Cilian is an animator / illustrator based in London, UK.
Hi Cilian, Can you tell us a little bit about your tape and your song selections?
Hiya! I’m Cilian but I go by Foxy DuBoxy on the interweb. I’m mostly known for doing adult comedy animations, comics and digital illustration.
My tape is called ‘Tracksuit Mondays’
It’s all sadboi uk rap / grime, but it gets a bit happier at the end coz generally life just does eventually when it’s been real shit. I had to whittle it down to something pretty specific or the playlist would be super long. I spend a lot of time spotify digging & normally just put everything in one mega playlist so it was pretty fun to craft one with a bit more of a specific vibe.
The name Tracksuit Mondays comes from when I lived in Bristol with my two mates Hec and Ben and we shared a studio space for doin animations and that in. On mondays we’d wear tracksuits and play heavy grime / DnB all day and when I finished the drawing I kinda realised the two boys on either side vaguely resemble them which is sort of a happy accident or maybe some kinda Freud moment.
What direction did you take with your cover art, and what was your process?
I normally do comedy stuff so it was kinda nice to do something different and draw a bit more of a tender moment of the boys together. Basically boys - share your feelings and be there for each other. You don’t have to solve people’s problems but being there and just being a safe pair of ears makes all the difference. Don’t bottle it up or it’ll fuck you up.
I drew it digitally on Photoshop.
What are your fave album covers, records with a great music and artwork combo, or musical projects with a visual component?
Any of the old Gorillaz albums - Demon Days or Plastic Beach specifically are wicked - love, love, love Jamie Hewlett (hard not to rly innit). The new stuff still looks cool but I prefer the older 2D illustration.
Plastic Beach – Gorillaz
2010, Parlophone
Artwork, design: Jamie Hewlett / Zombie Flesh Eaters
2010, Parlophone
Artwork, design: Jamie Hewlett / Zombie Flesh Eaters
Any of MF DOOM’s stuff, all of it is so so so cool - the NehruvianDOOM album cover in particular is sick (by Ghost Shrimp)
NehruvianDOOM (Sound Of The Son) – NehruvianDOOM
2014, Lex Records
Artwork, design: Ghostshrimp
2014, Lex Records
Artwork, design: Ghostshrimp
Big fan of Doja Cat – her music videos are sick. I mean the budget for them must be mental but still respect where it's due.
Also gotta shout out the stop-mo man Will Child - who’s made a few sick stop motion music videos for the likes of Kurupt FM, Easy Life, Open Mike Eagle etc. Go check him out: instagram.com/williamjchild
‘Dreaming’ [MV] – Kurupt FM x Jaykae x Mist
2021, Universal
Dir: William Child
What did you listen to growing up?
I remember being played all sorts of stuff as a kid. A lot of hip hop - N.W.A., A Tribe Called Quest, Snoop Dogg etc. I didn’t get all that into music until it was mid-00s so then I was introduced to The Streets, Arctic Monkeys, Gnarls Barkley and The Vaccines (and many others that I’ve probably forgotten). My mum was a big Damon Albarn fan as I remember which was where I got into Gorillaz which is probs what eventually part of what inspired me to be an animator. Ironically she isn’t actually a massive animation fan but we move.
And what’s on heavy rotation for you at the moment?
Right now I’ve been on a real funk and soul trip - Dr. John, Aretha Franklin, Uptown Funk Empire, Papa Bear & His Cubs (they’re so cool it was this dad and his kids who made a couple of very sweet tracks back in the 60s and never seemed to make anything ever again) and Schwey to name a few.
What’s happening in your creative world at the moment?
I got a day job as an motion graphics guy but I’ve done some cool freelance jobs recently: illustration generally but I did release my first ever animated web series around a year ago called Hey Pappy with Aardman which I was pretty proud of.
This episode was my fave (They’re like 3 mins long check it out):
Where can we find you?
Just check out me gram, I think that just about covers it: @foxy_duboxy
Cheers Cilian 👋🏽
I remember being played all sorts of stuff as a kid. A lot of hip hop - N.W.A., A Tribe Called Quest, Snoop Dogg etc. I didn’t get all that into music until it was mid-00s so then I was introduced to The Streets, Arctic Monkeys, Gnarls Barkley and The Vaccines (and many others that I’ve probably forgotten). My mum was a big Damon Albarn fan as I remember which was where I got into Gorillaz which is probs what eventually part of what inspired me to be an animator. Ironically she isn’t actually a massive animation fan but we move.
And what’s on heavy rotation for you at the moment?
Right now I’ve been on a real funk and soul trip - Dr. John, Aretha Franklin, Uptown Funk Empire, Papa Bear & His Cubs (they’re so cool it was this dad and his kids who made a couple of very sweet tracks back in the 60s and never seemed to make anything ever again) and Schwey to name a few.
What’s happening in your creative world at the moment?
I got a day job as an motion graphics guy but I’ve done some cool freelance jobs recently: illustration generally but I did release my first ever animated web series around a year ago called Hey Pappy with Aardman which I was pretty proud of.
This episode was my fave (They’re like 3 mins long check it out):
Just check out me gram, I think that just about covers it: @foxy_duboxy
Cheers Cilian 👋🏽