Ryan Lee West aka Rival Consoles recently announced that he’ll be releasing a new album called Articulation on July 31. After sharing the title track, he has now shared the album’s opening track “Vibrations on a String”, saying:
“’Vibrations on a String’ was one of the earliest pieces I made for the record. The title is a direct reference to the behaviour of the main synth: I was trying to mimic playing a guitar string both softly and aggressively. I think a part of me is often trying to mimic the physical world with synths. There is something mindful about observing things and making sense of them, and once you try to recreate something in a different medium it feels like there are new opportunities to explore.”
It’s undoubted that Rival Consoles has a very particular way of making music, and using sounds to translate feelings about the “real” world, but the magic is that when you listen to “Vibrations on a String” (or any of his songs), you step inside his mindset and can see and feel that connection for yourself. Sure, “Vibrations on a String” is a danceable techno tune, but it’s more than that; it’s a textured, breathing mental playground, just asking to be explored.
Rival Consoles’ new album Articulation is out July 31 on Erased Tapes. You can follow him on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
