Entrancer : Rit

Ryan McRyhew came into focus for me a decade ago when I bum rushed the Software Recording Co. Bandcamp page. I was full obsessive/compulsive regarding everything Oneohtrix Point Never/Daniel Lopatin and felt like I’d come across a treasure chest of unknown musical pleasures when I discovered the OPN mastermind ran a record label.

One of those treasures was an album called Death After Life from an artist known as Thug Entrancer(aka, Ryan McRyhew). Once I listened to it I was floored by the visceral, raw sound created by McRyhew. Hard electronics, techno-ish, very visceral sounds and vibes that emanated from the speakers. I was never much of a electronic “dance” fan; more so the heavy, gauzy sound of 70s pioneers like Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, and Kraftwerk. But while Thug Entrancer’s sound was raw dance-adjacent, there was a real exploratory feel to Death After Life. I could appreciate the rhythmic pulse that emanated from a wall of noise.

In early 2016 Ryan McRyhew returned as Thug Entrancer and released Arcology, an album I still play regularly. It kept the raw electronics and visceral feel of Death After Life, but melody also played a big part of the sound. There was a more cohesive nature to the record. Plus, the deluxe version came with Data Slave, an all out techno dance mix cassette with two extended jams on each side. It was like an hour-long club mix from Thug Entrancer.

Since 2016 Ryan McRyhew has been quietly releasing extended electronic improvisations under a new name, simply Entrancer. The music has remained as gritty, improvisational, and exploratory as ever. And last month he released a new LP called Rit with Multidim Records out of Denver(where McRyhew is based.) It’s an absolutely stunning album, with the frenetic movement of an all night rave under Colorado night skies; earthbound visceral, with the heady edge of some sonic, cosmic experience.

Rit opens on the pulsating “Haunt”. A buzzing, hissing condemnation on the state of the world, told via circuits and a robotic, tribal rhythm that brings us into the album’s atmospheric feel. Which, to my ears, is one of circuital disenchantment pointed towards a world in collapse. Undulating rhythm, hypnotic pulse, and a tactile, organic feel take you over for its 9-minute runtime. “Mutant mind” is next, and a chaotic electric buzz overtakes you. Modular pulse moans from under the mix, bringing your heart rate up as the song rolls over you. Frenetic and urgent, this feels like a chase scene in some dystopian film. “Acid in desire” feels more like a club-assured dance track. A more well-defined percussive backbone gives the proceedings a sweaty sheen.

Rit moves in different moods, with the common denominator being Entrancer’s always present organic/synthetic sound. McRyhew has a very distinct sound when he builds with analog boxes and synths. It’s part circuital chaos like a Pollack painting, but with patch cords and knob tweaking instead of paint cans and canvas. It’s a very tactile sound, and one that is hard not to fall for. Clicks and clacks and building sonic waves into chaotic swirls of noise, this is the world of Entrancer.

From the anarchic swell of “Aural install” to the pensive “Moss” to the cyber jungle boogie of “Age of eternal”, Entrancer wants to move you and affect you through electronic distortion and rhythm. “Fractal Mask” has the most defined dance feel here, while closer “Ritual” brings to mind the sonic world of Rival Consoles.

Rit is a stunning listen. It’s built on improvisational muscle, sonic exploration, and the need to connect through rhythm and emotion. Very happy to hear that Ryan McRyhew and Entrancer are still building engaging worlds through electronic manipulation and visceral musical experience.