2 weeks ago UK producer Rival Consoles announced a new album coming up, and naturally we got excited.
The follow-up to his 2018 release Persona is scheduled for July 31st via Erased Tapes and the lead track "Articulation" is nothing, but a concrete-solid proof we're in for something beautiful.
I need to talk a bit about the artwork. One of the most abstract and captivating things I've seen as of lately and I've spend a decent amount gazing at it while listening to the track. Apparently, it's the result of RC's effort of drawing structures, shapes and patterns by hand as a away to stay away from his computer. The album title references a piece by the avant-garde contemporary composer Györgi Ligeti, though not for its music, but for the non-traditional graphic score that accompanied it.
Regarding "Articulation", Ryan shares...
The title track is about articulation and playfulness with shape and time. Its structure is very machine-like, but I was really interested in how melody and sense of story could develop out of this, and it became an exploration of mathematical structures — patterns and shapes having a conversation. I love that something on paper can appear rigid and calculated, but then take on new meaning based on the context that surrounds it, or how it changes over time.
I love how much information there is on RC's bandcamp and I felt the need to pull a few more quotes from him.
I find electronic music is often battling to say something with integrity because technology and production can easily get in the way. I think the goal of a lot of electronic composers is to find a balance between the vision of the idea and the power of possibilities on the computer. With a pen and paper sketch you can compose and rethink ideas without technology getting in the way, so for me it acts as a very helpful tool to refresh the process.