In terms of electronic music, Ryan Lee West and Rival Consoles stands alone. Rival Consoles is its own genre of electronic music, the kind that feels alive and ever-expansive. The rhythms and percussive nature has an organic quality to it; the clicks and clacks and dance-centric nature doesn’t come across processed and boxed in. It’s a natural flow, like the fundamental elements. And the melodies pull you in, subtly at first. But by the second track of any Rival Consoles record you’re locked in, waiting on what comes next.
His trilogy run of Howl, Night Melody, and Persona were absolute perfection. The avante garde meets pop sensibility with a cinematic flourish throughout(West would go on to score the Black Mirror episode “Striking Vipers” in 2019.) With each successive release West solidified Rival Consoles’ sonic footprint into something singular and one of a kind, even writing Overflow for a dance production created by choreographer Alexander Whitley.
On Rival Console’s latest album Landscape from Memory, West takes us back to the more melody-driven sounds of Persona, while keeping things sparse yet perfectly ornamented. It’s another stunning record in a long line of stunning records.
“In Reverse” opens the LP in a wistful, contemplative mood. Bringing to mind Moderat in it’s wavering melody, “In Reverse” is a welcome return to the world of Rival Consoles. “Catherine” is up next, revealing an upbeat and playful feel. “Catherine” -named after West’s partner – was the catalyst for Landscape from Memory, ending a year-long musical drought. It opened the floodgates for the rest of the album to come together.
Tracks like “Soft Gradient Beckons”, “Known Shape”, and “2 Forms” pulse with life and light, building momentum through tactile beats. “Nocturne” and “In A Trance” are expansive and world-building in their distinctive production sound, while title track “Landscape from Memory” closes the record in mountainous, celestial heights.
Once again Ryan Lee West puts Rival Consoles at the top of the electronic music world with Landscape from Memory. It’s a compelling, engaging, and wondrous musical landscape to get lost in.
Complex Distractions 