexier, and Pierre Forestier.
The group first built a reputation in the world of turntablism. From 2003 through 2006, C2C won the DMC World DJ Championship for teams four years in a row. That takes more than four great soloists. Their parts have to respond to one another, with timing so precise that even a slight shift is immediately audible.
THE TURNTABLE AS INSTRUMENT.
In turntablism, recorded sound is actively played. By repeating, interrupting, or moving a fragment by hand, a new musical part takes shape. C2C divides up those roles just as a band would. One moment a turntable provides the rhythmic foundation; the next, another member answers with a melody.
That explains why their music works even if you know nothing about DJ technique. You don’t have to see which hand is working the crossfader to recognize a great phrase. Their craft makes the songs nimble, but never constantly imposes itself as a demonstration. The listener can simply go along with the groove.
DOWN THE ROAD OPENS THE DOOR.
In 2012, the EP Down the Road came out first, followed by the album Tetra, also written as Tetr4. The EP’s title track blends a pronounced blues feel with a buoyant beat. Short sounds are tossed back and forth, while the whole thing remains surprisingly direct.
The bluesy sound doesn’t come exclusively from old records they’ve found, either. For Down the Road, C2C worked with a guitarist and a harmonica player. The four then reworked the separate recordings. The process moves from musicians to turntables and back again into a new composition. The line between playing and sampling becomes part of the fun.
TETRA THINKS IN SONGS.
On Happy, Derek Martin brings his soul voice to the mix. The collaboration gives the record a human exuberance that fits beautifully with the precise cutting and sliding. Other guests, including Pigeon John and Jay-Jay Johanson, add different colors without the album losing its distinctive approach.
Delta and F.U.Y.A. show how C2C builds tension through repetition and subtle changes. A sound can start out as an accent and later take center stage. Sometimes the pleasure lies in the transition itself: a new layer shifts your attention while the rhythm keeps moving beneath your feet.
That also makes Tetra an inviting album to listen to as a whole. The familiar singles are clear entry points, but between those tracks you hear just how broadly the quartet thinks. Soul, blues, and electronic music don’t become separate boxes. They provide material for the same musical conversation.
ONE THING YOU DIDN’T KNOW.
For Le Banquet, C2C invited several scratch specialists, including DJ Kentaro, DJ Netik, and Tigerstyle. The track turns the idea of a guest solo into a meeting of multiple styles of turntable playing.
THE FACTS
Greem · Guillaume Jaulin
Atom · Thomas Le Vexier
Pfel · Pierre Forestier
ESSENTIAL DISCOGRAPHY
C2C’s released studio album. The Down the Road EP, DJ tools, and releases by individual members are not included here as group albums.
- 2012Tetra (Tetr4)
FAQ
Who are the members of C2C?
C2C consists of four French DJs and turntablists: 20syl, Greem, Pfel, and Atom. 20syl and Greem are also known for Hocus Pocus, while Pfel and Atom worked together as Beat Torrent.
Where is C2C from?
The four members met as school students in Nantes and formed the group in the late 1990s. They shared a background in hip-hop, collecting records, and turntablism: using turntables as a fully fledged instrument.
What does the name C2C stand for?
The name came from Coups 2 Cross, the earlier name under which the quartet performed. So it doesn’t refer to the business abbreviation consumer-to-consumer, but to the group’s own history.
Why is C2C important in turntablism?
From 2003 through 2006, C2C won the team title at the DMC World DJ Championship four years in a row. Their routines combine technical scratches with composition, melody, and tightly coordinated roles for four turntables.
Which song was C2C’s breakthrough?
Down the Road and F·U·Y·A brought the group to a wider audience in 2012. The Down the Road EP was followed by the debut album Tetra, which brings soul, blues, hip-hop, and electronic music together.
What kind of music does C2C make?
The foundation is turntablism and hip-hop production, but the group also incorporates electro, soul, jazz, blues, and rock. Samples aren’t used just as recognizable quotations: the four members use them to build rhythms, bass lines, and melodies live.
Is C2C’s Tetra available on vinyl?
Yes, Tetra was released on LP and is the group’s most important physical release. When buying, check the number of records and the edition, as there are several European pressings.
THE FINAL WORD.
THE RECORD PLAYS BACK.
Start with Down the Road, then let Tetra play through. Follow how a tiny sound can set an entire track in motion. C2C gives the turntable a double role: the device you use to discover music also becomes the instrument you use to make new music.
Discover C2C’s artist page for Spotify, the story, and related music.
