Rival Consoles

Rival Consoles drops ‘Running EP’

London-based musician and producer Ryan Lee West aka Rival Consoles presents his 4-track ‘Running EP.’ Merging together cinematic sounds and melodic synthesizers, the four-track collection is an extraordinary musical journey.

Ryan Lee West, alias Rival Consoles, expands on his ongoing ambition to produce a more organic, live sound, seeing him form pieces that capture a sense of songwriting behind the machines. He is known for producing dynamic, experimental electronic music that makes synthesizers sound human.

I am very into classical music and the kind of structures and ideas they often use, and love the works which take a single melodic idea and create multiple variations from it. That is what I tried to do with this piece, where every single thing is a variation on the opening ten second theme. I spent over one year exploring a huge amount of variations from light to very heavy. Over much time I ended up being more inspired by the subtler, gentler variations, which allow the idea to breathe, which is a theme on this record. – Rival Consoles

The EP kicks off with the title track, Running, where dreamy and chill melodic lines flow seamlessly on top of a hypnotic baseline. World Turns goes a bit more experimental and underground with its raw strings and mysterious beats that collide creating something magical. From the melodic part of Now Is to the minimal percussions of Echoes, the EP preludes Rival Consoles’ new album set for release next month.

There are some pieces that are influenced quite strongly by the isolation and anxiety of these times. There are also pieces which are more optimistic and vibrant, which I think is a consistent attitude of my records, as I want art to express many aspects of life. – Rival Consoles

A new stage in the continual process of improvement and evolution is marked by “Now Is.” The album is more fun and melodious and smoothly combines synths and acoustic instruments. It draws from extensive experiments in minimalist songwriting.