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A love of live instrumentation and a knack for writing expansive club records, Melbourne’s Roy Blues (Ryan D’Sylva) is being solidified as one of the leading electronic producers in Australia. With a gripping live show, that is turning the heads of seasoned tastemakers. Folk like Bonobo, Richie Hawtin, CC: DISCO, DJ Boring, and RUFUS DU SOL have been queuing up his records, as the pot continues to bubble over Roy Blues prowess.
After a successful opening release ‘Pyramid’, and building upon his follow-up EP ‘Brain Wax’, Roy Blues now takes the lead for his first-ever independent release, dishing up a beautifully intense batch of tracks, that go by ‘Subterrane’. Armed with a range of synthetic instrumentation and an “obsession for manipulating soundwaves”, Roy Blues makes dance music that hits different. Tastemaker channels around the globe are starting to take notice, with local stations like Triple J, FBI, PBS and international platforms NTS Radio, The Lot (NYC), Dub Lab and Rinse FM giving him precious airtime.
The title track ‘Subterrane’ is a sweeping, alien-like soundscape. Imagine you’ve just landed a rover on a new planet, it’s this EP playing in your helmet. A whirlpool of modulated percussion rolls over on itself, soon burrowing down into a frenetic tunnel of sound. Racy mandolin-like plucks reverberate within its walls, enthralling listeners with a volley of audio before spitting them out to safety.
The second visitor, ‘Pulsar’, is a calmer, more explorative affair. Showcasing his love for shapeshifting sound, Roy leads listeners on a shuddering journey, bringing new meanings to the notes you hear. ‘Pulsar’ is that excellent bridge between light and dark, a tune destined to take audiences closer to the stars during live sets.
Finally comes ‘Obelisk’. Riddled with intensity, this track is born to be played in no atmosphere. Looped digitalised scales make way for grandiose bass notes that meld wonderfully, culminating in quite the closing trip. These records don’t seem to fit a genre but rather speak on their own terms.
It’s true. Live tours are back and if you’re eager to catch Roy Blues, he’s currently supporting brother-sister combination Lastlings on a 10 date tour across the country. And if that ain’t feasible, be sure to check out last year’s stunning ‘Live from Isolation’ performance online. A truly immersive journey.
Release date: May 28th, 2021.