CJ Bolland is a British-born electronic music producer based in Antwerp, Belgium. Born in 1971, he grows up around club culture in Antwerp, where his parents run a club and his mother DJs there.

Early development

Bolland begins listening to synthesizer-led music from artists including Jean-Michel Jarre, Front 242 and the Neon Judgement, then turns his attention to house and techno by the late 1980s. He starts producing in 1988 after a drummer friend gives him access to studio equipment. His early tracks circulate on Belgian pirate radio before he sends demos to labels and receives a response from R & S Records.

R & S Records and early releases

His first production for R & S, The Project’s “Do That Dance”, launches his recording career. He then issues material under several names and projects, including Pulse, Space Opera with Cisco Ferreira of The Advent, Cee-Jay, Ravesignal and Sonic Solution. Releases under the Ravesignal name bring him wider attention, particularly the 1992 Ravesignal 3 EP and its track “Horsepower”.

His debut album, The 4th Sign, follows soon after. He then works through a busy period in 1993 and 1994, producing for Mundo Muzique, Dave Angel and Joey Beltram, and remixing tracks by Orbital, The Prodigy, Sven Väth, WestBam, Tori Amos and Baby Ford.

Albums, major singles and later label work

His second album, Electronic Highway, appears in 1995. After that he signs a five-album deal with Internal Records, and the first release from that agreement, The Analogue Theatre, comes out in 1996. That album is supported by the single “Sugar Is Sweeter”, which becomes one of his best-known tracks and helps the record achieve both critical attention and dance-chart success.

He continues to release singles and EPs through the late 1990s and 2000s, including “The Prophet”, “It Ain’t Gonna Be Me”, “See Saw”, “The Digger”, “Riot” and later work such as “Broken Showroom 1”. In 2002 he founds his own label, Mole Records.

Associated projects and aliases

Bolland records under and alongside a number of project names, including Magnus, Pulse, Stereo City, Ghostland, Club Acanthus, Sonic Solution, The Project, Space Opera, Phantom and O.R.B. These names appear across his catalogue and reflect his long involvement in Belgian techno, electronic, rave, techno and trance music.