Articulation

Description

Articulation, the highly anticipated new album by Ryan Lee West aka Rival Consoles. Articulation, the centerpiece of the album, connects the record to the fluidity and analog color of Night Melody from 2016. The division of different time signatures, interwoven with a complex structure of notes, creates the expression of a moving structure and evokes a dreamy energy. Ryan Lee West explains: "The title track is about articulation and playing with form and time. Its structure is very much like a machine, but I was really interested in how the melody and the sense of the story could develop from that, and it became an exploration of mathematical structures - patterns and shapes having a conversation."
Articulation was conceived with a very visual way of thinking, unusual for the London-based musician and producer. During the writing process, Ryan hand-drew structures, shapes, and patterns to try to find new ways of thinking about music, giving himself a means to solve problems away from the computer. The album title references a piece by avant-garde contemporary composer Györgi Ligeti, not for its music, but for the non-traditional graphic score that accompanied it. The idea of using drawings and analog tools to support digital creations can be heard in the structure of the pieces that make up Articulation.
Since the release of Persona (2018), Ryan Lee West has taken his captivating live set around the world. Last seen on stage with 17 musicians from the London Contemporary Orchestra for a sold-out orchestral performance at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in January 2020. In the meantime, Lee West has been busy. After contributing an exclusive track titled "Them Is Us" to the highly sought-after Adult Swim Singles series, he recently shared the beautiful solo piano piece Winter's Lament for Piano Day 2020. He also composed for Striking Vipers, episode 1 of season 5 of Black Mirror, which director Charlie Brooker has spoken highly of. He also composed the original music for Secret Cinema presents Stranger Things as well as for choreographer Alexander Whitley.