New mini-album 'Night Melody' out August 5th
Order it on 12"/DL: www.erasedtapes.com/store/index/ERATP087
or digitally from iTunes: http://snip.ftpromo.net/nightmelody
More info: www.rivalconsoles.net

London-based electronic songwriter Ryan Lee West aka Rival Consoles to release his most personal work to date in the form of a mini-album titled ‘Night Melody’ through Erased Tapes on 5th August 2016.

During the release of his acclaimed full-length album ‘Howl’ and heavy touring in late 2015, Ryan came out of a long relationship and found himself making music throughout the winter months. The result of his efforts is a 34-minute, 6-track mini album ‘Night Melody’, born out of and shaped by long hours working into the night. It’s nocturnal in sound; mysterious in the way that the early hours so often are.

“I found myself, in a silent home, with the days getting dark very early. I’ve never before in my life been affected by the lack of light so much. I just remember it always being night time. I would either make music into the night, go out drinking with friends, or go to parties and dance into the early hours, every day, week after week, month after month, until eventually the days became brighter again.”

The opening statement ‘Pattern of the North’ starts off with a collage of spliced synth melodies, inspired by anxiety that accompanies going home for Christmas. It’s followed by ‘Johannesburg’, an early sketch gradually filled out during his tour in South Africa. 

“After playing it around some of the cities, I got a lot of inspiration to bring it to life and push it into something that really moves me. I think this is one of my most colourful pieces of music, with its driving rhythm and almost a homage to Terry Riley’s ‘In C’ towards the end, with a build of very simple, hypnotic parts. I especially love that for over five minutes the piece is tied to just one note. This makes the ending very dramatic, because all of a sudden there is this harmonic change.”

‘Lone’ started life around the time Ryan was working on his ‘Sonne’ EP in 2014. It’s the result of constant adjustments to find the perfect balance of fragility and assurance. As everything on the album, it’s a carefully considered, emotionally mature piece. “I think, as I get older, I need music to represent something and not just sound interesting, though of course the two are connected.”

The closing statement ‘What Sorrow’ is a fitting end to the album, building from gentle melancholia to a joyous crescendo. It’s a sensibility that’s central to the record; joy and sorrow both find their counterpoints.

“This record is very personal to me and I hope it offers something for other people, as it helped me to make it and to listen to it. Almost every synth line was recorded intuitively, without perfection but with a lot of intention and expression. I’m not interested in making something sad or making something happy. I want music to be bittersweet, to be more complex, like life – containing moments of vibrant colour and hope, as much as darkness and sadness.”

This summer will see Ryan follow on from his recent North American Tour with the appearance at many festivals including Lovebox, Secret Garden Party, La Route Du Rock, Sea Change and Tale of Us-curated Afterlife party at Space, Ibiza. ‘Night Melody’ will be available on 12” vinyl and digitally, August 5th.

TRACK LISTING:  	

A1. Pattern Of The North
A2. Johannesburg
A3. Slow Song

B1. Lone
B2. Night Melody
B3. What Sorrow

Night Melody

Lone

Buy 12"/DL

Rival Consoles - Lone

Bonobo is Mixmag's February cover star. This is the exclusive mix he's done to celebrate.

Tracklist

The Cover Mix: Bonobo

mixed: Martijn Groeneveld
co-produced: Stijn Hosman
mastered: Jeffrey de Gans
artwork: Dieuwertje Luitse

GLOOM

The land of Yukon Club seems infinite. With a seamless and titillating fusion of analog synths, dazzling drumbeats and immersive melodies, they cross boundaries and leave the beaten track.  Inspired and thriven by luminous minds such as Bicep, Thom Yorke and Moderat they bring a shape-shifting blend of minimal techno and atmospheric pop that echoes into memories.

Ever since the release of their debut EP ‘Absence’ in 2016, the trio has chosen for the experiment. Despite a successful debut release, a tour across more than 150 stages and an aftershow for Radiohead, they retreated in 2018 to work on their new nocturnal universe. Ever since they’ve been building on a new sound in their self-built Amsterdam-based studio. At the end of 2019 they finally return to the stages to present you their own little microkosmos in a thrilling live performance. Get hypnotized and float along over electronic waves.

GLOOM

Yukon Club

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