The first CD by a Keighley musician and producer has won him a contract with a leading Internet music website.

John McCluskey, who lives in central Keighley, has recorded a three-track dance disc under the name System: Exclusive.

The 23-year-old former Holy Family School student wrote, played and mixed the songs himself and recruited Steeton singer Helen Day to provide vocals on two tracks.

The first demo he sent off was accepted by the Peoplesound website, which promotes the work of bands and musicians around the country.

Web surfers can find artists playing the type of music they like, read their biographies and listen to snatches of music before buying online.

Leading Keighley rock band The Undecided signed up to Peoplesound last year and was given a web page promoting its latest single.

John was delighted at the response from Peoplesound's artist support manager Sam Kelly, who says the System: Exclusive web page will be up and running this month.

John has been promised an initial cheque for £100 and will receive 50 per cent royalties on any CDs sold through the website.

He has been creating his own music since he was 13 and decided he could do better than top dance groups such as The Prodigy.

His father bought him a keyboard and soon John was laying down tracks on second-hand equipment, including a multi-track tape recorder.

John recently took out a bank loan to buy four high-tech keyboards and a state-of-the-art digital recorder.

The musician decided to concentrate on dance tracks first in order to land a record deal, even though dance is not his first love.

His record collection ranges between The Prodigy, indie rock, Simon and Garfunkel and classical music.

"I'd like to do all sorts of music. I've got the equipment to do anything. My ambition is to write a piece for a full orchestra and conduct it."

John says he has written many songs over the past few years but only the three on the disc, entitled Sky Nine Nine, are perfected.

He describes the first two as accessible club-style dance tracks and the third, his favourite, as a more orchestral "ambient and chill-out" tune.

John will now send the CD to as many record companies and industry figures as possible, and hopes to perform in local nightclubs with Helen.

Sky Nine Nine will go on sale for the next few weeks at Keighley record shops Happy House and Our Price.

The website can be accessed at www.peoplesound.com.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.