Downtempo from Rival Consoles

Based in London, producer Ryan Lee West makes deep electronic soundscapes under the Rival Consoles moniker. Using synthesisers, he crafts a warm and organic sound out of electronic textures to offer his own distinct style.

For fifteen years he’s been releasing stunning music ever since his debut EP The Decadent EP which he’s followed up with a staggering amount of music to create an expansive catalogue that delivers his unique sonic vision. With his latest release, the album titled Now Is, he marks the next chapter in his musical journey that sees the artist draw on experimental ideas and minimalism to thread playful melody into his atmospheric compositions.

Commenting on the record, he shares, “There are some pieces that are influenced quite strongly by the isolation and anxiety of these times. There are also pieces which are more optimistic and vibrant, which I think is a consistent attitude of my records, as I want art to express many aspects of life.”

Lifted from Now Is comes the track “Vision of Self”, the perfect taste of his latest work with a subtle synth-based arrangement of ambient electronica. Paired with the track, Rival Consoles linked up with videographer María Medem to create a beautiful colourful animation to accompany the sound, perfectly reflecting its delicate style.

On “Vision of Self”, Rival Consoles offers, “The title of the music reflects this sense ‘what is the self?’: it is both knowable and unknowable, it is always changing as we get older and as we pass through experiences, our relationship with ourselves, with others, with nature, dreams, love, hurt, desire, repair etc. I like the dream-like nature of thinking about this and how electronic music can echo that dream-like quality in an abstract yet identifiable way.”

With María Medem adding, “The idea behind the whole animation is exploring, without judgment, how we change through life and how what we live shapes us, while we shape others as well. I’ve used plenty of symbols to try to evoke atmospheres and feelings without the need of being too explicit and to give some room to the watcher to let those symbols have a personal meaning for them. In the animation, some actions, like throwing a stone, doesn’t have an immediate consequence, but with time, it does have an effect. That’s how through the whole story, different elements, in principle with no relation with each other, are finally connected.”

Watch the video for Vision of Self below

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